How is Kick Off Revival? Is it worthy? Is it good?

First of all. Welcome people of more than 35-40 years old but not more than 50. I speak to you because I assume that you are those grew up playing videogames with an Amiga 500 or Atari ST during the late 80s or the first 90s.
Well, today is a good day for all of you that spent your youth playing KICK OFF saga because Dino Dini has released the Playstation4 version called Dino Dini's Kick Off Revival.

HISTORY OF A LEGEND
In the 1989 Anco published this strange videogame for the times: it was similar to "Microprose Soccer" (birdview) but extremely difficult because the ball wasn't glued to the players as other videogames did. It was a success and the name of Dino Dini became great in the videogame's industry.

This is Dino Dini, the man who boosted the soccer sector in the videogames' industry  

One year later Dini published a spin-off called "Player Manager" and it was the first really great  managerial videogame before the launch of "Championship Manager". Player Manager got the same mechanics from KO1 but added a great value: the chance to create and use your own tactics. The Tactic editor was amazing, maybe the best ever seen even after, and the chance to use these tactics in Kick Off 2 few months later was a successful combo for KO2, a milestone in the videogames' history.
Few years later Dino Dini came back with Kick Off 3, or better, "Goal!", with an improved graphic and code, but without that appeal of KO2+PM.
The arrival of "Sensible Soccer", "Pes", "Fifa" and so on put the Kick Off saga in a museum.

The original Kick Off

NOW IT'S BACK
Today Dino Dini is like those that lived a great past but the present is difficult to live. No, I'm not saying he's like Donny's character in that Adam Sandler's movie but Wikipedia says he decided to leave this industry to play music. The end of an era? No, because, surprise!, here it is "Kick Off Revival".
Friday the 24th of June was the dayone of this game published by Sony as a PS4 and PSVita exclusive (for 6 months). Suddenly, the Kick Off movement (those who still organize competitions, meetings, tshirts and so on) around the world stand up paying much attention to this game.
Is it worthy?

WHAT IS GOOD
1 VISUAL ASPECT: It's exactly like in the 1989. Play to it and you'll must see yourself in a mirror to understand that you're not back in a world without smartphone, internet, vr, youporn or Justin Bieber.
The graphic of players is the same with just a little improvements.
The graphic of the stadium is not-existent: you don't see supporters in 3D like in Fifa, you don't see buildings around the stadium. No. This game could easily be played in an Amiga 500.
Anyway, these are the years of indie games where the best videogames are worse than a "Chuck Rock" or "Pod" so I like this approach.
And, after all, the most important thing of KO is the playing.
2 THE GAME: It's the same videogame we used to play with the Amiga. If you still own an Amiga 500 you can avoid to buy this version, but if you don't, well, you must buy it because there are no differencies.
It's difficult, it's fucking difficult, it's much more difficult than any other videogame we have played over the last 20 years. I've played tons of Fifa, Pes and so on, and there it's only a matter of remind the combos to do an action, so the good one is who is graduated in combos, but no ability.
Here it's completely different. I screamed like a baby when I scored my first goal after 10 matches lost 0-7.
This is the most important thing: Kick Off is not a game about graphic, sound or others. It's a game about fun and the core emotion by a videogame, exactly as any videogame of that era: no graphic, no distraction, just the game.
3 MULTIPLAYER: I don't know if it's only for this weekend, but I played online even without a PsPlus subscription. Is it good? Yes, it is. Playing with someone real without asking to my wife to learn what is a console, is amazing.

And the "new" Kick Off Revival

WHAT IS NOT GOOD
1 VISUAL ASPECT: It's like a time machine, ok, but in 2016 maybe we could expect something more graphically. I mean, I don't want cheerleaders or something special, but maybe something more than a videogame that seems made in Minecraft.
Moreover, the videogame is programmed in Unity and this is a great platform to design good graphic.
2 THE SOUND: Exactly the same. No relevant sound and the support from fans is just a white rumor and nothing more. I like it, ok, but if I see the supporters' sound in Fifa and then I see this I ask to myself: are these two games coming from the same year? No, KO is even more recent.
3 THE GAME: Ok, it's really fun but:
- there isn't a referee so no yellow or red cards
- there isn't a offside (that was a great introduction in KO2)
- it's not possible to control the direction of the goalkeeper's relaunch or freekick
- it's not possible to choose the player to control (so you must wait for who'll be the player you can control)
- there is only one buttom, exactly as the joystick's buttom 25 years ago (but this means that I caused more than 100 penalties in a few martches because I wanted to shoot the ball with foot or head, but the player decided to tackle)
- there is no volley shoot (imagine the situation: you cross the ball and a player shoot it towards the door: not possible. You must stop the ball and then shoot)

