Pressmen, chapter 2

Boys and girls

Distrust journalists. If for mistake, just for a while, you think a person acting journalist can be a good partner, let it go. Man or woman it doesn't make difference: journalists are the farest point from a stable relationship and from family ideas. So, if you are in search of a person to stay with please focus your attention elsewhere. It has been said what a kind of person is a journalist. In chapter one of this never-ending saga a panoramic view has been offered in very reliable manner, but if you don't believe it's up to you. That means soon or late you'll see by yourself. What is essential to keep in mind there's no difference between men and women. In this the press world shows to have well worked in terms of promotion of gender balance. Both men and women are unbearable.
   Boys spend time to strut around like roosters in hen houses. They only talk about their feats, and everybody has to stand out. The only goal is to impose the own supremacy over the others, but no journalists will accept to be recognised as a second-rate reporter. Journalist is second to none by definition, so every single guy fights an eternal battle to try to persuade the rest of the press world he is the best. We can say, using a metaphor, that male journalists main activity is penis size self-measurement. The second one, of course, is going in search of chicks. Since journalists in general only respond to their ego, stay with another person becomes impossible unless the other accept to be the just journalist's ego nourishment source. That's what male journalists search in a woman. it could be said the majority of men (perhaps all of them) have a pure and genuine sex consideration of women. That is true for journalists as well, with the small difference by which having sex with a girl is not only reason for pleasure but also reason for ego increasing. At the end, the only reason why a male journalist looks for girls is to can be proud of when he speaks to his colleagues after having got what he was looking for. Nothing strange: the difference between men and pressmen is press, and it's not question of just a word. Since there's nothing but pressmen and journalism, male reporters will be not able to take care of family. Statistics show the majority of professionals are at least one wedding failure behind their back. And that's also true for people from female gender.

Quotes

«The demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century».
Vladimir Putin, president of the Russian federation, in his annual state of the nation address to Parliament (Moscow, 25 April 2005)

«Europe underestimated Russia», said EU officials

In 2008 Putin warned about the risks of intervention in Ukraine due to Russian interests into the country. But nobody paid it attention

by Emanuele Bonini

Europe underestimated Russia, and now it's too late to react in order to find a solution to what is going on in Ukraine. Furthermore, the European Union should have more courage imposing economic sanctions against Vladimir Putin's country. Inside the EU institution there's who is sure more could have been done, but was not. “The current policy of sanctions doesn't work”, said EU officials speaking off-the record. “Asset freezing and visa ban don't produce effects. Isolation is the only possibility we have to resolve the crisis”. While the twenty eight member states reflect about the possibility to challenge Moscow, the European Union shows divisions right inside. Put Russia in the condition to be alone at international level should be the European political line, according to EU officials in Brussels.

Together with the choices considered as wrong, Europe is responsable for not have take into account Russian early warnings. In April 2008, during the Nato summit held in Romania, Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke about Ukraine as an artificial country put together from bits of other countries. «Ukraine, in the form it currently exists, was created in the Soviet times», said Putin six years ago. Ukraine received its territories from Poland – after the Second World war, from Czechoslovakia, from Romania – and, then, it received huge territories from Russia in the east and south of the country. Why to remember what Putin said in 2008? First of all because it was the EU officials who reminded it. Secondly, because the same EU officials underlined that during his speech Russian president said something nobody was worried about. «We do not have any right to veto, and, probably, we do not pretend to have. But I want that all of us, when deciding such issues, realize that we have there our interests as well». That's what Putin said in Bucharest six years ago. «We underestimated Russia», EU officials admitted. «And today we are having an amazing lessons from Ukraine».

«Germans deny WW II concentration camps»

Berlusconi is back. Eleven years after his gaffe with Schulz the once so-called cavaliere explained his "joke". And once again there's nothing to laugh

by Emanuele Bonini

We hoped Silvio Berlusconi was too busy in social services to speak again. Ok, it's true former Italian prime minister will start tomorrow helping old people, but we would have expected he kept silence. Unfortunately he had to talk about the upcoming European elections. He started reminding his questionable joke with Martin Schulz in 2003, when Berlusconi called him "kapo". At that time, Berlusconi stated yesterday «I said, nicely, that I'd get him a job given that a film director friend of mine was planning to make a film on the German concentration camps. I didn't want to offend anybody, but according to the Germans, in their opinion, there never were concentration camps». Then he noted that at the European elections for Socialist «runs that lord whose name is Schulz, who has not great sympathy not only for Berlusconi but also for Italy». Thus Berlusconi in 2003 had no intention to offend anybody, so decided to do it today. «These comments by Berlusconi are an insult to the entire German people and not only an insult to Martin Schulz» said PES president Sergei Stanishev in a statement. That's not true: Berlusconi's comments were an insult to intelligence and to history, and thanks to him once again the entire world talks about Italy because of his person and his statements. We hoped the nightmare was over, but we were wrong. Now the only hope is from tomorrow he is too tired to speak. Let's cross fingers...

