Saturday 16 March 2024

Sweden has lost its policy of neutrality.

Sorry to bore you once again with a geopolitical topic. Unfortunately, I have noticed that world powers want the two wars in Ukraine and Palestine never to go to an end. 

 

Since the Ukraine-Russia war began, back in 2014 (not 2022), Sweden has been hitting by massive propaganda claiming if Swedish people didn't join NATO, Russians would invade them next. I think this is not true, as Russia has no interest in Sweden and its territory, although that  Scandinavian country is on Russia's "Unfriendly countries list". 

According to many analists, a clash with Finland could be a more realistic possibility. Obviously, Russia is determined to stop Moldova and Georgia from joining NATO. 


On 7th March Sweden became NATO newest member. Consequently, it's easy to see that the Swedish government will be compelled to send soldiers abroad. In addition, Swedish kids would be forced to serve in the military in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and other countries located close to the Russian border. 

Photo courtesy of Stefano Gazzano, who took them in Stockholm a few years ago.

Have a nice Sunday ☀


Saturday 9 March 2024

Old pharmacy in medieval times

 

I took the picture of the lemon tree yesterday on a sunny Friday.  I saw that tree in a private garden in the town center. I thought the owner of the tree is so lucky, as he/she can enjoy his/her small garden located in the town center. If I had a garden or a backyard I would have mainly lemon trees.


The door and the window in the above picture date back to the thirteenth century. An old pharmacy was located there, that's why there is still an old stone plaque above the ancient door.  

An old port access gate, which was used in medieval times, is still in good condition.

 


           The weather will be rainy here in the next 2 days. Have a nice weekend 🌧🌦

 

Friday 1 March 2024

1st March

I took the above picture while I was walking along a neighborhood market of the town. There were many varieties of beans and chickpeas in a traditional market stall. They remind me the importance of eating  legumes, which provide mainly protein and fiber. Not to mention of magnesium, copper , iron and phosphorous. 

The weather was mainly rainy in late February this year, and fishing boats did not sail. When fishermen can't go to the sea, they mend their nets close to their fishing vessels. Those workers provide bluefish, such as snapper and mackerel, which are a good source of potassium, selenium and vitamin 12. I don't like eating farmed fish, as diseases can sometimes spread more easily in overcrowded conditions of a singular species of fish. 

An old typical red brick building, which I saw when in Rome yesterday. That old building helps people remember the construction techniques in ancient Rome. 

a lovely image of the iPhone 15 advert.

On the way back I noticed, once again, that the cell phone can be a false companion and a huge problem nowadays, as most people are looking at smartphone all the time.

On the other hand, I think mobile phone makes our lives easier, as it connects groups of individuals sharing common interest and goals.


Have a nice month of March ☀
 

Saturday 17 February 2024

Excessive use of smartphone


Yesterday, on a cloudy friday, I had brunch in Rome after I had had a  myocardial scan. The cardiologist prescribed me to undergo this non-invasive imaging test that shows how well blood flows through my heart and muscles, as I go to the gym three times a week. This medical  test must be done on a empty stomach.  I'll get the medical report on 22nd February. 


The diagnostic centre is located in a beautiful corner of Rome.


On the way back home  I saw that most people handled their cell phones while travelling by train. I noticed that on average only one out of twenty people was reading a book or a newspaper.  

As it is known, mobile phones makes our lives easier, but on the other hand, excessive use of smartphone can reduce our cognitive and learning skill. In addition, it also tie us. I think we will face the same problem with artificial intelligence, which can change and shape human action.


With regards to artificial intelligence, former Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt, in 2022 wrote we must all ensure  that such a technological development "is not created in isolation", as we have to "pay attention to both its potential benefits and as potential risks".

Have a nice Sunday ☀️

Sunday 11 February 2024

The longest suspension bridge

 

There isn't any bridge between the Italian peninsula and its main island, Sicily. And this gap between mainland Italy and sicily is called the Strait of Messina, which is 3 km wide at its narrowest point. 
The main reason the bridge was never built is that this area is a very active seismic zone. 

In 2023 Italy's government agreed to the 12 Billion euros project and decided to build the bridge. It would be the longest suspension bridge in the world.

But many people think that this is just a waste of public funds, as this investment in the region is not considered to be worth. Not to mention that Italy has the second highest government debt in the EU (140.3 % of country's nominal GDP). 

How can the majority of the Italian government decide to build such bridge in one of the most seismically active area of the Mediterranean ?  The Strait of Messina is located between Etna and Stromboli, which are the two main active volcanoes in the Mediterranean. In addition, the 1908 Messina Strait earth-quake represents one of the worst seismic catastrophes in world history.

It's easy to see that the project would be useful for predators who are running multinational companies involved in construction. 

Sunday 4 February 2024

Citrus fruits trees in the urban environment

Last week I saw many clementine trees along a sidewalk of a Naples' residential neighbourhood. I know that clementine is a citrus fruit hybrid between mandarin and sweet orange, which was named in honor of the French missionary who first propagated it 🍊🍊🍊

I noticed that people don't eat fruits grown in public parks and urban areas. Actually, we don't have any information about the contamination of urban soil (heavy metals, arsenic, etc. ... ☢). 

Do you think that city fruits are safe to eat ❓ ... In my opinion, many urban soils are not pollutant-free.

Have a nice new week ☀️ 

Saturday 27 January 2024

Train from Naples to Rome


I've just come back from a week in Naples (200 km South from Rome).
 
On 8th January I showed a picture of Rome's main railway station on my blog, as I had just travelled by train for job. After I had seen the comments I noticed that our blogging friend from NY State, Tom ,  was interested in modern trains. That's why I show, once again, some photos of trains which I took in the last few weeks.

The journey by train from Naples to Rome usually takes one hour and 37 minutes, but it can take just 59 minutes on the fastest service.



The train shown in the above picture is 200 metres long. It  boasts 462 seats, distributed on 11 carriages, and travels on Italy's high-speed network at up to 300 km/h.



Slow train, as shown in the picture below, may refer to a regional rail service (I took the photo at Civitavecchia railway station).

The picture below also shows slow trains at Tara Street's railway station, in Dublin (Ireland).

The following picture has nothing to do with trains. It's a tall ship above of the Italian Navy, which is named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci.  It was launched on 22nd February 1931.


Its main activity is training campaigns for naval academy cadets, who can learn the basic rules about seamanship and navigation. I didn't took the picture of the ship. It's a photo courtesy of  Luigi, a friend of mine.

Have a nice weekend 🔆  
     🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