Look the buildings. No, it's not Minecraft or Second Life

SO, CONCLUDING
I really like this nostalgic operation and in the era of indie games (basically Amiga's videogames) or of remake (such as "Shadow of the Beast") this is the best game I wanted, and it's great, it really is.
I spent tens of hours since last Friday playing it and I enjoy it, but the sensation is that this is just a demo and nothing more.
I guess Kick Off 2, the original one, is better than this, especially in combo with Player Manager, but now Dino Dini is back and with him the motivation to improve this game.
He has already promised to improve it and I really hope it.
For now, if you liked Kick Off saga this is the game for you, but don't look at it with the eyes of 2016, look at it with the eyes of 1989.

Mistake in "Miracle on 34th Street"

In the Best Christmas movie list it's in the very firsts positions because there is no Christmas without Miracle On 34th Street and the 1994 version with an outstanding Richard Attenborough is amazing. Everything seems perfect: location, light, sound, actors, direction, and the script is a bit expected but really good.
Except for one thing, one little particular that is completely crazy for how much simple it is.
The name of Santa Claus.

There is no Christmas without Christmas movies

There is a scene at around the 23rd minute in which the little star sits on Santa Claus' knees and ask to him his name. This is his answers:

Well, I have lots of names. Uh, Kriss kringle, Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas. If you were in holland, I'd be sinterklaas, or in italy, le befana.

What? Almost everybody knows that in Italy we call Santa Claus with the name of "Babbo Natale" while "Befana" is the name of the old lady that comes during the night of the 5th January to bring carbon to bad children or sweets and candies to good children. Befana is the character that we Italians have invented to give a pagan meaning to the Christian holiday called Epiphany, when the Three Wise Men went to the Jesus' grotto following the comet to bring their gifts to the new King.

I'm old, please, understand me...

The question is always the same, exactly as it was in "Maria Antoinette" by Sofia Coppola, where in a scene there was a first shot of a pair of Converse shoes. Converse shoes in a movie based in the eighteenth century?

What??????

And the question is: how is this possible? A movie has been watched by thousands of people before it's been released and possible that nobody has asked to himself: what are the name of Santa Claus? Or, is it possible that nobody has seen this pair of shoes?
It's crazy, isn't it?

The best christmas gift idea? Only £60 for a good portable projector

Are you looking for a gift that will surprise your loved one? The Day is coming and I am looking for the best christmas gift idea for boyfriend or for dad, but I have no idea. How to find the Best Gift for Christmas? Any christmas gift idea? What about a sweater or a shirt? I don't know the size. What about a travel? Well, they don't travel. And I could continue forever, but the fact is: this is the perfect gift for Christmas, a portable projector to have a projector screen on your room. Cheaply.

The Scrooge inside you says you don't have to spend money for nothing

I was looking for a christmas gift idea for myself
A couple of weeks ago I wanted to buy my personal Christmas gift in advance and I went to Amazon. I have always liked the idea behind a projector: the opportunity to have your own theatre at home. Moreover, now we have all of these tv services on streaming such as Now tv, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video etc., so we really have the chance to turn on the projector, prepare the popcorn and watch a movie as if we were in a cinema. Problem: Projectors usually cost a lot. Solution that I have just found out: there are the Portable Projectors. They are smaller and cheaper. What? Really?

Yes, you've read well: £59,99 for having a cinema in your room (the price can change)

Searching a lot on Amazon and I found this pico projector, the GM60
Searching searching, I found on Amazon the Stoga GM60 for a price around 60 or 70 pounds. Could I avoid to buy it? Of course not even though my first thought was: “Ok, I have wasted my money”. Surprisingly, after a couple of weeks of intensive use at my office and at home I think it’s perfect! Of course, it’s perfect if you’re not looking for a perfect image or a perfect quality!

