“Tourism ministry spokesman Jeff Costen denied any funding was specifically for the inflatable duck, arguing the funding is more of an investment, with every dollar estimated to trigger about $20 in visitor spending,” the Brockville Recorder writes.
From The Economist’s leading article:
No party passes with flying colours. But the closest is the Liberal Democrats. Brexit is the main task of the next government and they want membership of the single market and free movement. (Their second referendum would probably come to nothing, as most voters are reconciled to leaving the EU.) They are more honest than the Tories about the need to raise taxes for public services; and more sensible than Labour, spreading the burden rather than leaning only on high-earners. Unlike Labour they would reverse the Tories’ most regressive welfare cuts. They are on the right side of other issues: for devolution of power from London, reform of the voting system and the House of Lords, and regulation of markets for drugs and sex.
| Left Party | Far Left | 6.3% |
| Social Democrats | Left of Centre | 31.1% |
| Green Party | Left of Centre | 4.5% |
| Centre Party | Centrist | 11.3% |
| Liberal Party | Centrist | 5% |
| Moderate Party | Right of Centre | 18.1% |
| Christian Democrats | Right of Centre | 3.2% |
| Sweden Democrats | Far Right | 18.4% |
Julian Borger of the Guardian writes:
Trump’s initial criticism of Khan on Sunday was based on a misunderstanding of what the mayor had said. Early on Sunday morning, Khan made a statement expressing grief and vowing that the terrorists “would not win”. Khan then added: “Londoners will see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days. There’s no reason to be alarmed.”
A few hours later, Trump seemed to interpret that as suggesting Londoners should not be alarmed by terrorism.
“At least seven dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and mayor of London says there is “no reason to be alarmed!” Trump tweeted.
The London mayor’s office initially responded by saying Khan had “more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump’s ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks”.
Hours later, Trump retorted: “Pathetic excuse by London mayor Sadiq Khan, who had to think fast on his ‘no reason to be alarmed’ statement. [Mainstream media] is working hard to sell it!”
The President of the United States has nothing better to do than trolling the Mayor of London on Twitter?
The study looked at Swedish participation in “recurring rituals and holidays”, and showed that 31 per cent of Swedes celebrated National Day in 2016—up more than 6 per cent since 2011, The Local reports. That means National Day celebrations increased more than any other Swedish holiday in the past six years.
I’ve never really felt that nationalism that others seem to enjoy. I love Sweden, but that has nothing to do with waving flags—and it most certainly has nothing to do with the exclusion of the other that is fundamental to nationalism.
“Despite a historically relaxed view of homosexuality, China seems reluctant to embrace gay rights,” The Economist reports.
But attitudes are changing fast!
“Lund in southern Sweden was once again ranked as Sweden’s top university by the 2017-18 QS World University Rankings, placing 78th in the world,” The Local reports. “Lund’s standard of research is rated as ‘very high’ by QS, while its strongest performing subject is geography, where it ranks 26th in the world.”
Britain’s 2017 election results:
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Conservative | 318 |
| Labour | 261 |
| Scottish National Party | 35 |
| Liberal Democrat | 12 |
| Democratic Unionist Party | 10 |
| Sinn Féin | 7 |
| Plaid Cymru | 4 |
| Green | 1 |
| Independent | 1 |
The Swedish Moderate Party has a new member in Ann Heberlein, a well-known Doctor of Theology and ethics scholar at Lund University. In an article published at Ledarsidorna on 5 November 2016, Heberlein advocates assimilation. I’m worried that her opinion on minorities will turn one of Sweden’s largest parties into a base for hostilities towards Jews and Muslims. I therefore think it’s worth reminding everyone of what the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities says about assimilation (5.2):
Without prejudice to measures taken in pursuance of their general integration policy, the Parties shall refrain from policies or practices aimed at assimilation of persons belonging to national minorities against their will and shall protect these persons from any action aimed at such assimilation.
“Parties” in this case means the states the have signed the convention. Sweden is one of these states.
Let us drink and be merry, dance, joke, and rejoice,
With claret and sherry, theorbo and voice!
The changeable world to our joy is unjust,
All treasure’s uncertain,
Then down with your dust!
In frolics dispose your pounds, shillings, and pence,
For we shall be nothing a hundred years hence.
[…]
Then why should we turmoil in cares and in fears,
Turn all our tranquill’ty to sighs and to tears?
Let’s eat, drink, and play till the worms do corrupt us,
’Tis certain, Post mortem
Nulla voluptas.
For health, wealth and beauty, wit, learning and sense,
Must all come to nothing a hundred years hence.
— Thomas Jordan (1612–1685)
I’ve spent the past couple of days migrating this website to a new server. It’s finally done.
Tomorrow, it’s Midsummer Eve, which is probably the biggest day in Sweden’s cultural calendar. I won’t dance around the maypole, but I will eat traditionally pickled herring.
Puck
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended:
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream.
User data from one of America’s leading pornographic websites offers the conclusion that gay Americans don’t want what the pornographers produce, Brian Moylan of Vice reports. Another interesting fact is that of those viewing the website’s gay content about 37 per cent are women.
The organisers may think they are progressive, but this is nothing but ancient racism. There are no excuses for this anti-Semitic behaviour—certainly not the mumbo-jumbo about being “pro-Palestinian”. Shame on Chicago Pride!
To me, it’s becoming ever more obvious that America is the new centre of modern Judaism. That’s where Judaism evolves today. And with its latest betrayal, the Israeli government seems determined to turn its back on the vast number of liberal Jews to please a minority of Haredim. The decision to stop the planned construction of an egalitarian section at the Western Wall is not only an insult to Diaspora Jewry but also a sign of stunning stupidity.
The European Commission says Google will have to devise a solution for its sites so that search results for its own comparison-shopping service and those of rival ones are treated equally, The Economist reports.
Some on the Internet finds Kate Bennett’s scrutinisation of Obama’s “denim-wear” silly, but personally, I kind of like the making-bigwigs-look-average approach.
Las Vegas dispensaries brace for Saturday start of recreational sales, Chris Kudialis of Las Vegas Sun reports.
“The German parliament, or Bundestag, on Friday passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriages in a snap vote that made it onto the agenda before the summer break after a surprise shift by Chancellor Angela Merkel,” Timothy Jones of Deutsche Welle writes. “The bill passed by 393 to 226, with four abstentions. Merkel herself voted against the bill, although her comments helped bring it about.”
Yay!
“This ultra-Orthodox coalescing of religious authority is destructive to all streams of Judaism and would lead to a rift that could not be easily repaired,” says Rabbi Rick Jacobs, head of the American Union for Reform Judaism, according to the Times of Israel.
It’s Friday night, שבת שלום.