If I had to pay to get in it wouldn't have been worth it. This is my comment about SMAU 2005, a ``hi-tech'' fair, well, at least this is what it pretends to be. Actually it's just an event where industries presents themselves to the people, introducing their products, no matter whether they're new or not.

As I explained in my previous post, I was invited there, so I didn't have to pay to get in and I could have gon to the convention celebrating 20 years of (pfui) Microsoft Italy, with Bill Gates as invited speaker. What did they say? Just a ridiculous self-celebration, rewarding their partners (bank institutes, communication companies...) with the ``Microsoft innovation award for Italy'', while Microsoft Italy guys were presenting their new products, like the new Xbox 360 (the graphics is really good, I don't have anything to say about this, since I don't own consoles), Windows Media Center, a system to use as universal multimedia player for the house and... here we go with the set piece: their *new* ``Virtual Earth''... hey, one second!! This sounds like something I already know... mmmmh, what is it?? Aaaah!! Yes, it's ``Google Earth''!! Yeah, but, what does this new software do?? Basically THE VERY SAME THINGS that Google Earth does!! So what's the innovation in this?? What's the new idea from Microsoft?? Have they ever invented anything?? Everybody knows the answer.

Finally the big wheel came and he started talking again about all these bullshits! Saying where we were, where we are and where we'll be, saying that when he began working with computers he had just 4kbytes RAM, very soon most PCs will have 4 gigs, so 1 million times more... bla bla bla. Just words to impress people, as you might have noticed this didn't impress me too much, and still I don't like him and his sw house. I would have paid to see an error blue screen during some presentation, that would have been great!!! Aware of what happened during windows 98 demo (this article on the CNN website reports it all and a video as well... ghghgh) I was ready to stand up and clap all those assholes, and my camera would have gotten burnt taking tons of pictures!!

Anyway, in the end I left a few Slackware promo flyers in the room! Nice girls at Microsoft stands though :)

Hey big man, how're you doing???

In a past I regret I used to use Microsoft technology (ASP pages and Access databases... bleah) for a web portal, and I joined a big italian ASP community, writing lots of posts on its forum, and helping people who had troubles with this technology. Since I was one of the most active people there, a Microsoft MVP entered me in his list of ``M$ friends''. Last week this guy sent me an invitation to a convention held in a tech fair, with Bill Gates as special guest . The convention is on sunday 23rd. I had an appointment already scheduled with my friends, so I asked another friend of mine if he wanted to go for me. He accepted. So yesterday I called the call center to book his seat.

Call center girl: ``Hello, this is Micro$oft reservation center, how can I help you?''
I: ``Good morning, my name's ****** *****, I got this invitation for the convention on sunday...''
C: ``Yeeeeeeeeessssss??''
I: ``... but unfortunately I have already another business to manage, so I thought I could send my colleague.. is it possible?''
C: ``Sure, of course, please give me his name, phone number and email address''
I: ``Yeah, he's ****** *******, his phone number and mail address are ********* and **********''
C: ``Ok, what society are you working for?''
I: ``Well... actually we're trying to start our own business.. but I got this invitation from ********** ******''
C: ``Ok, perfect, he will receive a mail for confirmation.''
I: ``Ok, thank you. Bye.''
C: ``Bye''

I would have liked to go, at least to listen to this *big man* talking about his bullshits and the future he's planning for us. So I decided to ask my friends to move our meeting to another day, so i could have gone to the convention. Then today I called the call center again.

Call center girl: ``Hello, this is Micro$oft reservation center, how can I help you?''
I: ``Good morning, I received an invitation for the convention on sunday...''
C: ``Yyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssss??''
I: (thinking) ``Gee, do they all answer the same way???''
I: ``Well, I called yesterday to say I could not go and asking if a colleague of mine could have gone because I had other businesses scheduled... but I managed to move them so I was wondering if I may still go to the convention with my colleague...''
C: ``Yes, sure, what's your name?''
I: ``I'm ****** *****, I got the invitation from ********** ******''
C: ``Yes, what society are you working for?''
I: ``Hum... I belong to the ********* community, at the moment I'm starting an activity with this friend of mine''
C: ``Ok, what's your colleague's name?''
I: ``He's ****** *******''
C: (looking at the list) ``Oh yeah, here he is. I'll send you a mail by today with the confirmation''
I: ``Good! Thank you very much!''
C: ``Thank you. Bye''
I: ``Bye''

Both I and my friend received the confirmation, so we'll be going to this convention to listen to this *big smart guy*. I'm really curious to hear him.

//TODO: print some GNU/Linux promo flyers to deliver at the convention :)

``I introduce myself: I'm Mr. Evil Nine and I'll make you dance like you've never done before!''

This would have been a good introduction for Tom Beaufoy, one of the two men known under the name of Evil Nine, who played last night in Maffia, a club in Reggio Emilia.