How is the GM60? Is it really worthy?
Let’s start with a test drive of this projector. The GM60 has a lot of ports to input the video signal. On the left we have the SDcard, two usb, the HDMI, the AV and the audio port. On the back there is also a VGA port if you want to connect an old computer. The design is fine and the dimensions are actually small: 15 for 18 centimetres and you can put it inside your bag with no problem. Do you have George Martins’ A game of thrones book? Well, dimensions and weight are the same. From a distance of 225 centimetres we have a screen of 160x100. Not bad, not bad.

These are the specifications. Can you read them?

How the GM60 (or XPRE450) works: give power to the LED!In my video (open Youtube) you can see how it works. The projector has got a LED light and maybe this is the reason why its price is so low and the first thing you will notice will be a noisy rumor that comes from it. It’s the sound of fan and it’s something like…. uuuuuhhmmmm... it’s noisy but when you start a video the audio will cover this noise, so, it’s not a big problem. But the most important thing in a projector is the ability to watch something and it is fine even with all lights of the room completely turned on. This means that even if you like to watch a movie with some lights around you this will be possible with this projector.

The projector can read almost all formats but with the HDMI you can connect a lot of other devices

The media player to see videos, pictures and documents and to listen to music
The GM60 has also a basic media center inside that allows you to decide which port you want to open so, PC-RGB, HDMI, AV, USB or the SDCARD. Here you can decide what kind of media you want to stream, if a movie, a song, a photo or a text if you want to see a document on the screen. At the HDMI I have connected a tv Dongle such as the Haier Android Smart TV and it works perfectly: a smart tv on your wall, better, a smart wall. So, if you want you can connect other devices such as the Kindle Fire TV Stick or Chromecast or the Apple tv or the NOW TV Box set, whatever you like.
I have used this projector since its arrival for hours and I really think it could be perfect for Christmas or for Saint Valentine, for example. You can give a diamond ring, of course, or you can give this projector and transform your room in a magic theatre maybe with a dinner in bed. That’s amazing, isn’t it.

Not bad, uh?

Different name, same products, maybe
The latest tendency is to release the same product with different names by different companies. This is why you could find the Stoga GM60, the Crenova XPE450, the Elephas or the Tronfy but it seems the same product. Of course, I have got only the Stoga's one, but looking at the others I see the same design and the same box. So, I guess it's the same product.

Yes, this seems an advertised post but it isn't (unfortunately). I am really happy of this product (exactly as I was disappointed by other projectors or supposed to be) and I think this could be the perfect Christmas gift for a boy, a girl, a dad, a child, whoever you like. Do you want to watch a test video made by me? Click below here:

Do you like it? Buy it here at Amazon: Portable projector Is it or not the best christmas gift idea?

About the alternative finale of How I Met Your Mother

About the alternative finale of How I Met Your Mother. Netflix has released the first eight season of How I Met your Mother or How I meet your mother as somebody use to call it. Anyway, thanks to Netflix thousands of people are following the story of Ted Mosby and his friends while the research of the Big Love. I mean, legally, because a lot of people have watched How I Met Your Mother streaming every episodes from a lot of websites, but you know, now we got it on Netflix (here you find the Season 9). So, who is The Mother?


SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER


Probably you know that there are two finales. One is the final episode of the nineth season, but after a revolution by the fans, the author decided to prepare an alternative finale. Well, I must say I prefer the original one! I'm going to write about them so if you haven't watched it please get out of this website, unless you don't care about spoiler.

Someone seems to miss here... or not?

THE OFFICIAL FINAL EPISODE. OH MY GOSH!
Let me begin by saying about the official final episode. I watched it with my heart inside my throat. It's really emotional, every word, every scene are like a knife on my thoughts. We've spent 9 years following their adventures, crying when Ted was abandoned on the altair, clapping when Barney was arrested just to declare his love to her stripper fiancée, and I could continue more and more.
The last episode is amazing. The bench on the railway station, the old woman, the yellow umbrella, the letters on it, the story of the relationship between Ted and the mother, between Barney and Robin, between Marshall and Lily inasmuch as Ted finishes his story with the illness of his wife and her death. I had already read something about it (fucking websites and forums!!!) but watching it was very sad. However I couldn't believe it could finish on that way and infact the authors decided to keep it up!
We are 6 years after the Mother's death (I can't even know of her role name because I don't remember it) and we see the daughter and the son of Ted that say to him about going to Robin for marry her. Because what's been clear from his story is how he has always loved her and not the mother.
The last scene could be perfect for a movie with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan: Ted with the blue unicorn under the Robin's palace.

