Category Archives: Compositions

International Open Data Day in Tatti, Tuscany: how did it go?

Compositions, Maps

Dopo l’annuncio dell’evento sul sito pibinko.org e il rilancio de Il Tirreno ed. Grosseto, vediamo qualche fase saliente della giornata del 2 marzo 2019 a Tatti, frazione di Massa Marittima (GR), per la nona edizione dello International Open Data Day. Tranne le prime due (di pibinko), le foto sono di Valeria Trumpy dell’Agricampeggio Ixtlan.

Gabrio Giannini and Auro Luti at work in the “Barrino”…
…with a pool of experts to back them up.

The action then moved over to the “Circolino”…
where Pietro Crivelli gave us some “musipainting”…
Vladimiro Durastanti (Pacha Mama farm) did some honeygraphy
Guido Bendinelli (Ixtlan Agricamping), who also learned to digitze points with QGIS, who did some saffronmatics
The engineers Lombardelli and Giacomelli (we need engineers with names ending in -elli ) played as engineers…
and more or less everybody interacted with each other….

with a reverse angle, parts of the Metalliferous HIlls Jug Band, and a 12-string guitar kindly provided by Oliver Gangemi…and, as a grand finale:
This is a draft version of the points of interest recorded as of March 2, 2019 (not all names are displayed). On the top right, in blue, part of the Farma creek catchment.

Kudos to Sergio Cappelletti, and all those who contributed to the success of this initiative.


M’illumino di meno 2019 is also in San Vincenzo (Tuscany) with BuioMetria Partecipativa

Compositions

M’illumino di meno is a format created in 2005 by the famous radio show Caterpillar, aired by RAI Radio 2 to raise awareness on environmental sustainability, inviting activists, institutions and businesses to organize events on the same day (the Friday between end of February and early Marchh) to engage citizens with presentations, performances and other activities..

In this context On Friday, March 1st. 2019 the Municipality of San Vincenzo, Tuscany, will host in their premises of “La Torre”, the tower facing the marina (Piazza d’Italia 7) a presentation by the BuioMetria Partecipativa (i.e. participatory night sky quality monitoring) project. This was started in 2008 in Southern Tuscany as an environmental outreach and a citizen science initiative for the protection and promotion of night sky, and the mitigation of light pollution.

This is not the first time for BuioMetria Partecipativa in San Vincenzo: our first event was in September 2017, followed by two more in 2018. The March 2019 presentation, however, will be a substantially revamped event. This is due to new interesting developments for the project, deriving from new national and international connections in the areas of research and community engagement. Also, we will be considering the topic of circular economy, which this year has been suggested as a key subject from the M’illumino di meno team.

Federico Giussani (L) and Andrea Giacomelli (R) during a night sky brightness measurement demonstrations with a sky quality meter (renamed “buiometro” for the Italian audience).

On Friday, March 1st in San Vincenzo the speakers/performers will be: Andrea Giacomelli, MS and PhD, creator and coordinator of the BMP project, Federico Giussani, professional nightscape photographer, and Simone Sandrucci, lead guitar for Etruschi from Lakota, and active with Giacomelli in the Metalliferous Hills Jug Band project, doing scientific and cultural outreach merged with rock blues music.

Simone Sandrucci, one of the lead musicians for the BuioMetria Partecipativa soundtrack with Etruschi from Lakota and the Metalliferous Hills Jug Band.

The March 1st event is following an interesting micro-exhibition held in Florence last week, where BuioMetria Partecipativa had various opportunities for visibility in relation to TourismA (a national fair on cultural and archaeological tourism). Furthermore, the Friday presentation is a precursor to an event which will be held in Tatti, a hamlet in the area of Massa Marittima (not too far from San Vincenzo, but inland), where the same team will be holding an event within the ninth International Open Day.

All these activities fall in the framework of a series of initiatives for the protection and promotion of lesser known assets in the fields of culture, environment and open innovation, developed by the pibinko.org network since 2007, with a base in Southern Tuscany, and interesting relations outside of the region (please check out http://www.pibinko.org)

For more information and contacts: bmp@pibinko.org or +39 331 7539 228

The catalog of the pibinko.org travelling micro-museum, Hotel Lombardi versio, Florence.

Compositions,

To be translated

Questa e’ la parte sostanziale dell’allestimento del micromuseo itinerante di pibinko.org per il 23/2/2019 all’Hotel Lombardi di Firenze (vedi articolo).

