Italians bribed the Taleban all over Afghanistan, say officials

Well, what to think?
It may be not true, but as usual there is no willingness from the Italian Government to investigate.
A simple dismissal of the fact just makes one thinks that they are hiding something.

Link to the Times article.

How business works in Italy – an example

Let’s imagine you run a company that produces waste.
Your toxic and radioactive waste must be disposed.
You look for some other company that will dispose it for you at the lowest price. You have a deal and don’t bother checking where your waste ends up.

Let’s imagine now that you want to make big money, have strong acquaintances, but also money to invest and don’t mind threatening and using violence. Then you corrupt some people to let you win the competitions for disposing of public waste and you start destroying the competitors. Then you also have very clever ideas on how to dispose the toxic waste very cheaply. You set very low prices and attract clients.
You load ships full of waste and sink them in the Mediterranean, just off the coast of Italy or in Somalia. If someone sticks his nose, you buy or kill them, like it seemed happened to journalist Ilaria Alpi and her cameraman.

Sounds too imaginative?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/16/shipwreck-waste-mafia-italy

A blog

I feel my blog belongs to me, it is my personal space through which I share my thoughts with the world. Of course it matters who is reading, but I do not need to know exactly who it is. I don’t use it to advertise a certain image of myself. I write in my blog because I have an instinctive urge of communicating certain ideas (or photographs since more often than not, they are expression of my ideas and feelings, but also my discoveries about the world).

I surely miss a stronger feedback, but I reckon that with time and dedication, it will come by itself.

I had a facebook-intense period lately, and now I realized how I was using it to request feedback. On anything. Be it my new photographs, or a cool comment I made on someone else status or, you know, the myriad things devised to make you feel closer to your acquaintances (they cannot be all friends!), but in reality these mini-snippets-of-intrusion-into-others-lives are stealing your attention. And time. Hey, the phone still exists. Why don’t I use it more?

Of course, there remain aspects of FB that are positive. For instance the ease with which you can get back in touch with people you met during a vacation, a conference, a festival, a road trip. And then plan for the next meeting. Sometimes I feel shy in calling people by phone. It feels too obtrusive. But now I feel I should intrude more in those friend’s lives I care most.

Genova Notte Bianca 2009 – Quello che non ho fotografato

Esco a fare foto alla Notte Bianca 2009.

Ho in mente di riprendere le folle che invadono le piazze, le persone perse nella danza, i performers che si esibiscono, le luci, le trasformazioni della città. Gli amici che condividono con me questi momenti.

Ma mi ritrovo a non riuscire a fotografare le storie che le persone stanno vivendo in quelle ore: coppie che litigano, coppie che si baciano appassionatamente, ragazzi che ci provano con le ragazze, occhiate e danze sensuali, amici persi nell’esaltazione di questo o quel cantante, le droghe assunte, il livello di alcool, il rumore ed la musica, la sensazione di essere tutti accomunati da questo grande evento eppure li sento così distanti…come se essere a caccia di fotografie mi ponesse su un piano diverso, cerco di confondermi tra loro, ma più tento, più sono consapevole di non riuscirci e allora mi riparo dietro l’obiettivo e festeggio i rari incontri con gli indigeni che mi chiedono di essere fotografati.

Stephen Alvarez

Perhaps I am advertising him too much, compared to other talented photographers, but I regularly read his blog, www.picturestoryblog.com, and now he has a wonderful new personal website, www.alvarezphotography.com

The images are very big, navigation is fluid and the whole site is very essential, you find what you want and don’t get lost where you don’t want to. Big kudos to aphotofolio.com, for bringing this, and other cool websites, into existence.

Foto Notte Bianca Genova 2009

La Notte Bianca. La miriade di eventi. La folla. La musica.

Sono uscito di casa per registrare la citta’ diversa, la citta’ invasa. I concerti e la gente che balla.

La notte biologica e’ stata cancellata dalla musica, il tempo e’ fluito verso l’alba da un palco all’altro.

Disco sotto il tendone delle feste. Clicca per vedere le altre foto.

Oltrenero. The New Italian Fascists.

Fascism has never died in Italy. It survived through the decades. The Italians never got rid of the Fascists. They even elected them in successive governments. Fascists might have also enjoyed the support of the US against the threat of Russian Communism. Now, the Fascist ideals are more appealing than ever to the youth. The fear of the immigrants, the need for security, for identity and for familial values in a society that disrupts any social relations. History is an opinion in Italy. It is debated and revised with every turn of the wind.

This slideshow, from the book OltreNero (beyond black), depicts this new movement, among many. It doesn’t directly criticize or promote. I’d like to read your reactions, especially if you’re not Italian.

Photography Classics in Lego

At times we need distractions, but best if they are amusing, intelligent and stimulating. Today I offer you this collection of some of the most famous photograph in the history of photography reshot with Lego by Balakov. Of course they are flawed, sometimes the perspective or the focus isn’t just right, but hey, this is Lego. On another note, I think this work asks us, “What is the essence of these photographs?”. What are the essential elements that allow us to connect with the original? How much of the original photograph can we throw away without it losing its strength?

Perhaps, trying to answer these questions will bring to our own photography more self-consciousness of which elements we are striving to capture.

Baroque music concert

Baroque Music Concert

I was there to photograph the musicians playing, trying to get a more intimate portrait while tuning their instruments. People were coming back from break and I was fascinated by the beautiful player, who then stared at me exactly when the woman in blue was passing. I did not give this photo to my commissioner, but I think it is one of the best from that evening.

Speed

Night car driving blur

Speed is becoming a common denominator to modern lifestyle. But what happens when you constantly live over the speed limits? Everything becomes blurred, to the point you cannot distinguish your road: your destinations confuse with the goals set for you by other people. You do not see the details and might crash.