The 25th of April should be for all

The Liberation day is celebrated in Italy and in Portugal, but beyond the national experiences there are fundamental lessons for Europe

Opinion

The 25th of April is a remarkable day for Europe: Italy and Portugal celebrate the liberation day. In different moment of history, both countries experienced a return to democracy and freedom after decades of authoritarianism. In 1945 in Italy the Nazi occupation army surrendered and left Northern Italy (Turin and Milan) after a general partisan insurrection by the Italian resistance movement. At the same time the puppet fascist regime dissolved and Benito Mussolini tried to escape. Italy was not yet ready to gain full democracy, but that day a new era started. The 25th of April, 1945, became as symbolic of the Liberation of Italy. Italy's Liberation day is symbolic for Europe. The second world war led to the end of the non-democratic powers across the continent, and the Italian case demonstrated that regimes were over and democracy was spreading, even if at great cost. But democracy was not everywhere: the Iberian peninsula still remained imprisoned into Spanish and Portuguese dictatorships. That one of Salazar ended the 25th of April 1974 thanks to the Carnation revolution: a leftist military coup in overthrew the fascist Estado Novo regime and established a new democratic government. In times of cold war the Portuguese renaissance was another tile toward normality. Each country still celebrates the Liberation day, but all the Europeans should commemorate it in order to can remember how important is democracy.

AS Gryffindor, red and yellow magic

Homeditch

People get crazy for Gryffindor. The quidditch team led by captain Potter is a huge source of inspiration for everybody, especially for people working in merchandising. The latter launched on the market a very successful product called Homeditch, contraction for home quidditch. As suggested by the name, Homeditch allows to play quidditch at home thanks to finger size statuettes representing quidditch player of different teams. We talk about toys, small players in miniature carefully reproduced as they are in reality. Eyes, hair, jersey: everything is realized in a very detailed and realistic way to give the opportunity to play and replay all the quidditch tournament. I'm not sure I can say, but this idea comes from muggles: at the end of the 40's muggles created a board game called Subbuteo simulating team sports, soccer and cricket in particular. Left on the top we can see one of the Homeditch Gryffindor team with old yellow and red jersey.

Quotes

«We all need to pursue our efforts to ensure that all workers, no matter where they are, have the right to work in a safe environment and the possibility to uphold this right in practice».
Laszlo Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, social affairs and inclusion (Brussels, 24 April 2014)

Ukraine and the surprising surprise of Europe

The EU sent a letter to Vladimir Putin expressing concern for Russian behaviour. Perhaps across Europe is still not clear a point of non return was marked

Josè Manuel Barroso

Opinion

The president of the European Commission, Josè Manuel Barroso, sent a letter to the president of the Russian federation, Vladimir Putin. Nothing special and, given the situation, a good new: that means there is still a glimmer for dialogue. In Ukraine the situation is turning from bad to worse, and having a Russian partner ready to act in order to find a solution is crucial. The point is Russia is not giving the impression to want the situation stop. On the contrary, it seems for Moscow the right moment to re-define its borders has come. First was Crimea to be annexed by Russia, then the eastern part of Ukraine could soon follow. Russian speaking minorities are there, and Russia is already claiming for them. Saying «it is clear that if situation in Ukraine grows in a massive bloodshed, there will be nothing to discuss with so-called acting Ukrainian foreign minister», the Russian Permanent Representative in EU, Vladimir Chizhov, said Russia will not accept any violence against Russians in Ukraine and so Russia is ready take their defence. Barroso wrote Putin Europe is ready to have talks, but at the same the president of the European Commission expressed regretted deeply concern» for Russian unilateral decision not to apply the 2010 Kharkov agreement. In writing that Barroso showed how the European Union and Europeans are not aware about the current situation (by the way: you can find the letter here ).