To my mind, this one is the perfect conclusion for the story. Ted has always been in love with her and the 'Mother' was only a part of the story. A big part indeed, but just a part. I don't remember her name because of she's never been a part of the story and the story is about the relationship and the love between Ted and Robin.

This is... ehm, this must be the only one possible Mother!

THE ALTERNATIVE FINAL EPISODE
Now I go to the alternative final episode. This one finishes with Ted and the Mother under the yellow umbrella. Yes, the message about how the life is difficult but it's always worthy to be lived is good, but it's not enough. We wanted more, we wanted Ted and Robin together, since the first episode. Because they are perfect together.

This is why I like the original episode. This is why I must say this is the best sitcom ever (even better than 'Friends'). This is why I'm sad about its ending.

Crying crying crying... is it possible to cry in a comic tv serie?

AND YOU?
Which is your favourite Mother? Do you agree with the original episode or with the alternative? Do you think that even if the Mother is the one Ted ends up to be married for only few years before her death or the real Mother is the only woman he has always loved since the first episode?



GIFTS FOR REAL FANS
I'm watching HIMYM for the second time on Netflix and I'm surprised how many funny and clever things I didn't notice the first time. As a real fans there are tons of gadgets and gifts but I guess the best ones are:
• HIMYM, all seasons, from 1 to 9. The elegant box
• Barney Stinson's Ducky Tie
• The Bro Code
• Yellow Umbrella with "Right Place - Right Time" Logo
• The unofficial guide above on the right...

10 Questions about Naturism

Naturism means sex. Those who like to be naked are weird people that would like to have sex with everyone. Naturism is dangerous for children.
There are only a few bias about naturism, but are they true? I answer to 10 of the most spread fears and prejudices about this type of vacation. Being naked on a beach, is it good or evil?

How bad could millions of naturists be to bring their family to a Naturist beach?

• You feel judged.

Wrong, completely wrong. When you take off your clothes you can understand the only person is looking up your body is you and nobody else. You could feel as others are muttering about your fat, your cellulite, your small/big breasts but it's like when you ask to somebody about your look before a party. It's not important what he says because you'll 'read' what you want in his words.

• You must look perfect because normally the swimsuit covers your imperfections.

Wrong because of what I wrote early. Nobody looks at you and if you look around you see only people completely focused on themselves.

• There are only gays.

It's easy to find homosexuals but also in the normal beaches. Then, it's possible to find homosexuals because they have a good relationship with their bodies and because naturism is a practice that others see with suspect and some homosexuals could feel comfortable being in a protected and open-mind environment.

• There are only voyeurs.
It can be, but there are protected areas in which this type of people are not allowed to come in. For example, there are Naturist Resort such as Vera Playa Club in Vera, Spain, where you must be a naturist to be in the swimming pool area and you must be naked to be in that place. Generally, voyeurs don't like to take off their clothes, but they would feel uncomfortable if they are surrounded by naked people that watch him. At last, there are voyeurs in common beaches as well, maybe even more.

• All naturists are fat and old.

The same, there are old people as in normal beaches. But I ask you: why an elderly woman should love being nude on a beach without thinking of consequences? Because she knows that nobody looks at her and nobody blames her for it. She's protected and fine with her soul.

• Nudism brings to sex.

It's the opposite. Try to watch porn videos and nude women for 24 hours a day for days and days. Try to eat pizza every day for months... What will happen? You'll hate pizza and porn.

Having nude people around you will clean your ideas about sex. It's just our bodies and nothing else.

• What if I have an erection?

What if I'm bold? Nothing, because erection is as normal and natural as a bold head. But what if I've got an erection under my swimsuit? Probably somebody could looks at me grumbling 'look at that hogs!'.

• Naturism is for swingers.

It could happen if you go to some swingers' places as Cap d'Agde (the swingers' area in the city) or some Swingers Resorts but generally naturism beaches are full of families and people that don't like swingering. More, there is an old war between naturists and swingers.

• It's a sin.

Sex is also a sin, looking at others' wives or girls is a sin, even having a tasty meal is a sin but everybody has sex or eats, so? If you're talking about 'sin' implies you believe in God. Remember the Bible: He created Adam and Adam was naked. Then Adam betrayed God and he felt guilty. God sent him off the Eden and in the Earth he understood he was naked.

