I must admit that I've also noticed that it seems quite arbitrary how much, or even if, you're going to be charged. I don't know if the customs services are just paying more attention to the rules at times, or if it's some individual's decision.
As you said, if they are going to charge import duties, it would at least be nice if the money raised went to help local businesses but it all goes to central Government and they then spend it on whatever they want.

I think it all depends on how vindictive the EU are going to be but since the EU is mostly France and Germany, that might be quite a lot .
You are right about the custom fees though. There are times when I've been charged additional custom charges (and 20% VAT on top of that) for importing DVD's from American sites and they can increase the price you end up paying by a third or even half again.

It's certainly an ambitious project, to give internet access to the entire planet. However, I do have some reservations about the number of satellites involved and this can only add to the junk problem in near earth orbit. We really need to clean up this junk before either there's a catastrophic incident that takes out a lot of our ability to communicate globally or we surround ourselves with junk that locks us in. This latter is more unlikely but it is a possibility.

I understand that there are less than 50,000 people in total across the Faroe Islands and that approximately half of these live in the capital of Torshavn or "Thor's Harbour". I can't really tell you about their qualities as people, although I expect that life can be quite harsh there, especially in winter.

8c (feels like 4c. Falling to 3c overnight). Cloudy, with a moderate 24kph SW wind and an 100% chance of rain from late afternoon onwards.

To make random comments whilst disguised as a plate of cooked fish, apparently.

9c (feels like 7c. Rising to 13c and falling to 8c overnight). Cloudy, with a light 16kph S wind and a 60% chance of rain from this afternoon onwards.

Please excuse my scepticism but welcome anyway

7c (feels like 3c. Rising to 9c and falling to 6c overnight). Sunny, with a 60% of rain this evening and a light 18kph SW wind.

.

8c (feels like 5c. Rising to 10c and falling to 7c overnight). Cloudy, with a 90% chance of rain this evening and a light 18kph SW wind.

If you're listening to this, then you are the Resistance.

I think that it's true to say that there is no higher tribute to a Warrior soul, than for your former enemy to say that you were superior in every way. A renowned German air Ace said of the Night Witches "We could barely comprehend that the Soviet aviators who challenged us the most would be women. These women feared nothing".

Well, it is that time of year between Samhain and Remembrance Day when my thoughts turn to mortality. Since many of my family have served in the military, I often like to remember the sacrifices that war demands from everyone. At this time I like to be reminded of those sacrifices by watching classic war films or documentaries.

Yes it was. All of these women were aged between seventeen and twenty six and became some of the highest decorated aviators in the Russian Army. Thirty two of them were shot down and never returned. After she retired in 1954, their Commandant searched out every one of her girls last resting places and marked them.

I think that he might be way ahead of most of us there .

Night Witches in the Sky.
The 1981 film that tells the true story of the all-women night bomber squadron 588 and their heroic fight against the invading German army. I'm not ashamed to say that it brought tears to my eyes.

Apparently not.

Perhaps you'd like to troll someone else's views and likes for a change?

It was Remembrance Day here in the UK and other Commonwealth countries on the Sunday just passed. It was always observed with a few moments is silence and reflection on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month to mark the Armistice of the first world war. That was apparently too inconvenient, so a few years ago it was moved to the first Sunday in November. God forbid that anyone should be inconvenienced by remembering the millions of soldiers and civilians that died in that and subsequent wars .
Many people risked heavy fines for "illegal gatherings" to pay their respects at local war monuments across the country.