Feanor

To understand better how things work in today's real world, here are interesting news:
The italian anti-trust authority has just given a fine of 12 million euros to almost all (26) the companies that produce and sell pasta in Italy, united in the UNIPI organization, because while controlling more than 90% of the market, they made a sort of agreement (then a trust) for rising the prices together and to keep the prices artificially high while blaming the rise of worldwide food prices. It seems that it worked with rises of 30% while the price of wheat was decreasing of about 50%.

Just few days ago other fines were given to the major TLC companies for more or less the same reasons and for unfair behaviors with customers, like changing contracts with worse ones, making difficult to change provider, charging for unrequested services and so on.

In my opinions this is almost useless since the fine is much lower than the income the corporations are making with those tactics (the 12 millions are spread over the 26 firms), so they aren't deterred. On the other side, it is good to know you are constantly being cheated.

I am not sure I like them but here are my very expensive new glasses. Maybe you wonder why they are expensive.
Besides everything is expensive here, these glasses have got a Rayban titanium
alloy frame and unbreakable anti-reflection lenses.

On a side note: it is like Dr. Jackson from Stargate SG1 when he moved from the '90s round glasses to the 2K squared ones.

I don't like to go shopping. It gets ridiculous at times, like me going around with clothes that are 20 or more years old, till they are completely destroyed. But this morning I had a moment of sudden activity and so I went to a store nearby to buy a pair of trousers, given that the usual jeans have holes on the back. Since I was there I thought to take the most out of the event and buy more stuff so at the end I bought:
a. 1 winter jacket (black short parka)
b. 2 trousers (dark blue and brown)
c. 1 bathrobe (yellow)
d. 3 "pile" shirts (red, black, blue)
All this for 112 euro which is a good price in my opinion.

Edit: interesting information that explains something about today's world: despite the italian brand, the winter jacket and the bathrobe are made in China, the trousers are made in Indonesia, the "pile" shirts are made in Bangladesh.

Some years ago this american crayfish was introduced in Italy for cultivation. It escaped and quickly colonized any sort of water habitat, destroying the native ecosystem. It eats everything, resists the cold and the extreme heat, water pollution, can stay out of the water for hours, walk for miles on the dry ground and dig deep nests in the sides of the lakes and rivers, making them fragile. In short, it is an ecological disaster. The two native species of crayfish are disappearing, both because the alien crayfish is much more aggressive and resistant and because it brings some deadly disease. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procambarus_clarkii

Guess what "manifesto" is this:

In politics:
* Universal suffrage polled on a regional basis, with proportional representation and voting and electoral office eligibility for women;
* Proportional representation on a regional basis;
* Voting for women (which was opposed by most other European nations);
* Representation at government level of newly created National Councils by economic sector;
* The abolition of the Senate (at the time, the Senate, as the upper house of parliament, was by process elected by the wealthier citizens, but were in reality direct appointments by the King. It has been described as a sort of extended council of the Crown);
* The formation of a National Council of experts for labor, for industry, for transportation, for the public health, for communications, etc. Selections to be made of professionals or of tradesmen with legislative powers, and elected directly to a General Commission with ministerial powers (this concept was rooted in corporatist ideology and derived in part from Catholic social doctrine).

In labour and social policy:
* The quick enactment of a law of the State that sanctions an eight-hour workday for all workers;
* A minimum wage;
* The participation of workers' representatives in the functions of industry commissions;
* To show the same confidence in the labor unions (that prove to be technically and morally worthy) as is given to industry executives or public servants;
* Reorganisation of the railways and the transport sector;
* Revision of the draft law on invalidity insurance;
* Reduction of the retirement age from 65 to 55.

In military affairs:
* Creation of a short-service national militia with specifically defensive responsibilities;
* Armaments factories are to be nationalised;
* A peaceful but competitive foreign policy.

In finance:
* A strong progressive tax on capital (envisaging a “partial expropriation” of concentrated wealth);
* The seizure of all the possessions of the religious congregations and the abolition of all the bishoprics, which constitute an enormous liability on the Nation and on the privileges of the poor;
* Revision of all contracts for military provisions;
* The revision of all military contracts and the seizure of 85 percent of the profits therein.