Sweden's War on Free Speech

Sweden's War on Free Speech:

• Apparently, turning in fellow Swedes to the authorities for alleged "hate speech" is now viewed in Sweden as "heroic".
• "One can criticize fascism or Nazism, but why not Islam? Why should Islam have any protection status?" — Denny, a 71-year-old pensioner, on trial for "incitement to hatred".
• Instead of using its limited resources to protect its citizens against the violent onslaught against them, Sweden is waging a legal war on its pensioners for daring to speak out against the same violent onslaught from which the state is failing to protect them.

According to the Swedish mainstream media, the country has experienced a significant rise in prosecutions for "hate speech" on social media last year. 
The organization believed to be largely responsible for this rise is "Näthatsgranskaren" ("The Web Hate Investigator")...to identify and report to the authorities Swedish individuals whom he and his organization decide are committing thought crimes and "inciting hatred" against foreigners.
...Most of the people identified and reported by the organization were middle aged and elderly ladies. 
"The average age is around 55 years", said Åberg.."
Read all!

Andrew McCabe lied, was source of WSJ leak, DOJ says - Washington Times

Andrew McCabe lied, was source of WSJ leak, DOJ says - Washington Times:

"Rep. Trey Gowdy, Republican South Carolina and chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said the report justifies Mr. McCabe’s firing. He vowed that his committee will continue to investigate the FBI’s decisions on investigations related to the 2016 election.

“The second in command at our nation’s premiere law enforcement agency should be an epitome of fidelity, bravery and integrity,” he said."

No More Signing on the Dotted Line

No More Signing on the Dotted Line
"For many years cardholders were required to sign their name when they purchased something by credit or debit card. 
...Did you know that more than 80 percent of Mastercard in store transactions in North America today do not require a cardholder signature at checkout? 
That number could now reach 100 percent after April 2018, when we will no longer require signatures at checkout for any credit or debit purchases in Canada and the U.S.
Eliminating the need for signature is another step in the digital evolution of payments and payment security..."
Read on!

A HIGHER LOYALTY — TO THE POLLS? Comey: I Announced The Hillary Investigation Because Polls Showed…

Instapundit » Blog Archive » A HIGHER LOYALTY — TO THE POLLS? Comey: I Announced The Hillary Investigation Because Polls Showed…:
"A HIGHER LOYALTY — TO THE POLLS? 
Comey: I Announced The Hillary Investigation Because Polls Showed Her Ahead.

A lot of people did a lot of things because they thought Hillary had it in the bag. 
Their fear of consequences has a lot to do with the absurdly over-the-top reaction to Trump’s win."--- Glenn Reynolds

Lunch video-----Where Does the Federal Government Get All That Money?

Noon-toon

Gays Flee Muslim-Dominated Chechnya over Threats, Beatings, 'Exorcisms' | Breitbart

Gays Flee Muslim-Dominated Chechnya over Threats, Beatings, 'Exorcisms' | Breitbart:

"Homosexual Chechens are fleeing the region to escape hideous abuses at the hands of national security forces.
As Chechen officials deny the targeting of gay — and even merely suspected so — citizens, they continue to flee the area. In fact, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov does not see any problem at all. He maintains that there are simply no gay people in Chechnya in the first place."

The hate of the left unmasked!-----Chick-fil-A’s Creepy Infiltration of New York City | The New Yorker

Chick-fil-A’s Creepy Infiltration of New York City | The New Yorker
"Chick-fil-A’s corporate purpose begins with the words “to glorify God,” and that proselytism thrums below the surface of its new Fulton Street restaurant.
During a recent lunch hour, I was alone on the rooftop of the largest Chick-fil-A in the world.
The restaurant, on Fulton Street, is the company’s fourth in Manhattan, and it opened last month to the kind of slick, corporate-friendly fanfare that can only greet a new chain.
...New York has taken to Chick-fil-A.
One of the Manhattan locations estimates that it sells a sandwich every six seconds, and the company has announced plans to open as many as a dozen more storefronts in the city.
And yet the brand’s arrival here feels like an infiltration, in no small part because of its pervasive Christian traditionalism. 
Its headquarters, in Atlanta, is adorned with Bible verses and a statue of Jesus washing a disciple’s feet.
Its stores close on Sundays.
...When a location opened in a Queens mall, in 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed a boycott. 
No such controversy greeted the opening of this newest outpost.
Chick-fil-A’s success here is a marketing coup.
Its expansion raises questions about what we expect from our fast food, and to what extent a corporation can join a community..."
Read on!

Los Angeles painting city streets white in bid to combat climate change | Fox News

Los Angeles painting city streets white in bid to combat climate change | Fox News: 
"California officials are hoping their latest attempt to stem the rising tides of climate change leads to a more socially conscious -- and cooler -- summer.
Officials in Los Angeles have been painting streets white to reduce the effect of urban "heat islands" and combat the effects of climate change.
The LA Street Services began rolling out the project last May, which preliminary testing shows has reduced the temperature of roadways by up to 10 degrees. 
...While each coasting could can last up to seven years, they are also pricey, with the estimated cost of $40,000 per mile, the L.A. Daily News reported."
Read all!