EU MEPs want no migrants "pushbacks" at sea

The European Parliament in Strasbourg approved search and rescue rules to prevent deaths at open water. New rules to enter to force before the summer

source: European Parliament

by Emanuele Bonini

Stop to "pushbacks" at sea or punishment of migrant rescuers, according to new search and rescue rules to prevent deaths at sea approved today by the European Parliament. The draft regulation - approved by 528 votes to 46, with 88 abstentions - makes clear that the rules on search and rescue operations and the disembarkation of migrants will only cover operations that are coordinated by Frontex, the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union. This should help to dispel confusion created by EU member states’ differing interpretations of international law and practices. MEPs tightened up the text to ensure compliance with the “non-refoulement” principle, which says that individuals must not be returned to any country where there is a risk of persecution, torture or other serious harm. In line with this principle "pushback" operations on the high seas will be forbidden. Border guards may only «warn and order» the vessel not to enter in the territorial waters of a member state. MEPs have also established that «the shipmaster and crew should not face criminal sanctions for the sole reason of having rescued persons in distress at sea and brought them to a place of safety». The regulation, already informally agreed by Parliament and Council negotiators, should enter into force before this summer.

Pressmen, chapter 1

Just three words

According to the basic rule of journalism there are five "W" to answer: who, what, why, where, when. According to practice there are just three words journalists mind: I, me, myself. If you look for some one with an immoderate ego a journalist is a the right person to count on. This world is full of foolish, selfish, prideful, immodest, arrogant, vain, smart ass people, but journalist is always the best, in any case. Compared to the most important thing in world journalists are special: they are the most important thing in the world, making the entire universe meaningless. The press world is infested by a pressmen totally unable to construct sentences in non first person subject. "I was there...", "I did that...", "I believe...", "I know for sure...", "in my opinion...", "It is exactly what happened to me...", "I remember...", "I had an interview with...", "I met...", "I talked to...", "I wrote...", "I went by myself...". For journalists there's no moment in life without using the first person, and the explanation for such a phenomenon is the only possible: pressmen are supermen. That's how they consider themselves. Pressmen are full of themselves, but because of religion no man would be so full of himself to consider himself as a god. But what God created in his own image and in his likeness is journalist. Before carrying on it has to be said there's a minority of pressmen who are not the kind of person we are talking about, but minorities always exist so it is normal to have somebody abnormal. In fact this minority of journalists with no ego are seen as loosers by all the others.

bLOGBOOK - Liège

Liège, St. Paul cathedral

Liège

«That building was not there when I was here». Lucy, our guide, looks around in search of a city that doesn't exist any more. Liège is changing. Is changing in shape, in buildings, in life. In the past Liège was one of the most important industrial centres in Europe, particularly in steel-making. Until the 60's the city was a great centre for working and transforming row materials, but today Liège is known because it is the greatest concentration of digital, technological and Internet-oriented services industries in Europe. In the city are hosted important group dedicated to high-technology, such as Techspace Aero, which manufactures pieces for the Airbus A380 or the rocket Ariane 5. In Liège there is not only technology: there are also the global leader in light armament FN Herstal, the beer company Jupiler, the chocolate company Galler, or water and soda business Spa and Chaudfontaine. Never the less crisis is visible: there's no street without shops closed. Closed stores are not too many, but they are everywhere. More are the rent sign: Liège is still an important industrial site, but other economic sector are suffering. It happens to see a lot of homes for rent or for sale, but there's nothing special for a city with an important university.

EU temporises over new sanctions against Russia

There is the need to find a solution and not to compromise the Ukraine talks, so for everybody the strategy is the same: «It's time for dialogue».

Catherine Ashton

by Emanuele Bonini 

The European Union waits for Russia in Geneva to take decision on Ukraine. The twenty eight member states Foreign affairs ministers at work in Luxembourg are not going to take high profile decision, and will reiterate the importance of respecting territorial integrity and rule of law in Ukraine as well as de-escalating the situation through diplomatic efforts. EU strategy is not new, but there is no interest in adopting heavy measures such as the economic sanctions against Russia foreseen by the third stage of EU response to Ukrainian crisis. On Thursday the European Union, the United States, Russia and Ukraine will meet in Geneva for talks, and the Europeans wait for that meeting in order to discuss directly to the Russian counterpart on how to deal with the situation. Waiting for the Geneva meeting Europe is careful to don't irritate Russia, so economic sanctions against the country are kept out. Everybody said it.

