Como Category Seminar

I have said that the original motivation for this blog was to rant about problems with university reform in Italy. However I realize now that another reason for the blog is that I miss having a scientific seminar in Como. My scientific life in Sydney was always bound up with the Sydney Category Seminar. Here in Como, despite some attempts, I have never been able to create a regular seminar, so I am going to use part of this blog to take the place of a seminar. If I can get others to contribute all the better, but in any case I will record here the kind of lectures I used to give in Sydney;  that is, work in progress, comments on other research etc.