Il catalogo completo e’ disponibile su ordinazione, in edizione sia digitale che cartacea, al costo di Euro 750 (comprensivi di tutti gli oneri fiscali) piu’ eventuali spese di spedizione.

NOTA 5/3/2019 – per questioni di tempo non ci e’ al momento possibile inserire link di approfondimento sui singoli articoli. Alcuni di questi sono gia’ documentati sul sito pibinko.org e potete ritrovarli tramite ricerca per parole chiave. Per altri andremo a creare voci specifiche nelle prossime settimane.

Se avete domande o commenti potete comunque scrivere a info@pibinko.org e saremo lieti di rispondere.

  1. Olio extravergine di oliva az. agricola Ixtlan, Tatti (GR), 2018
  2. Manufatti da tornitura elettronica B.M. di Torniella (GR), 2018
  3. Portatabacco Caffe’ Ricasoli (GR), 2018
  4. Chioccolo prodotto da Edo Giacomelli, circa 1980, da Follonica (GR)
  5. Buiometro Cariddi (2008)
  6. Miele millefiori az. agricola Pacha Mama, Tatti (GR), 2018
  7. Birra Guadagnata, birrificio 26 Nero, Poggibonsi (SI) 2018
  8. Birra Ipnotica, birrificio 26 Nero, Poggibonsi (SI) 2018
  9. Portaqualcosa del Caffe’ Ricasoli, Grosseto, 2018
  10. Insaporitore agli 11 aromi di Tattistampa, Tatti (GR), 2018
  11. Melanzane piccanti az. agricola Loriano Bartoli, Pian d’Alma, Scarlino (GR), 2018
  12. Filo verde per legature agricole (2016)
  13. Metro da muratore (2016)
  14. Accordatore per chitarra (analogico, 1980 circa)
  15. DVD di Six String Samurai (ANNO DA INSERIRE)
  16. Stampa “Maremma stai attento” di Tattistampa (2005?)
  17. Libro di geografia per le colonie estive della Montecatini (1952)
  18. Mappa di comunita’ della Val di Farma, ed. maggio 2018
  19. Articolo sul Bar Moderno di Roccastrada che disdice l’abbonamento a una pay TV per avere piu’ fondi per eventi dal vivo (2018)
  20. Pacchetto turistico che si definisce per esclusione, in collaborazione con Picasso Viaggi, Venturina Terme (LI), 2019
  21. Attrezzi antichi da falegname, dalla bottega di Roberto Serragli, Scalvaia (SI – da datare)
  22. Libro sulla Maremma del Grottanelli (ristampa di edizione ottocentesca)
  23. Originale dell’animazione “Vendetta” (1990?)
  24. Zafferano az. agricola Ixtlan, Tatti (GR)
  25. Vista dell’abbazia di S. Galgano, Olio su tela di Pietro Crivelli, 70×100 (2019)
  26. Palline di palla a 21 o palla eh! (varie epoche a partire dagli anni ’70)
  27. Panforte (il gioco, non il prodotto) – da datare
  28. Magliette GFOSS.it (2008)
  29. Guantoni da boxe (due paia), prestati dal Boxing Club Firenze – da datare
  30. Giu’ la Testa degli Etrushi from Lakota (CD, 2017)
  31. Striscione Jug Band Colline Metallifere (2018)
  32. Alberi in filo di ferro e perline di Forestano Giacomelli (1990 circa)
  33. Shardana e Sardegna, di Giovanni Ugas, 2016
  34. Chitarra acustica LAG (acquistata ad Ajaccio), 2017
  35. Spazzole per batteria
  36. Video dell’Ing. Fabio Bettio che racconta la storia della digitalizzazione dei Giganti di Mont’e Prama

What is a drummer and PhD in Hydrology doing in Florence selling archaeological tourism destinations?

Compositions
All-focus

Jack O’Malley, drummer and scientific director of the Metalliferous Hills Jug Band, at the end of the preparation of the pibinko.org seller table at the “Buy Cultural Tourism” session at TourismA, the national fair of cultural and archaeological tourism.

To appreciate what a percussionist and PhD in hydrology is doing by selling archaeological tourism destinations in Florence, you may read the English version of the press release from which an article from Il Tirreno Grosseto edition was derived on Feb 21, 2019. Or you may give five minutes of your time to browse random sections of the pibinko.org site.

Kudos to the Comité Régional de Tourisme Nouvelle-Aquitaine for the picture, and to Colangelo for the assistance in setting up the set.