#1 This day 1977-----David Soul - Don't Give Up On Us

College Illiteracy is Growing | Intellectual Takeout

College Illiteracy is Growing | Intellectual Takeout:
"For a number of years, it was assumed that public education was swimming along, efficiently educating children of all ages. 
More recently, the products coming out of public schools have caused a troubling concern to leap into the minds of adults: are schools dumbing down the content they teach to students?
...The study examined over a thousand higher education professors and administrators in several English-speaking countries such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, and predominantly the U.K.

Judging from the comments of these professors, the students they are seeing come through their classrooms are ill-prepared, unwilling to study, and in need of kid-glove treatment. 

Some of the choice comments from these professors include:

• “Each year, the entry requirements for undergraduate programmes are reduced, meaning we get a high number of students who are almost illiterate.”
• “We were told [by managers that] we are not allowed to ‘draw attention to’ those students who turn up to seminars having done no preparation whatsoever because it might deter them from attending future seminars (which they also wouldn’t have been prepared for)….”
• “Students study to pass exams, no longer to study a discipline.”
• “Few students will read the material on the reading list, [relying] instead solely on lecture handouts or PowerPoint slides….”

When asked if their students were well-prepared academically for university course work, almost half of professors disagreed:

Meanwhile, a majority of professors agreed that today’s students are “intellectually less able” to function in a university than they were in the past:..."
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You ought to know!

INSANITY: ‘Women’s March’ organizers irate over shutdown of ‘Backpage’ sex trafficking site – Glenn Beck

INSANITY: ‘Women’s March’ organizers irate over shutdown of ‘Backpage’ sex trafficking site – Glenn Beck:

"Federal agents led a sweeping campaign to finally shut down Backpage, an online prostitution empire, and feminists are outraged — in particular, the Women’s March.
You’d think an organization that claims to be interested in women’s rights would celebrate the recent lawsuit against Backpage, the online brothel, which has perpetuated the subjugation and oppression of countless sex workers and rewarded countless sex traffickers. But then again, they are being led by Linda Sarsour, whose vision of feminism allows female genital mutilation and mandated burkas."

Microsoft Co-Founder Rolls Out World's Biggest Plane - Wingspan Surpas | Frontline Videos | Raw, Uncut, Real Videos From The Frontlines

Microsoft Co-Founder Rolls Out World's Biggest Plane - Wingspan Surpas | Frontline Videos | Raw, Uncut, Real Videos From The Frontlines:
"STRATOLAUNCH.

...Recently Allen unveiled his biggest project yet, which just happens to be the biggest plane ever built, the Stratolaunch.
With a wingspan reaching 385 feet the Stratolaunch exceeds the Spruce Goose’s previous record by 65 feet. 
This massive twin-fuselage jet is designed for the purpose of carrying rockets which will launch satellites into space.
“Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll be actively conducting ground and flight line testing at the Mojave Air and Space Port. This is a first-of-its-kind aircraft, so we’re going to be diligent throughout testing and continue to prioritize the safety of our pilots, crew and staff. Stratolaunch is on track to perform its first launch demonstration as early as 2019.”

– Jean Floyd (Stratolaunch Cheif Executive)..."

Read all!

AM Fruitcake

History for April 14

History for April 14 - On-This-Day.com:
Anne Mansfield Sullivan 1866 - "The Miracle Worker", famous for teaching Helen Keller to read, write and speak, Arnold (Joseph) Toynbee 1889 - Historian, author, Frank Serpico 1934


Loretta Lynn 1935 - Country singer, first woman to earn the CMA's Entertainer of the Year award, Pete Rose (Peter Edward Rose) 1941 - Baseball player, Anthony Michael Hall 1968 - Actor (Movies:"Sixteen Candles", "The Breakfast Club", TV:"The Dead Zone")


1828 - The first edition of Noah Webster's dictionary was published under the name "American Dictionary of the English Language."


1860 - The first Pony Express rider arrived in San Francisco with mail originating in St. Joseph, MO.


1865 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth. He actually died early the next morning.


1902 - James Cash (J.C.) Penney opened his first retail store in Kemmerer, WY. It was called the Golden Rule Store.


1912 - The Atlantic passenger liner Titanic, on its maiden voyage hit an iceberg and began to sink. 1,517 people lost their lives and more than 700 survived.


1925 - WGN became the first radio station to broadcast a regular season major league baseball game. The Cubs beat the Pirates 8-2.


1939 - The John Steinbeck novel "The Grapes of Wrath" was first published.


1986 - U.S. President Reagan announced the U.S. air raid on military and terrorist related targets in Libya.