So, if I read well:

   Eden = house of God = nakedness

   Earth = house of Adam = clothes

How could be a sin if nakedness is a natural state in the house of God?

Dad, look at there! There is a sinner!

What? They are nine questions? Oh yes, bcause the tenth will be yours!

Some books about this subject:

• The Complete Guide to Nudism & Naturism

• The Freedom of Naturism: A Guide for the How and Why of Adopting a Naturist Lifestyle
• About Cap d'Agde, one of the biggest Naturist area in Europe
• A must-have book: Originally published in London 1931, this book contains an in-depth study of early nudism or naturism in Europe and America
• "Nice Girls Can Be Nudists Too!", by Liz Egger

The power of the people

One of the most interesting aspects in the videogaming world is the 'console world'. Since the first years we've seen a war against some big companies which faced them up to get more customers. Commodore-Atari. Nintendo-Sega. Sony-Microsoft and so forth...

In the last decade we've had three big companies fighting with their consoles: Nintendo (Gamecube, Wii), Sony (Playstation), Microsoft (Xbox). 

The last generation was won by Nintendo with its Wii, at least in terms of sellings and creativity. In terms of powerful and hardcore-gamers wishes the winner were the others which has splitted up the large people of videogamers.

Now it's time for a new generation and after the first little failure by Nintendo (the WiiU really risks to be an epic fail), we have two new consoles looming up. 

Sony's Ps4 and Microsoft's X1.

Who will win? Anybody can know it now and we'll have to wait next winter for using them. What we can see now it's how even a big company as Microsoft can change its strategies.

Since their first apparition the Sony's one seemed to be closer to customers but only because the Microsoft's one seemed too much 'against the actual customers or potention ones'. For years, Microsoft had been working on a console with a lot of constrictions. You needed to be always connected on internet to use it. It was impossible to use second-hand videogames (and this would has meant no chance to sell the completed games) and other things like those. 

A nightmare for customers who saw this as a gauntlet threw them up by Microsoft.

Ah, X1 costs 100$ more than Ps4.

A dotty suicide.

And here it is the amazing lesson. Customers reacted wherever on these decisions and only one week after their announcements Microsoft claims they are changing everything. No restrinction, no boundaries, no always on, yes second-hand games. 

Customers-Big company: 6-0. Game, Set, Match.

Amazing.

This is one of the funny reaction on Microsoft's politics:

http://youtu.be/6gHRR_R-Hcc

How do I imagine the Heaven?

 I didn't know what I could expect from it. I knew it was a good videogame because I read some enthusiastic comments around the web but I didn't know it could hypnotize me as well as it has done. I'm talking about 'Bioshock Infinite', but don't worry. This post is not a review of this videogame because I have to finish yet. However, stay tuned... I'll do it soon.

So, now I'd want to write the revelation it suggested on me. The story behind the game is not very important, the only thing you need to know is that the game starts with the Hero who arrives in a new world, in a room similar to a cavern or a cave, a basement that seems a Church: candles, Holy statues, Hymns and the song. The Song.

I didn't know it but since I've listen to it I can't get it out of my mind.

It's "Will the circle be unbroken", an old song from 1907 written by Ada R. Haberson and Charles H. Gabriel, who composed the melody. It's an old Christian hymn and it's really hypnotical. I don't find any better word to describe it.

It suggested me so much thoughts that I couldn't sleep once I was upon my bed later.

The song's theme is the mourning. It's about loved people who passes away, going to the Sky, and writing "Sky" with the capital S I mean the House of the Lord. It's a kind of hopeness' song because it gives us the opportunity to think one day we'll meet them again. And the family will rejoin again.

The fact is that the song is so ethereal and celestial and stunned that it pushes you to think about the Sky, the Heaven, the Lord. So, how do I imagine the Heaven?

Here it is the surprise. I don't see the Heaven as it has been designed by Dante Alighieri. I don't see clouds, children with wings or blonde hair, a lot of people without sex and wore with a white outfitters. No, I see a different Heaven. I fancy it as 'Second Life'.

Do you know 'Second Life'? The social web-world?

I imagine a place with sense of time because there are both daylight and nightlife, but where there's no rush hours, anybody in haste, no traffic. 

A world where people can fly, if they want and without wings, just because they want.