Last but not least, do not forget the aperitivo-jams session with the Farma Valley and Friends micro-museum. This is organized by pibinko.org in collaboration with Hotel Lombardi, via Fiume 8, Florence, and will be on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 6PM to 8PM (a reservation is needed to info@pibinko.org or +393317539228)

The game

Compositions

Palla 21, also known as Palla Eh!, is an ancient game played in a few (currently six) small villages in Southern Tuscany, Italy. Documented traces of games practically identical to Palla 21 in Italy are dated to the 16th century, while it is suspected that the origin of these games goes further back in time.

The game is in fact part of a wider family of handball games. More renown variants include Valencian pelota from Spain, the Dutch Kaats, the Belgian Balle Pelote, or Pallone Elastico in Piedmont, Northern Italy, not to mention other pelota games in Latin America.

The rules of Palla 21/Palla Eh! are quite complex, and the best way to get into the game is actually to attend a match with mentoring by one of the senior players. This has also the advantage of appreciating the full context for the game, where the spectators are also an element in the game (figure 1).

Some key information

  • the game is played by two teams of five
  • the ball, which is hand made, has a diameter of approximately 4 cm and a weight between 35 and 40 grams (figure 2)
  • there is no standard field. Each village has a space where the game is played -normally the main square- with different characteristics. The resulting field, in any case, has a rectangular shape (around 30×150 feet, at least – see photo 3 for Torniella). Any natural or artificial element of the square is part of the game: i.e the ball can bounce on walls, roofs, drive through tree canopy, and still be valid.
  • the ball is hit alternately by the two teams, and can be hit back as long as it bounces once (at the most), like tennis
  • Also the scoring system is just like tennis (15,30,40,advantage, game, set). Each set counts a score of 7, and three sets make 21, which leads to win an inning. The match is won with two innings out of three.
  • the game starts by serving. Service always takes places from the same side, so the teams switch sides as needed. The service, called “mando”, is a very scenic part of the game and not all players have the technical skills and ability to serve
  • points are scored when one side is not able to hit the ball back, either because the ball bounces in the field and then gets out of reach, or because of fouls (e.g. if the ball is hit back with any part of the body except the palm of the hand, if two players of the same team hit the ball one after the other, etc.)
  • the peculiarity of the game is that there is no pre-defined mid field. The midfield line is set by stopping the ball after it has bounced twice at any moment of the game. In the spot where the ball has been stopped, a marking will be made -known as “caccia”- normally with chalk. At the end of a tournament, the field is scattered with lines.

    This action is repeated twice. In the process of defining these two lines, points can still be scored, as the teams may still lose points if the ball goes out of the sides, or is hit irregularly.
  • once the two midfield markings are defined, the teams will switch sides. In this phase of the game, in addition to the previous systems, the points will be assigned by playing using the “cacce” as the midfield. The point will be lost if the ball stops after the second bounce on “your” side of the field. Once a point is made in relation to a “caccia”, the line will be erased, and the game will continue, proceeding to define the next pair of lines.
  • The duration of a match is extremely variable, as there is no tie break. Also, there is no referee on the field, so any dispute is managed by all of the players
  • While the competition on the field can get fierce, all tournaments will end with celebrations and partying where the same teams get together, so the game is also a great opportunity for the village communities to meet and have a good time
  • Tournaments take place normally from mid-July through September.

For a more formal description of the rules (in Italian): wikipedia.

Where is the game played?

Compositions

The game is currently played in six tiny villages of Southern Tuscany, about 100 km South of Florence, in the areas of Siena and Grosseto (mostly Grosseto). In alphabetical order:

Publication of EU GPP criteria for road lighting and traffic signals

Compositions

In the context of the European collaborations that we manage via the BuioMetria Partecipativa project, in 2017 we started to follow a working group concerning the update of the Green Public Procurement guidelines for road lighting and traffic signals.

This group is coordinated by the Joint Research Centre (from its Sevilla, Spain, facility), and in the past 18 months is saw the active presence of several of the light pollution experts we know, together with experts from other domains.

Two days ago through the working group’s mailing list we had news that the results of the activity are available. Please see below the announcement. For more information: bmp@pibinko.org

We are delighted to announce that the EU Green Public Procurement (GPP) criteria for road lighting and traffic signals have been published.

Although lighting systems in general are great examples of potential win-win scenarios for the environment and public budgets, the setting of appropriately ambitious criteria for energy efficiency and durability has been a particular challenge due to the rapidly evolving nature of LED technology. Thanks to detailed input from some of you, including an in-depth analysis of the LightingFacts database using data from the last 6-7 years, it has been possible to present a tiered approach to minimum luminaire efficacy requirements in EU GPP criteria for the next 6 years.