The gig started at about 1.15, slowly and quietly, with just a few people on the dance floor. But as the sound raised so did the number of people dancing, while Tom was pushing the crowd to dance and put hands up. Amazing!!
In the beginning I was not sure he was THE guy, since I hadn't seen any pictures of them. But then he played ``Pearl shot'', and later on ``Crooked'' well mixed with good electronic music, switching also to songs by Chemical Brothers and ``Smack my bitch up'' by Prodigy, giving to all the people an incredible energy and a reason not to stop moving their hands and butts till almost 4am!
Maffia DJs went back to the console, playing for half an hour more. When I got home, at 6am, I was hungry and exhausted, but happy! That was definitely one of the best DJ sets I've ever been! I'd suggest to everybody to go watching those thick-eyebrow guys!!

My desktop computer needs a new hard drive and some fixes. So yesterday I bought a 200 gigs PATA hd (since my mother board doesn't support SATAs) to use as storage device, while using the 80 GB hd already mounted on the machine to install the operating systems.

The Micro$oft win2k ``operating system'' that's currently installed has a few problems.. of course, a M$ system cannot last for more than a few months without slowing down or introducing some errors. I already know, I'm used to it. Why would I need windoz?? Oh, right, just because of some videogames and because my sister doesn't want to use Linux.

I'm ready to reinstall the system. Data saved on the 200GB hd, (50 gigs for 2 NTFS partitions and the rest in ext3), 80GB hard drive repartitioned (1 NTFS partition, 1 FAT32 and 6 ext3, ready for Gentoo). I'm going through win2k installation, and I'm getting really pissed off! Now the system is up, but it's empty, the graphics sucks and the mother board is not fully recognized. Ok, one step at a time:

1. install service pack 4


2. reboot required


3. install blaster patch


4. reboot required


5. install mother board drivers (nForce)


6. reboot required


7. reboot required... WHAT??? YET ANOTHER ONE???? Oh my God, this is just insane!!!


8. download and install Mozilla Firefox in order to have a REAL web browser


9. download and install ATI catalyst drivers, to have a decent resolution and rendering


10. reboot required... NO MORE WORDS

Please retain from saying ``Microsoft'' when talking to me...

Back home, my family and friends welcomed me very warmly, anxious to know what I did during these months, asking me if I'm happy to be back. I am, even though it's yet another big change in my life style. Now I live again with my parents, despite the fact I have a bigger and nicer house, I have to deal with them. I don't have the freedom I had before. I mean, I'm not in prison, of course not, but when I was living alone I had my times and my space. I could get home whenever I wanted, have dinner also at 11pm without having to let anybody know about it.

I didn't have to use the car, since everything was very close: I could get to the office in 3 minutes walk and be in city centre in 15. That was good! No deals with parking spaces, no deals with gas stations and no deals with police officers for a couple of beers more. Well, I've never had such a problem in Italy either.

I'm going out every night, to meet friends I didn't see for long time, to talk about everything, no matter what, just to stay together and have fun like it was before I left. Interrupted speechs resumed, good old laughs, what makes us friends! That's what we do.
Tonight I went out with three friends of mine, snowboard maniacs. I remember when I was like them a few years ago, now it seems like I lost interest in it.

``We'll get you the passion again!''

Is it just because I don't even remember the color of the snow? Yeah, it's been long time ago last time I went snowboarding, and probably I cannot enjoy it too much since I broke my left thumb two years ago. I was in Stubai, Austria, for a 3-days snowboard camp with the guys from the website I was working for (www.freestyler.it). Second day, in the morning I got a Nitro Shogun to test, quite a tough board, not too flexible. I wanted to try it. I went downhill, I was going probably too fast, I was taking a turn and hit a bump.I fell down. I don't know what happened, I just know I felt a sharp pain in my left hand. Removed the glove, and the hand was very swollen and was swelling more and more. I immediately put snow on it, wrapping it with my bandana.

Wow!! That was big!! My girlfriend thought it was broken, and we should have gone immediately to the emergency room. I'm always reluctant in going to doctors, but that time I acknowledged it was better going! Luckily, Abba gave me his car, so my girlfriend drove me to Innsbruck, to the ER. X-rays and then the doctor said

``It's a bad fracture!''

Oh shit!! What a nice way to screw up a snowboarding camp, I was waiting for it for ages!
They tried to set the thumb as best as possible, then put a cast on it. Once back in Modena I got an operation to fix it. After a couple of months it was ok... well, almost.

The next winter I went snowboarding again, but it was not like before: I was always afraid to fall down and to break it again. I still haven't overcome it, that's probably the reason why I'm not really looking forward for the winter. Well, actually some time ago I was watching POP, an Absinthe snowboard video, and I was basically drooling in front of my computer! I wanted to be there!! My passion is still there, I just need a trigger to reactivate it!!

On my way to the airport, apathetic, very sad. Looking out of the window I can see only grey shapes and still life. Sometimes memories from last night and this morning come up in my mind, and they hurt, they empty my throat and my eyes get flooded.
I knew it would have been painful to say goodbye to my friends, but I wouldn't have ever thought it would have been like this. Perhaps I should have gone to the office yesterday, get my laptop and not saying goodbye?

``Take this!''
``Why??''
``Because we know you will cry, man!''

Humans cry, only machines don't... When I was alone I did! I had to use those tissues.

``It was cool to have you here!''

Yeah, it was really cool for me as well to be there with all you guys.
This was THE experience of my life. I will never forget it! NEVER!!