A world very similar to the real one but where everybody can create his own house or place just with his mind. Where there are money but they're not so important because the appetite and the survival are not in danger. So everybody can work but only if they want because in my Heaven the job is not necessary to earn money to spend for survive, the job is creativity, it's an expression of what we are.

Do you like to be a writer? Let's do it even if anybody will pay you for a book. Do you like to be a chef or an artist? Do it. 

A world where there aren't consequences for your actions because you can't be hurt and you can't die. 

A place where the relationships are important but where you can also be by yourself. A world where you can find the same things you can find on the planet earth but without the ache and the stress we have here.

A world where you can create your part of the world because there aren't boundaries. A place where you can spend hours and hours without doing anything or travelling seeing what others have done or working just because you like and not because you need.

A world with sex, of course, because sex is God's present for humans and in his world it couldn't miss. Here sex isn't breed-oriented but it's just for our pleasure. And if you don't like your dimension or a part of your body, well, change it. There are specific shops where you can change something of your body, more muscles for your arms, a turtle for your stomach, even new hair. There is only one boundary: you can't change your face because of it is your business card, your personal key to be recognized.

A world where you can go to theaters or to discoclubs for dancing, wherever you want.

A world where you can also watch what happens to the real one because the televisor has every tv channels existent in the world. And then there are the specific channels: they show the life of the person you want to see. Your brother or husband or other is still on the earth? You can follow him on the tv. As if it was the 'Big Brother' tv show: you can watch him but you can't get into his life.

This is the Heaven I'd like. No sorrow, no bad news, no Bible. I see a world similar to ours, but without the bad things we are here. 

The perfect world.

Unfortunately I guess there's no Heaven...

Let's watch this movie and then tell me if you'll manage to sleep tonight or you'll be kept by your thoughts... 

LYRIC

There are loved ones in the glory

Whose dear forms you often miss.

When you close your earthly story,

Will you join them in their bliss?

CHORUS:

Will the circle be unbroken

By and by, by and by?

Is a better home awaiting

In the sky, in the sky?

In the joyous days of childhood

Oft they told of wondrous love

Pointed to the dying Saviour;

Now they dwell with Him above.

(Chorus)

You remember songs of heaven

Which you sang with childish voice.

Do you love the hymns they taught you,

Or are songs of earth your choice?

(Chorus)

You can picture happy gath'rings

Round the fireside long ago,

And you think of tearful partings

When they left you here below.

(Chorus)

One by one their seats were emptied.

One by one they went away.

Now the family is parted.

Will it be complete one day?

(Chorus)

Fears of the Future?

I've been working as a journalist for years. I officially started in 1992 but I'm pretty sure to say I was born journalist. When I was 9 I used to write and designing a newspaper about soccer every day after my school day.

However, I officially started in 1992 when the "Messaggero" newspaper published an article of mine. I've been walking through these years working for many newspapers in Italy and in the US, I've changed my style moving up to the editor-in-chief position creating a lot of magazines bringing them to the highest level. 

Now I'm about to change everything. I'm on the verge to change what I've done for 37 years to move on somewhere else. And somewhat else. 

Latest news: one of the magazines I use to work with has been sold. I'm not a seer, but I guess the others will follow the same doom. Is it good? Sure, a big chapter of my life is closing. 

I can't say it's a whole book because of I could start over working as journalist somewhere else, maybe abroad.

I'm working a lot on my English language. I know it's not perfect, I know I'm still making a lot mistakes while I write on this blog but if you read posts I wrote a couple of months ago and you compare them to what I'm writing now, you know, you can find a big difference. It'm not perfect but it's quite better, and this is the first step onto one of the patterns that will bring me to the Future.

I'm on the left side of a river. I see my Future on the other side but between us there is a river. It's a big, strong, wild river. I look at it and I ask to myself: what am I doing to across?

A lot. Whilst I see my old city (my first 37 years) becoming every day farther, I'm working on my boats which will help me to across the river. 

Now, it doesn't matter the items of these boats, the issue is: am I ready to go over? Am I ready to step forward? Am I ready to start over?

I guess anyone is really ready to start something new, I think people just jump into the future and than, whatever happens will make our personal history.

I'm not on this mood yet. I'm still stuck on the left side of the river. But I feel that fire, the energy that moves the world, is just raising up inside me. Will it be sufficient to move on? 