A novel and ambitious approach towards tackling the issue of light pollution has been taken, with requirements on both upward light output ratios and blue light emission being set. The emission of blue light is a particular concern with some LED lighting products and we are pleased to be able to promote a specially tailored metric for blue light (the G-index) which is much more precise and reliable than the commonly used CCT metric. We must say that this was only possible thanks to the previous work of a dedicated group of stakeholders on this particular matter, so a special thanks to those of you involved in the light pollution criteria.

We also have tried to emphasise the importance of durability aspects with LED lighting and to try to shed light (pun intended) on the general misconception that all LED lighting products have excellent durability. There are different quality specifications for different LED chips and durability depends a lot on the quality of the electrical components and appropriate luminaire design, not just on the lamp itself. In line with circular economy principles we are promoting more durable and recyclable products that are correctly labelled to aid in their future replacement, upgrading or disposal.

An excerpt from the presentation of the new criteria, highlighting the combined benefits of LED dimming.

For more information

Feb. 7, 2019 branobag: have a coffe break thinking about that dress

Branobag, branobags, Compositions

[first edition, Aug. 17, 2012. The Italian version of this post has a lot more context explaining the title. The 2019 edition has a first pass on an Italian cover for the song, as a work in progress by the Metalliferous Hills Jug Band]


Old enough / Matura

You look pretty in your fancy dress | Con quel vestito sembri un bel bijoux
But I detect unhappiness | Pero’ mi pare che tu sia un po’ giu’
You never speak so I have to guess | Te ne stai zitta e io ti dico: “su’”
You’re not free. | …non sei li-i-i-bera…

There, maybe when you’re old enough | Ehi, quando poi sarai matura
You’ll realize you’re not so tough | Scoprirai che non sei una dura
And some days the seas get rough | Col mare grosso non sarai sicura
And you’ll see | vedra-a-a-i

You’re too young to have it figured out | Sei una bimbetta, non ci hai ragionato
You think you know what you’re talking about | Credi di sapere del futuro e del passato
You think it will all work itself out | Credi che alla fine sara’ tutto aggiustato
But we’ll see | ma chi sa-a-a

When I was young I thought I knew | Da giovane ero sicuro di me
You probably think you know too | probabilmente lo sei anche te
Do you? Well do you? | lo dici te…lo dici te..
I was naïve just like you | ero ingenuo, come te
I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do | pensavo di sapere che fare di me
Well, what’s you gonna do? | be’, ora dillo te!

And how have you gotten by so far | e come hai fatto ad arrivare sin qua
Without having a visible scar? | senza nemmeno una fe-rita?
No one knows who you really are | nessuno sa chi sei in verita’
They can’t see | non lo ve-e-e-dono

What’s you gonna do (what’s you gonna do) | ora che farai (ora che farai)
What’s you gonna do now | o-o-ra
What’s you gonna do (what’s you gonna do)
What’s you gonna do now
What’s you gonna do (what’s you gonna do)
What’s you gonna do now
What’s you gonna do (what’s you gonna do)
What’s you gonna do now
What’s you gonna do now

The only way you’ll ever learn a thing | il solo modo per imparare
Is to admit that you know absolutely nothing | e’ ammettere di ignorare – tutto
Oh nothing | oh, tutto
Think about this carefully | tieni questo bene a mente
You might not get another chance to speak freely | potresti non poter riparlare liberamente
Oh freely | liberamente

Maybe when you’re old enough | forse quando sei matura
Maybe when you’re old enough
Maybe when you’re old enough
You’re not free | non sei li-i-bera
You’re not free

Darkness Conference at the Svalbard Islands, Jan. 15/16 2019: how did it go?

Compositions

by Luciano Massetti – CNR IBIMET Firenze (l.massetti@ibimet.cnr.it)

DARKNESS was the topic discussed during the full arctic night in Longyearbyen, the northernmost city of the world (latitude ~ 78° N), in the Svalbard Islands, North of Norway.

Foto: Luisa del Giudice

The conference had over 90 experts from 22 countries, dealing with the topic of darkness from multiple angles.

Foto: Luciano Massetti

Luciano Massetti presented the joint activities conducted by CNR IBIMET in collaboration with the Department of Biology from the University of Pisa and the BuioMetria Partecipativa project.