3 More California Cities Vote to Opt Out of State's Sanctuary Law | Fox News Insider

3 More California Cities Vote to Opt Out of State's Sanctuary Law | Fox News Insider:

"The Newport Beach city council voted unanimously earlier this week to challenge California's sanctuary law, joining a dozen other cities that are not interested in complying with the sanctuary policies.
It's the third city in the past two days to take such action, joining about a dozen others in recent weeks. "

The way we were-----Earth Angel - The Penguins

Boob-tube-----Inner Sanctum (1948) [Film Noir] [Mystery]

Detroit People Mover workers tripled salaries with overtime

Detroit People Mover workers tripled salaries with overtime:

"The highest-paid employee of the Detroit People Mover last year was a maintenance worker who earned $174,602 — more than triple base salary — thanks to substantial overtime, according to records obtained by a conservative newsletter.

Michigan Capitol Confidential, the news site of the conservative Mackinac Center for Public Policy think tank, received the salary information through a public records request filed with the Detroit Public Transportation Corp., the agency that runs the People Mover...

Here's what the newsletter found:

• The highest-earning employee, an "electronic technician II,"  made $174,602 — $117,382 more than the employee's base salary of $57,220. 
• Three of the four maintenance shift supervisors took home six figures while having an annual base salary of $61,131: one made $105,456; another, $135,395; the third, $161,368.
• Four people with the title "mechanical technician" also made significantly more than their base salary of $46,404, with two earning six-figure amounts — $111,182 and the other $105,109 — and two just shy of 100,000, making $94,322 and $95,184.
• Two "system control operators" earned $102,729 and $100,962, while having base salaries of $53,144.

By comparison, the People Mover's general manager made $119,565.

...Alexander said that the agency did not overspend its budget but did spend 16 times more than it earned in revenue from user fares. 

...The People Mover costs $25.4 million to operate, according to National Transit Database.

• Chart: Where Home Buyers Need Deep Pockets | Statista

• Chart: Where Home Buyers Need Deep Pockets | Statista
"For many young people across the United States, the prospect of home ownership is becoming an increasingly distant dream. 
A recent Unison report found that it's more costly than ever to purchase a new home with coastal cities worst affected. 
...It found that prospective buyers would need highest salary in New York where an average home would require a salary of $418,000 today, the least affordable city nationwide. 
...It isn't all negative, however, and it will certainly come as a relief to know that some cities are bucking the trend of high property prices. 
Chicago is a good example with the salary required to purchase a home there just $64,948. 
...At the very opposite end of the scale, Detroit is one of the cheapest major U.S. cities for home-buyers. 
Someone searching for a house or an apartment there would only need a salary of $8,328.
Read all.

Jerry Brown, Andrew Cuomo use pardons to circumvent immigration laws, prevent deportations - Washington Times

Jerry Brown, Andrew Cuomo use pardons to circumvent immigration laws, prevent deportations - Washington Times:

"Dan Cadman, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, said veteran cases are tricky, and leniency might be appropriate in some instances, but an honorable discharge shouldn’t be the only bar to cross.
“I have a lot of unanswered questions in this particular case,” he said.
In general, he said, granting pardons to help people escape immigration consequences “seems to me an egregious misuse of the pardon authority.”"

Report: Many state pension systems have huge funding gaps

Report: Many state pension systems have huge funding gaps
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (AP) — A public employee pension crisis for state governments has deepened to a record level even after nearly nine years of economic recovery for the nation, according to a study released Thursday, leaving many states vulnerable if the economy hits a downturn.
The massive unfunded pension liabilities are becoming a real problem not just for public-sector retirees and workers concerned about their future but also for everyone else.
As states try to prop up their pension funds, it means less money is available for core government services such as education, public safety and parks.
The annual report from the Pew Charitable Trusts finds that public worker pension funds with heavy state government involvement owed retirees and current workers $4 trillion as of 2016.
They had about $2.6 trillion in assets, creating a gap of about one-third, or a record $1.4 trillion.
While the study looks only at pension funds with major state-government involvement, systems run by cities, counties, school districts and other local entities have had similar problems..."
Read all!

For Each Gallon Of Water Michigan’s People Use, 288 Gallons Fall From The Sky [Michigan Capitol Confidential]

For Each Gallon Of Water Michigan’s People Use, 288 Gallons Fall From The Sky [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"For every gallon of water consumed by Michigan’s residents and businesses, 288 gallons fall upon the state as rain, in an average year.
Since almost all of Michigan lies within the Great Lakes watershed, much of that rainfall makes its way into the lakes.
From there it will eventually flow down the St. Lawrence River and into the Atlantic Ocean, or else evaporate into the atmosphere, to be replenished by new rainfalls.
According to the state, in 2015 about 187.7 billion gallons of water was used by Michigan’s people in their homes, farms, factories, businesses and electric power plants.
That seems like a tremendous amount of water, but it appears much less so when compared to the amount of precipitation that falls on Michigan in an average year: 54.2 trillion gallons.
Here’s how those numbers look together:
     187,700,000,000
54,200,000,000,000
...Nestle is now permitted to use up to 73 million gallons a year at its facility in Evart Township in Osceola County.
The township gets an average 32.73 inches of annual rainfall, which drops a total of 20.5 billion gallons of water upon it in a typical year."

Lunch video-----Why Do People In Old Movies Talk Weird?