I'm pretty sure. 

Anybody is ready to start. It's just a question of jumpin in. But any jump is going to be good without the Energy. And I'm starting to feel it....

Fears of Future? No, excited by the unknown Future.

Spice Girls against the world. They're over, unfortunally

I'll always keep the late 90s with much feelings on my memories because there was one of my first professional starts. I had already been a journalist when I moved to Rome for starting over in a young media company specialized in teen magazines. It was the 1997's and something was about to happen. We were in the midst of a new sunrise in pop music with artists as Britney Spears, Ricky Martins, the Backstreet Boys and mainly the English pop group 'Spice Girls' that overcomed the world with their joyous, jolly scream 'Girl power'. Victoria, Mel B, Mel C, Emma and Geri were five youngsters with no fear to go against the English traditions (as when Geri touched the Prince Charles' royal butt) or the worldwide prejudices.

15 years after we are over them, and they still fight prejudices, but actually they have lost.

Last March there was the 'Viva Forever' musical debut in London, based on their songs. After just a couple of months the producer announced she'll cut off the show.

Even thought who has seen it during these months has liked it a lot, there have been a lot of bad reviews by critics that axed the show. For them it is rubbish, but if we go to read their columns we just find they don't write about the show or its quality, rather about the Spice girls' music which is still considered junk music.

This is really grated on because you can like or not a musical genre or singer but if you must review a show you should rate the direction, the actors' performances on the stage and so forth.

Just to know, in London there is the 'Let it be' musical based on Beatles' songs. Well, it had been good reviewed by critics but you must know it's not a 'musical', it's a normal concert played by a normal cover band (as other millions wherever in the world) that just sings songs wore as Beatles used to wear. Stop. No script, no acting, no show, just a concert. For them this is 'outstanding'.

I saw the 'Viva forever' show two nights ago and I must say it's funny, brilliant and even symphatetic. If I gotta find a problem I just can point out the acting style (too much cartooned) and on the story: here we have the same producer of 'Mamma mia' musical and her hand is evident: we have a bad relationship between a young girl and her mother too. The same message underneath the other worldwide acclaimed show.

'Viva Forever' is fine food for Spice's fans  but it's interesting even for others.

It's a mock of modern talent shows (who says 'x factor'?) where a judge decides to split up a group of 4 girls to transform one of them into a star. The judge hardly works on her, creating fake gossips, a fake identity and a fake look only to make money.

If critics had been more attentive they could even find a critic from the show to the Spice Girls' original business itself.

The show will end up at the end of June. After, it will be a part of the history and I'm sorry if you'll have lost it, I'm not. I saw it and it was great.

(SHORT STORY) If you are

It wasn't a good moment to me. I woke up early that morning because of my sorrow. Cecilia had just ditched me the day before and I was devastated about it. I don't know where I found the energies to arise from the bed, wearing the first clothes I found around and just moved out. I was utterly mixed up, with my rowdy hair, the unlight glimpse, and the one-week-beard rambling around my thoughtful way. I felt myself as a used, dirty wipe with no motivation to do anything else than just having a big, strong, cup of coffee.

I was absent on the road.

My mind just came back to the evening before, the nightmare one. 

She was in front of me, looking at me with her huge, shiny eyes. Her flushy chicks, her irresistible mole, just a little maroon point above her left eyebrow drawn by God in person to let people focusing their attention to her celestial eyes, a stunning blue ones where you can dip into till being drowned on her soul. Sunken.

She looked at me, but her expression wasn't as good as usual. She had disappeared the days before: I phoned her, I went to her house, I wrote emails, texts to her but nothing, I had desperately sought her until she called to me to arrange a date. 'A meeting' as she said.

'We must talk'.

Sitting in the same bar where we used to go the sound of her voice wasn't as charmed as it generally was. She muttered something like 'I've thought a lot about us...' or 'I'm not so polite to deserve such a stunner as you...' and something like that, but I couldn't figure out till the atomic bomb she swoop on me:

'I slept with another guy and I assume I'm falling in love with him'...

What had happened from that moment I can't say but I only remember the scariest time for a lover when she got rid of my number from her mobile.

'I'm so much respectful of you, I must do it, it's over....'

I always remember the crispy roughness of that last 'r'........

Finally I found a 'Starbucks' and I came in. Waiters' smiles seemed so enjoying and this tackled to the mine, compelled, one. I ordered a tall Americano and I beared my cup on the chair close to the big, beamed wind.

