U.S. tariffs on EU's wine & spirits

 

Glad to hear that pasta, cheese, wine and spirits, as well as olive oil and sunglasses, are among the priority sectors of Italy's goods that the European Union wants Washington to shield from higher tariffs.

Major Irish whishey distillery owners are also hopeful U.S. customs duties will be reduced. 

It seems higher tariffs continue to impact negatively on U.S. sales and jobs, although they generate government revenue.  

The weather has been too cold since the 27th of November ... it's perfect for a glass of red wine 🍷❄🙂

In the meanwhile, on the geopolitical front, the 49-year-old Ukrainian man, Serhii Kuznietsov, arrived in Germany two days ago, after Italy's highest court approved his extradition later last week. That man is suspected of setting off explosions that damaged the EU Nord Steam pipelines in 2022. I clearly know that a very small number of blogging friends don't like such news, as they have been shaped to believe that Ukrainians can never be guilty parties. But we are talking about a German criminal court, not a Belarusian or Russian one. Not to mention that EU, UK and US' newspapers don't highlight this news as it should.

Have a nice weekend 🍁 

Scandals that were once overlooked

The machinery of Ukraine war's support begins to slow. And Western media begins to expose Kyiv government's scandals that were once overlooked.

The more Western investigators and journalists uncover about corruption and mismanagement in Ukraine, the easier it becomes for Washington & EU to justify a gradual disengagement without admitting strategic defeat to Russia.   

I don't forget 2022 Pope Francis' interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. He said "Transatlantic military alliance "barking" at Russia's door may have led to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine". In other words, he said Ukraine war was perhaps somehow provoked.

The stupidity is that if someone were to understand how Russia-Ukraine war was provoked, he/she would be labelled as pro-Putin. 

Valerij Zaluzhnyj

Just a few thoughts about money that we, EU's taxpayers, have been sending to Zelensky since 2022.

According to the German prosecutor's office, the Supreme Commander of Ukraine's armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyj, is behind the explosions on the Nord Steam 1 and 2 EU's gas pipelines (Wall Street Journal also reported this news early this week). This means there are evidence that President Zelensky, who blamed repeatedly the Russian government, knew that the Supreme Commander of Ukraine's armed forces had carried out the attack on the EU's pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

In other words, since 2022 we, EU's taxpayers, have been sending money to Zelensky, who orchestrated a terrorist attack on EU's energy infrastuctures.

Congratulations to the EU leaders who still continue to send money to Zelensky. 

Old front door

Just trying to be back in touch with our lovely blogging community. Sorry for delay.  Thanks to all the blogger friends who have asked me to write down a post again. 

I'd like to show that man who was quietly painting his front door in the historic part of the town on a sunny Saturday, on the 1st of November.

Have a nice Weekend.

Away from the blog for a bit.

 

Just a quick note to say I'm taking a short break from blogging. I'll be back soon. Take care.

The house of terror

As soon as tourists and visitors get into the House of terror in Budapest there is a strong initial attraction to them: their sight is immediately attracted by an old Soviet tank. 

Located at Andrassi utca 60, the House of terror is a museum now, but the historic building was witness to two shameful and tragic periods in Hungary's 20th century history. Between 1945 and 1956, in peacetime, 487 peole were executed on political grounds. After the 1956 Revolution, nearly 230 freedom fighters were executed. The minimum age at which people could be sentenced to death was lowered to sixteen. 

Now transformed into a museum, the building is a monument to the victims, due to the fact that many died there during the most unimaginable and horrific interrogation lasting for weeks. Other received long prison sentences. 

After the fall of  communism in 1989-1990, the hanging judges and prosecutors who had served the communist regime were not held to account. They were not punished, but the museum serves as a means to denunce many of them.

 

This post today lacks of pictures as visitors were not allowed to take photos inside the House of Terror Museum. I managed to take only two photos of the Soviet tank. The third photo shows Szabadság híd in Hungarian translates into Freedom bridge in English. It's a majestic bridge in Budapest, that crosses the Danube river, connecting the two sides of the Hungarian capital. 

Have a nice weekend ☀

Vegetables out of season's disadvantages

During this first week of September the weather was still warm. Consequently, we haven't to forget to maintain good fluid balance in our body. Many fruit and vegetables that grow in late summer contain high percentage of water. They can contribute to our daily fluid intake, alongside drinking water. Obviously I'm talking about in-season fruit and vegetables that haven't been shipped from other continents.

Producing vegetables out of season presents several disadvantages, such as high up-front costs to build the structure an no natural pollination. 

Furthermore, production is limited to high-value crops and significant knowledge level is required.  Not to mention of awful landscape and visual impact , special permitting and expensive cost of production. 

Last week I was so glad to see young people enjoying donkeys.

 

Donkey remains useful in many parts of the world today. In some Italian villages, located in mountainous ares, those marvelous creatures are used for sheperding and for waste collection due to narrow ancient alleys, where motorized vehicle is impractical.

 

Have a nice weekend🌻☀🚴‍♂️