Snugness...*

Danes don’t have a pessimistic disposition, merely realistic expectations. Excellent contemporary urban design, a strong architectural heritage, cutting-edge Nordic cuisine, low crime, and a social welfare safety net as givens, perhaps having normal expectations does make you happy!

A modern welfare state, with low income inequality and well-funded social services which allows us to take bigger risks with what we want to do with our lives.

Low expectations: we wake up expecting clouds and rain and then the sun shines! This lack of entitlement in terms of having a good career, satisfying social life, and so forth means we are rarely disappointed and, often, pleasantly surprised.

Denmark is known for rainy days, but we are not afraid of the weather, and love to be outside year-long.  “there’s no bad weather, only bad clothes.”  Danes sitting outside at restaurants with a lap blanket, leaving a baby warmly tucked into their stroller outside a cafe, and biking through wind, rain, and snow.

With more hours of darkness in winter,‘coziness’ or ‘snugness’  holds a special place in the hearts of Danes. In fact 50% of Copenhagen’s urban commuters travel by bike.

Denmark is the happiest place on earth. Think about it.

Waste...

A federal appeals court has denied white supremacist Dylann Roof's request to replace his Jewish and Indian lawyers who are appealing his death sentence for a racist massacre in South Carolina a day after he filed it.  The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a one-page, 11-word denial.

Roof's handwritten appeal filed earlier. He wrote: "It will be impossible for me to trust two attorneys that are my political and biological enemies."

Roof was sentenced to death in January after being convicted of hate crimes in the killings of nine black worshippers at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church in June 2015.  In denying Roof's requests, the judges wrote: "The court denies the motion for substitution of counsel on appeal."

Roof, an avowed white supremacist, gunned down nine people during a Bible study, a study he sat through for 40 minutes before opening fire. Despite the bloodshed, the Church has continued using the room for Wednesday study -- even the week after.  

Resettlment...

An 18-year old man who has been arrested as surveillance footage shows him leaving the foster house just 90 minutes before and carrying the bomb used in the attack.

The home is owned by an elderly couple, Penelope and Ronald Jones, who were honored by the Queen for serving as foster parents for young men, including some from Iraq and Syria.

“He was a lovely young man,” Tabitha Jenkins said. “You wouldn’t suspect anything from him. He was polite, courteous to the old couple. They wouldn’t know anything about him.”

A second man, 21, was arrested nearby, a displaced Syrian who lived in London, though his family is spread throughout Europe and Egypt as they await resettlement.

Officials say the forensic evidence raises new questions about the attack, such as whether the bucket bomb used in the attack was a type of explosive designed to release deadly chemicals.
The absence of any metal that could turn into shrapnel suggests to bomb experts that the goal instead was to achieve a release of deadly chemicals.
Where did these young people learn to hate those who supported their lives? 

Over See..

The Senate passed a roughly $700 billion National Defense Authorization Act.  The final vote was 89 to eight. It required a simple majority to pass the Senate.

The 2018 bill also authorizes just over $141 billion for military personnel costs, including costs of pay, bonuses, benefits and moving expenses. It provides a 2.1 percent increase in pay for troops.

The legislation includes money to increase troop numbers above the White House's request, adding thousands of new members to the Army and Marine Corps as well as boosting reserve totals.

The final Senate version includes a base budget of $640 billion and another $60 billion for the so-called Overseas Contingency Operations war funding, which includes money for the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations.

 Does this make US more aggressive against poor countries in the Middle East?

Hut Tub...

A complaint filed with the  (EEOC) calls Florian Jaeger a "manipulative sexual predator." It also accuses university officials of retaliating against faculty who complained about his conduct. A university investigation cleared him of wrongdoing.

The probe into the university's investigation and overall handling of the case will be led by former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White.

According to EEOC complaint filed, Jaeger hosted hot tub parties, used illegal drugs with students and sent one unwanted pictures of his genitals.

"At least eleven female students and post-docs at University of Rochester actively avoided working with Jaeger because of his constant sexual innuendos, pressure to sleep with students, power plays and other unprofessional behavior, which created a taxing, strange and unequal environment in which to pursue their education," the complaint said.   

Speech...

Russia...

The Media's dream wish.

Revolving...

The immigration policies, the wall, the loud talk of some, and the revolving doors, are the issues preventing a decent resolution of illegals in this country. Just a thought.

Weather...

Climate change may be real... May be. Just a thought.

Ops...

Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered a lashing message to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo  from a camera-packed subway car in Brooklyn: You fix this. And don’t ask the city for any more money

The blunt words, delivered by a sweaty mayor in a train that ran smoothly for the four stops he traveled, was the most public attempt yet by Mr. de Blasio to show that he understands the problems faced by New Yorkers coping with a transit system plagued with delays.

The chairman of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Joseph J. Lhota, countered soon after. “What we need is leadership, not photo ops,” Mr. Lhota said in a statement. “The mayor’s comments today were completely disingenuous, knowing that the M.T.A. is set to present its 30-day overhaul plan this week.”