I looked at outside. It was rainy and people run in haste. Everybody run and this was in contrast with the little white bag which have been fluttered into the air by the wind's breath. As if Good wanted me to focus my attention to the small white part of our dark, deep, chilled life.

I wondered if people could comprehend how terrible a life can be. Why people like to love if they must suffer after?

Suddenly, I felt a soft touch on my shoulder. I turned around and I saw a girl about thirty. 

'May I sit on this chair or...'

I even didn't know there were others, but I saw one just near me and I nooded. She sat down and I could feel her warmth, her smell, and if I closed my eyes and was really attentive I could even feel her thoughts.

'Do you know how does the internet connection work here?'

I came back to me for a while and I explained how to connect the mobile to her and I was able to see her better.

A squared face with some flaws and a pair of small brown eyes: she had a Japanese charming whilst she was American.

I came back to my coffee and to my sadness for the next 24 hours or maybe it's how much it seemed to me.

My deep memories with Cecilia were snagged for the second time by this girl.

'Excuse me, I know I'm disturbing you, but I really need an help. May I ask you for doing me a favour?'

'Sure'

'I know it's a weird request, but might you come along with me to the restroom? I'm claustrophobic and I can't lock the door, so if you could control nobody comes in...'

'As in the school'

'Exactly! Please...'

'Needless to say. Let's go'

I let my coffee on the table and I came along with her. The restroom was occupied and so we enjoyed a talk. After a little of chitchat she dipped into a more intimate row and she explained me she came to London after she had been cheaten on by her fiancee. She told me she had found a therapist here who was working on letting her emotions flew away trying to get her life and her mind back with a new method: she should do everything her mind ordered to her without any filters. For just 1 month. She swore me it was working fine even though she had just undertaken it.

It was interesting and my ongoing attentive mind was just wondering if I could arrange an interview with this therapist when the restroom door was opened. An elderly man came out a bit astonished by our presence. 

'Ok, it's my turn. So, don't let anybody come in, right?'

'Right! I'm gonna be your watchdog!'

She came in. I was alone, again, but now I had a different mood as if something were gonna change.

'Excuse me, could you come in? I assume that guy didn't know how to flush... I'm worn, don't worry', and the door was opened ahead of me. She was doing something on the toilet:

'Holy shit, what a fucking mess! It's disgusting! Please, help me with this fucking toilet paper...'

Once I was in the restroom she jumped quickly behind me, she lock the door and hug me with her arms. She kissed me.

I was stuck. I only felt her tongue whirling inside me.

'I must do whatever I want and now I want you to have sex with me' she claimed.

She triggered a sexual strip ahead of me. She took off her shirt showing off a black bra with little pink lines and a purple butterfly. I looked at her tits squeezed in the bra. My attention was called to by a thread that dropped by her teenage pink underpants. Her skirt was already on the floor and now she was almost nude in front of me.

'Look at me. Do I like you?'

I stared at her, my breath was hold it back in my lungs. My hands trembled and a lot of shivers run away up and down on my skin wherever on my body.

What was happening to me?

I couldn't figure out and I even didn't have the time to because she took off my soup-stained-shirt before touching my nipples and my abdominals. Then, she went on her knees to open my pants. I was in a dirty and stink public bathroom with only my underpants on and an almost nude girl, one in front of the other.

She undertook taking her bra off letting me to see the most perfect breast I've ever seen on my entiere life. Then she strip her underpants as well, and it was stunning! There were no hair on her body under her neck. Outstanding!

She kissed me again and again, on a so passionated way I suddenly turned on. She slashed my underpants with a single move and descend on my sex to enjoy it as a newborn does with his breastfeeding. 

Everything lasted just few minutes but they were stirring! 

After, we wore our clothes on and we went out. Anybody in the bar had noticed anything. 

She thanked me a lot before getting away in the street. She didn't give her phone number or real name to me because she wasn't interested in falling in love again and so early. She was concerned I could be the One, and she didn't want to. 

I was outside the 'Starbucks', alone, but II felt me really different.

I was in the same place, just few minutes later a ghost had come into.

That ghost is a new man now, and if I got me back I'd have to thank this misterious girl descend on me from somewhere to save me. With sex.

Thank you, wherever you are. If you are.