Senselessland (chapter 4)

Impressions and images from Bel Paese

Password: refresher course. Italy decided to "update" the labour market making training compulsory for all professionals. From the 1st of January 2014 a new legislation entered to force changing the traditional way of working. The idea was not bad at all: thanks to refresher courses Italian workers will be more well prepared and more competitive. What has not been said is this innovation would risk to create a boomerang effect. In Italy skilled workers find to diffulties to get a job because of the high profile they have: employers can't or don't want to invest in well trained people because of the high cost. In theory more a person is prepared more has to be paid, but reality is other business so employers will always look for costs reductions in order to increase earnings. Italy has a strange behaviour by which employers don't want to pay professionals in a proper way. That means normally professionals are underpaid, and that for a very simple reason: the alternative is unemployment. So, what about now? What is good and right in the intentions of the legislator, is something highly counter-productive.

EU and US not ready for economic fines on Russia

The Foreign affair ministers on Monday in Luxembourg are not going to decide for sanctions, in line with Obama's decision to enlarge the number of people listed

by Emanuele Bonini

The European Union is still uncertain and divided over economic sanctions against Russia. On Monday the foreign affairs ministers of the twenty eight will meet in Luxembourg, but they are not going to launch the “third stage” of the common strategy for Ukraine, that one opening the way to economic restrictions against Russia. In Europe there are different positions and different interests, but the majority of the EU member states share the need of delaying the adoption of economic measures. Just few countries – Lithuania, Poland and Czech Republic – are in favour of tougher positions, with the United Kingdom – not dependent by Russian gas as on the contrary are others and for this reason more free to call Russia out – at work on a de-escalation strategy in the country in view of the presidential elections at the end of May. The impression is Europe want to standardize its policy to that one of the transatlantic partner. The United Stated could soon list other people among all the personalities to be sanctioned. This choice lies in the economic interests of the United States: economic sanctions against Russia would directly impact some of America’s largest companies — namely Morgan Stanley, Chevron, and Exxon Mobil.

Italy still a problem for European Commission

Balance budget national target postponed by one year, Brussels pretends good reasons for that

Italy prime minister Matteo Renzi

by Emanuele Bonini

Italy has to respect pacts, gain credibility, implement the structural reforms and only after all that can ask for flexibility. That's what in Brussels think about the member state in question, that's how the European Commission reacted to the announcement made by the Italian authorities of postponing the balanced budget goal. Expected for 2015, the latest Financial and Economic Document (FED) issued by the Italian government fixes the target at 2016. «We take note», told reporters Simon O'Connor, spokesperson of the European commissioner for Economic and monetary affairs, adding the European Commission wait for receiving the official document from the Italian government to express an official opinion. Of course once in Brussels the economic law «will be carefully analysed». Antonio Tajani was, on the contrary, less diplomatic. «Personally I'm in favour of flexibility, but it has not to be a gift», said the vice president of the European commission in charge for Industry. «There have to be valid reasons to can justify flexibility, valid reason like reforms to speed up economy». The European Commission didn't like the Italian behaviour and it has made clear. Italy do what has to do and that's it. In any case before breaking the rules Italy be sure to be in the position to do so.

«It's a mistake to deny signs of hope»

The president of the European Commission asked for a constructive spirit to «fuel» confidence

Josè Manuel Barroso

by Emanuele Bonini

Not all the problems are completely resolved yet, but nothing is still lost. That's the meaning of Barroso's words, pronounced during the conference on youth unemployment organised yesterday in Brussels. Nothing new: in Europe there a mild recovery, not enough to considered the worst passed but a good sign for the future. In time of crisis, hope and confidence are the best tools to carry on. The president of the European Commission told it clearly. «Commissioner Andor and all of us, we have said that while there are signs of hope in the economic situation in Europe, it would be a mistake to deny them». According to Barroso «it would be of course contrary to our interests in the sense that we would not fuel the confidence that is necessary also from the point of view of consumers and investors». This doesn't mean to create distortions. «I repeat, there are signs of hope and the recovery is there, we cannot yet say that the crisis is over». There's still a lot to do, but the situation is less worse than in the past. «Growth is picking up», remarked the president of the EU Commission. «It is expected to reach 1.5% in the European Union this year and accelerate to 2% next year». Hopefully.

