VINTAGE: La pensée du lundi (one of my best ever) - Slide makers

Today I was nicely surprised by my friend Tom Zuziak, who wrote me these words about an old post that I had deleted for political correctness:

"Nic,
Yesterday I was visiting a dealer in Kentucky with a Sales Manager and we took time out to listen to a “webinar” that launched the Powerstar Tractor in North America. The host of the webinar was the great Brad Moore. Within the presentation was some of your great masterpiece slides even two years later. You wondered in your blog how it is that some people get to be remembered. For you my friend it will be your masterpiece powerpoint creations!
The tractor was well received and represents a very good chance to gain back some of the market share we have destroyed over the years. Thanks for your help."

So this is what I was writing back on December 16th 2008, exactly two years ago, and you will say if meanwhile something has changed (personally, I'm not making so many slides anymore):

"The world economy is down this year, but one thing is still continuing to grow: the number of PowerPoint slides per head created every day. I don't have official data, but I am sure they are billions and growing anyway.
Now, before going on we need a little note for the lucky ones who don't know what PowerPoint is: the growth in the number of slides will not help by any means to reverse the downturn of economy and, at worst, will even delay an eventual revival. Why? Because nowadays more and more time at public companies is spent making the slides beautiful, even if the average employee is certainly not supposed to have any artistic skills. This meaning that if you have to say your company is going bankrupt tomorrow, it will take you three weeks to draw the most beautiful miniature to make happy the CEO. And you can imagine the consequences.
And then it comes to me that, lead by my very comfortable recklessness, take advantage of this to make something really beautiful for the sake of art and to float over the unreality of office work. By the way, this stuff is procuring me some real success.
Actually I also think that sooner or later some modern art museum will open a contest for slide makers, we artisans of the 21st century, and I let you judge which prize I'll win with these two I made these days (see below).

Take care my friends and, if some beggar will ask you just to make a slide or two for him, pretend you don't speak his or her language!"

Time flies

Time flies - Alessandra Sanguinetti 2005

This is how I found this photo: months ago my brother Alberto took part to a cooking course. Then I put him in touch with Simplicity restaurant in London and he spent there one day on trial. Today he forwarded me an article on a blog where they were talking of the upcoming fashion star James Hillman who was also working with him at Simplicity on that day. Then I read that this designer studied at Central Saint Martins College, I entered their internet site and found out that they also hold photography courses. Into this section there was a little tag called "career prospects", I clicked and found that the graduate Justina Burnett became assistant of Alessandra Sanguinetti, which I didn't know at all. But I was made curious by her Italian name and the fact that she was described as member of Magnum Photos, while I didn't remember of any Italian lady being a member. Finally I looked for her and found this photograph which in my opinion is sad, but still tells a lot about time and the use we make of it.
I hope it will make you think for a while...
p.s. Grazie Alberto!
Ciao,
Nic

Your name carved - on a kitchen door

Last week I was driving along the British countryside with Tom, an English guy who works with me. I was a bit hungry so I asked him if he knew any typical place where to eat something, and this is how I ended up at the Three Compasses pub on Lower Stock Road in Essex.
We had very nice fish and chips with an ale beer, and then before leaving my attention was hit by the kitchen door and this woodden plate with the full list of the pub innkeepers since its foundation in 1738.
This left me just a bit puzzled about the meaning of what we do, and how it is affecting future generations. Not many people are remembered for so a long time thanks to what they've done, while usually (and rightly) the most noticeable ones are those who really excelled in their fields or did something unique, like crossing the Atlantic first. Few or no one at all are remembered for having been a postman, a good employee, a car dealer or a barman.
But the people who run this pub decided that keeping it alive is enough for having one's name recorded forever, for enchantment of the visitors of the present and of the future like us.

Winter quilt: Italy vs China

Last week it started being a bit cool at home, so I went out in search of a quilt. I made a quick search on the yellow pages, but as Ikea was on the way home I stopped there while coming back from work.
Usually I always tried to avoid Ikea and the idea of "one same home for all", so I entered the shop suspiciously while telling myself: I swear that I won't get out of here with a Chinese quilt, even if it would mean to go get an Italian one at 300€ in a proper shop!
But then I had a look at each single quilt and found out that while the synthetic ones were made in East Europe, all the feather ones (which we wanted) were coming from duck eating China. So you may well think that I turned back and walked out of Ikea.
But... not quite, because then price stepped in: a double bed feather quilt was 35€ only!!!
So what did I do?
I'm sure you already know.
The battle against China is every day harder.
Sleep sweet dreams,
Nic

Sleeping in the Camera Obscura

Many, if not everyone, at least one time will have heard of the camera obscura.
Few, nearly no one, have ever woke up in such a magic thing.
But this is what happened to Sara and me just a couple of days ago, when we opened our yes in the morning and noticed a coloured shadow on the wall. So we stood up and checked with our eyes that the coloured spot was actually the building in front of ours but, as you know, turned upside down.
With the whole room in the darkness, all the light was just passing through a little hole at the top of the shutters and it was so unexpected that really looked magic.
We were so amazed by this thing that we'd have liked to stay for hours to watch this, but the day was calling and we had to move on.
Anyhow now we know that we're sleeping in the Camera Obscura, and every sunny day this beautiful show will be on air again.

Holes in shutters for everybody!

Nic & Sara

Collateral murder

Another shocking video from Iraq war.

The story of stuff

Here we go again.
This time I've found another video about the lifecycle of things that looks interesting. It lasts 20 minutes but I still didn't watch it, so I'm recommending to try something without having experienced it yet!
You can log to the Story of stuff internet site here and play the interactive video or you can download the film here.

Have fun,

Nic

Logorama

Cari amici, probabilmente solo alcuni riusciranno a capire ogni singola parola senza i sottotitoli, ma questo cortometraggio è grandioso! Fa veramente pensare a quanto schiavi dei marchi siamo diventati. Vale la pena trovare un quarto d'ora di tempo per guardarlo fino in fondo. E mille grazie a Silvio, che me lo ha fatto scoprire!
Ciao, buona settimana a tutti,
Nic

My friends, this short movie is great! It really makes me think how logo-slaves we have become! It's really worth watching until the end. And many thanks to Silvio, who made me discover it!
Ciao, have a good week,
Nic

www.nicolaprincipato.com

Hi all,
the day after my poor car was given to the flames by some very insensitive people I tried to think of something else by putting online again my internet site www.nicolaprincipato.com
I hope you all will enjoy its new stories!
Nic

Blackwater Criminals Inc.

Sometime ago I was wondering if everyone should know what Blackwater is.
Then I started wondering how many do know it among the people I know, especially because in Italy you can hardly hear of it in the news.
And then, as it often happens, I ended up with no answer.

New York Crossing - Trailer

This is a short film I made in New York.
It lasts about 38 minutes and I've already given it as a gift on DVD for Christmas to some (very lucky!) friends.
Now I'd like to check if this is supposed to remain just a friend-to-friend video or if somebody else may be interested in it.
If you want to help me to find a distributor or simply to organize some showings I'll be happy.
Take care, state bene,
Nic