Sizzling summer

One week into summer and here we go, 36.2 C in town today with a heat index of 45.5 C that impairs neuronal activity.
This is nothing though compared to the hot times we're all going to face in this country. The government has decided to proceed with cuts worth 2 BEuro in 2011, 5 BEuro in 2012, 15 BEuro in 2013 and 20 BEuro in 2014. If this is aimed at recovering the limping finances of Italy, I wonder why very little is being done to bring to surface the "submersed economy" - the illegal trade that skips tax - which has a turnover of 250 BEuro per year. Well, if this figure is known to the authorities, I guess someone should then know what and where it's all about. Just VAT alone, which is 20% here, equals to 50 BEuro not conveying into the country's chest. The remainder 200 BEuro would mean another estimated 80 BEuro worth of tax.
Wouldn't then 130 BEuro per year SOLVE all issues? Doesn't it ring a bell that our politicians do NOTHING in this sense and rather cut, cut, cut on essential services to the citizen? Digusting. Yeah, let's blame the "global gloom".
Italy has one among the highest public debts. Almost 2,000 BEuro and growing.

Nothing is forever

Yesterday, June 16, a violent thunderstorm in Torino tore down about thirty large trees in the Valentino Park alone. Many of these were over a century old. Several cars were wrecked but, luckily, nobody was injured. It's amazing what five minutes of havoc can do on this dynamic planet.

Record breaking

As of today, the national price of gasoline at the pump in Italy has reached the unprecedented level of 1.60 Euro/liter, which translates into US$ 9.00 per US gallon.
Good luck folks!

Mighty, mighty Telecom Italia

My land phone line is dead, been so for not less than three days now. Callers report it's ringing - which is not - and they are left without an answer.
Funny thing is that my mother's line is experiencing exactly the same occurrence. Then yes, it appears to be a common problem.
I'm not saying problems do not exist, but they shouldn't last this long.
What really, really irritates me is that there's NO WAY to report it. Telecom customer service number doesn't work. Should one want to report a problem via their website, it requires registration but, after I did, I lost over one hour by surfing and searching through the entire website only to discover that the assistance section is only for DSL-related issues. There is NO section regarding simple land lines. No contacts, nobody to even write to. All they say is "call the customer service" - which doesn't work. Tried about 30 times. How nice. Enough of it, but I can't even contact them to cancel my contract!
THANK YOU TELECOM.

Love is in the air

LOVE IS IN THE AIR (John Paul Young)

Love is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound
-And I don't know if I'm being foolish
-Don't know if I'm being wise
-But it's something that I must believe in
-And it's there when I look in your eyes
Love is in the air
In the whisper of the trees
Love is in the air
In the thunder of the sea
-And I don't know if I'm just dreaming
-Don't know if I feel sane
-But it's something that I must believe in
-And it's there when you call out my name
---(Chorus)
---Love is in the air
---Love is in the air
---Oh oh oh
---Oh oh oh
Love is in the air
In the rising of the sun
Love is in the air
When the day is nearly done
-And I don't know if you're an illusion
-Don't know if I see it true
-But you're something that I must believe in
-And you're there when I reach out for you
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound
And I don't know if I'm being foolish
Don't know if I'm being wise
-But it's something that I must believe in
-And it's there when I look in your eyes

Remember it? Like it? Now do a simple thing:
Replace "love" with "radioactivity".
Much, much more to worry than natural disasters. This is man made, folks. Fukushima in Japan or wherever. The final arrogance to think we could put the atom on leash.

Earth's resources

Several studies report that we are currently using up "1.5 Earths", that is we are drawing 50% more of this planet's renewable resources. Such studies do not consider finite goods such as oil and mineral elements, but just food-related resources.
This means that Earth can't replenish what we - as a global population - draw from it.
Shouldn't epidemics and disasters occur, without human intervention the natural limit to the growth of animals and plants populations would be dictated by the available resources in and around local systems. Most developed countries can't rely on their domestic products for food demand, hence already outsourcing from distant shores.
Civilization and technology apparently spare the human race from the natural laws of equilibrium. Politics and ethics don't really mix. I'm not calculating, projecting or predicting how many generations it will take to see a major collapse. It will happen.
Should I shrug and enjoy the present?
Should I advocate conservation?
Actually both, to some extent, but not happily celebrating the seven-billionth human treading on Earth. In 1950, population was 2.5 billion. A scary almost-three-fold in 60 years.