This is weird, to prove that you are still alive by providing such a certificate. What with wrong with our government? That is ridiculous and insane. This whole situations seems like a scam to me.

I've picked up a brochure last night about a new enterprise opening up in town.
"Frankly Joe, you've got rocks in your head. I can't see anybody quitting a Wall Street job to open a "Survival Centre." No Wall Street guy would be that stupid. I just can't see a Wall Street winner like you dealing with losers like the homeless and unemployed. They haven't got two nickels to rub together. Unless your services are free - like the advices you gave here - don't expect to see line-ups outside the survival centre. Joe, you shouldn't quit your job.

Oh well it's done. Good luck! Yeah you're right, hard times are in the offings. It's gonna be a rough 2012, I agree. But not for everybody. For factory workers and pensioners 2012 is going to be merciless. Should they lose their jobs, it's game over for them, you're right on that. Yeap! they gotta be flexible. Adapt or die. It's the Darwin thing. Adapt or die. Like the Fiat case: where "lean and mean" is all the rage. But it's necesary, you say. So away with their coffee breaks and work more hours; keep up with the Chinese and stop hiding behind article 18: no union reps and possibly no union; and no strikes. Joe don't you think that's going to far? It's kind of merciless, but then when do multinationals worry about families? You say unemployment gives one the freedom to look for something different, or turn a bad thing into good or gives you chance to look for the silver lining. But they know all that Joe. What about the money to put food on the table for the family? I know, you say if life gives you lemons make lemonade. And you think to yourself, ehi, there is no free lunch. It's all up to you! That's freedom! And if you get slapped by the system don't go and start a revolution, scream, scream. scream.

You're right. Life is a take it or leave it proposition. The world changes for the good in China and India, for the worse in Italy. And people should accept as much. Take the world as it is and then you change it. Like in the movie, "Il Gattopardo." Or don't wait for new opportunities to come to you: you go where the opportunities are. Australia, Brazil. They're booming and the weather is nice. And anyway emigration is trendy nowdays. Hop on a jet and go. That's what Italians did by the millions one hundred years ago. It's so retro! Oh, sure the downsides: leave family, friends, town, Italy...doesn't sound fair. But you're right Joe, who said life was fair? The trick is not to get discouraged. At times opportunities are right under your nose. You don't have to go anywhere. What you seek may even be inside yourself. Imagine, it was all within us! What the heck was I doing on the assembly line all those years? I remember when I didn't have to think anymore about my hands turning that bolt or mounting that bumper and I had time to think about what else I could do? I couldn't do anything because of lack of money? And then I realized they only gave us enough to live for the next day to show up at our work stations. And then we joked about the duck with a ring around her neck calibrating the corn going down. We "occupied ourselves" before anybody came up with the idea of the "survivor centre." In any event, get your butt off the chair then go outside and smell the roses that Jobs couldn't digitalize. Oh yes, the politicians. Fuck them. You think they care about you? They don't and neither do they hate you. Choose your political lines and join those that agree with you. But don't forget it's the individual that counts. Sure, to better divide us and rule us.

Mistrust or believe. Again, it's about choice with you. People always come up with conspiracy theories. Don't trust them. Too many do's and don'ts in believing, and believing is like being annointed with the truth. Your advice to either back off or evolve. - another choice -. For you backing off is like choosing safety and evolving is taking risks. It's not that simple. One can back off from the precipice but sometimes the precipice opens right under your feet: like losing a job. As far as evolution goes you think it's more of a glamorous choice. You find that losing security could lead you into taking a self-satisfiying risk and win. Yes, it could. Everything is possible. You urge to choose: back-off or evolve, whatever but move on. Whether in Italian or English this last paragraph is all goobledygook to me. Sounds transcendental, metaphysical, spiritual, Aynrandish.

But let's get to your point, Joe: You want us to put up with poverty, unemployment, homelessness, and all the other slaps. We should scream, go to sleep and let the dreams awake us. Thanks for wishing us a year full of dreams. The problem is nightmares are all the rage next year. But hei, when you got lemons make lemonade There are no free lunch distributors. Only food banks. Ain't capitalism grand? Right Joe?"

Siamo in guerra:
I have just learnt about a tax in Spain imposed on non resident property owners. Now it is perfectly normal for anyone who owns and rents out a property to pay tax on the income received. However the Spanish have found a better idea. They tax the non resident owners on the "notional" income even if they never receive a penny in rent. This seems discriminatory, illegal under any normal tax law and possibly against European laws and human rights.