Stress costs 240 billion € per year in Europe

Nearly the 25% of the total EU MFF burnt for mental problems. Now the European Commission tries to reverse this huge anti-economic trend

by Emanuele Bonini

Europe got stressed. Mental exhaustion is the second most frequently reported work-related problem after musculoskeletal disorders, and according to a study realised by the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP) the total costs of mental health disorders in Europe (both work and non-work related) is estimated at 240 billion Euros per year. To have a better idea of what it means all that, it has to be said 240 billion Euros are nearly one fourth of the total amount of the current multi-annual financial framework (908 billion), the EU budget covering the 2014-2020 period. Less than half this 240 billion sum stems from direct costs such as medical treatment, with 136 billion Euros due to lost productivity, including sick-leave absenteeism. This figure was offered by the European Commission and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) during the launch of the campaign for managing stress and psychosocial risks at work. Due to the dimension of this phenomenon, now it is time to take counter-measures, inverting a trend which is unsustainable both for people and for economy. A study realised by the British government shows that only in the United Kingdom it is estimated that around 9,8 million working days were lost during 2009-2010 because of work-related stress, and workers were absent for, on average, 22,6 days. We are not talking about an isolate case: in France - revealed a report from the National Institute for Research and Safety - the national costs of occupational stress were estimated at between 2 and 3 billion Euros in 2007. So, Europe lost and continues to loose competitiveness because just because of stress.

Europeans against eastern workers immigration

In Brussels riots and demonstrations against austerity measures and social dumping

by Emiliano Biaggio

Social tension and riots. Brussels has been transformed in a urban battlefield for almost one hour, with demonstrators fighting against police in front of the European Commission headquarters at the end of the "Euro demonstration" called by ETUC to say stop to the EU austerity measures. What happened today in the capital city of the European Union shows how deep is this crisis, but is also shows that something was wrong in Europe if protesters criticized the free movement for workers within the EU, one of the pillar at the basis of the European structure. One of the reason behind the demonstration as well as behind the social conflict across Europe there's the fight for a job place put at risk by eastern European. Asked about the "Euro demonstration", a person from the parade stated that «we are here to protest against the European Union and its policies which allow people coming from the Czech Republic and from Romania to come in our country and get a job at lower wages, and for us it means to loose our job». That is what is called "social dumping", that practice of employers to use cheaper labour force rather than what is usually available at their site of production. It means migrant workers are employed instead of national workers, cause the latter are most expansive in terms of wages and social protection while migrants are more available to earn less.

«Don't force Ukraine to choose between Russia and us»

During the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting, the Italian representative explained that the challenge is “the creation of an environment allowing Kiev to have relations with both the East and the West”

Italian Foreign minister Federica Mogherini

article written for EuNews

Supporting Ukraine, working with Russia. The position of the international community has been fluctuating between the needs of Kiev and the interests of Moscow, looking for an acceptable compromise for the parties. This is the position expressed by NATO Member States, as told by Federica Mogherini, Italian Foreign Minister, during the press conference held during a break of the meeting. These are “intense” days, she said. After all, the situation requires the utmost attention: “We need to avoid forcing Ukraine to choose between East and West,” underlined the Minister. Internationally speaking then, the efforts are now focused at “the creation of an environment allowing Kiev to have relations with both Russia and the Union.” Yet Russia does not trust this approach, it is afraid of the creation of too strong ties with the western countries – particularly, the potential application for joining the NATO by Kiev. Russia said they are waiting for the NATO to reassure them, but Minister Mogherini denied the fact: “The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Deschchytisa, has repeatedly said here that Ukraine is not going to join the NATO.” Deschchytsia, added Mogherini, “has clearly pointed out that becoming a Member State is not a target for the Ukrainian government, and I think saying the issue is not in the agenda is a strong political message”.

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AS Gryffindor, red and yellow magic

Fedayn

Red and yellow supporters from Hogwarts are well known everywhere. They are not among muggles, but not considering smuggles Gryffindor fans are as famous as the team they support. Perhaps their fame comes from a very particular banner made by a small group of them, whose name was Fedayn. Now, in the Arab language the term "feddayn" is the plural form of the term "fedai", which means "devoted". So Fedayn were a small group of people who had been showing their sport loyalty for Gryffindor. When I say they were a small group I want to underline they don't exist any more: Fedayn were disbanded soon after have been formed. Oh, their particular banner didn't remain unnoticed. In it was depicted a hooded skull, it was symbolised the image of death. That kind of symbol doesn't fit with Hogwards: it can refer to you-know-who. Ok, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has other symbols, but there is no doubt death is his only companion. For this reason the group was disbanded, even if still today, sometimes, a fedayn banner without skulls draws is exhibited during Gryffindor home match.

(in the picture above: Fedayn Gryffindor supporters after having stolen a flag to an opponent team)