Brexit Day

"LONDON (AP) — Britain’s long and sometimes acrimonious divorce from the European Union ended Thursday with an economic split that leaves the EU smaller and the U.K. freer but more isolated in a turbulent world. 

Britain left the European bloc’s vast single market for people, goods, and services at 11 p.m. London time, midnight in Brussels, completing the biggest single economic change the country has experienced since World War II. A different U.K.-EU trade deal will bring new restrictions and red tape, but for British Brexit supporters, it means reclaiming national independence from the EU and its web of rules."

Civic Duty - Voting ✓

Today the nation in the European Union named the Kingdom of Sweden is having elections for the national, regional and local parliaments.

I have, of course, performed my duty to democracy, myself, my friends and family, my compatriots, my nation and for all future generations by casting my vote on one of the democratic parties running for election. I will keep my votes to myself, as is my democratic right, however, I will reveal one of the parties I did not vote for in any of the elections.

I did not vote for The Sweden Democrats, because it is a populist, anti-intellectual, xenophobic, Islamophobic party, infested by Nazi ghouls from the past and Neo-Nazis from the present.

Their solution to every political problem they encounter is simple and easy and speaks to the lowest and most vile common denominator within the Swedish population and is not based on factual evidence at all but on thoughts, feelings, and beliefs based on prejudice.

Areas of politics and the Sweden Democrats solution

Healthcare:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Housing Shortage:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Terrorism:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Finances:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Taxes:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Immigration:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Education:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Defense:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Daycare:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Etc, etc, ad infinitum!

On the Brink of A Global Trade War

Mr. Donald J. Trump, Esq.
president of the U.S.A.

The president of the United States of America, Donald J Trump, this morning announced that the European Union (amongst them the Kingdom of Southern Charm), Canada and Mexico would no longer be exempt from tariffs on imported steel (25%) and aluminum (10%).

The European Union, Canada and Mexico have retaliated with raising duties on imported American products. We are now at the brink of a trade war that can potentially have massive effects on the world's economy and could - if it continues to escalate - lead to a global financial crisis. 

Similar protectionist measures led to The Great Depression in the 1930's.

The Much Honored Bock McMillan,
laird of Southern Charm

The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls, Sovereign Ruler of the Commonwealth of the Southern Enchantment Region and Outer Territories and finally UN appointed Protector of the Mount Whitney sim in SecondLife, in an attempt to calm the worried princes and princesses of the nation, announced that he was working tirelessly with other world leaders to prevent the crisis from deteriorating further.

Brexit Negotiations Start

Article 50 negotiations just started. #Brexit pic.twitter.com/xxbt5ayrqz

— European Commission (@EU_Commission) June 19, 2017

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This should take awhile, I'm guessing.

I am also a bit confounded by the Britons talking about a "hard-Brexit" or a "soft-Brexit".

What do they expect? I should think it would be naive to believe that these divorce proceedings will let them off the hook easily. The European Union has no interest whatsoever to set an easy example for other countries to follow should they make the same choice.

Net Neutrality Wins In Europe!

The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC)—which consists of EU national regulators - has published guidelines to ensure the regulators apply the rules consistently across the bloc on August 30, 2016.

Telecom operators in the European Union will have to treat almost all web traffic equally under net neutrality rules that took effect in April, according to the new guidelines.

The move dealt a blow to telecoms...

SaveTheInternet.eu/en/ comments:

"This summer, hundreds of thousands of Internet users banded together to keep the Internet open and free. Together, we sent a loud, clear message to BEREC, the Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications: protect net neutrality.

And it worked! BEREC’s final guidelines, which were published on 30 August 2016, offer some of the strongest net neutrality protections we could wish for. So long as these new rules are properly enforced by national telecom regulators, they represent a resounding victory for net neutrality. 

The public has made clear that will not leave the future of its digital public space to big telecom lobbyists, but wants to decide for itself. To that end, civil society has to stay watchful and observe that telecom operators don’t violate the new principles. 

The consultation came as the final step of a legislative process that was launched in September 2013. During the ensuing three years, the SaveTheInternet.eu coalition campaigned successfully for the Regulation on which the consultation is based."

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EurActiv.com shares this analysis of the new regulation.

"Large telecoms companies signalled their disappointment over the regulators’ move to rule out many so-called zero rating services that are offered for free with data packages, such as unlimited access to Facebook.

National regulators will approve those services on a case-by-case basis. Under the new guidelines, the watchdogs said they will block zero rating if it interferes with freedom of expression or internet user rights. 

Telecoms operators won’t be allowed to offer zero rated services for free if a customer has already used up their data allowance.

The European Telecommunications Network Operators’ Association (ETNO), which represents major firms including Deutsche Telekom and Orange, said in a statement that “most of the concerns outlined and described by industry experts have not been taken into account”.

Under the rules, telecoms firms will only be allowed to slow down internet traffic to fix bad quality, not to tamper with speed for commercial gain. 

The watchdogs can force companies to stop if they’re found violating the rules, or can issue fines."

#ProudofEdgars

I proudly announce I'am gay... Good luck all of you...
— Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) November 6, 2014

(via J.M.G.)

"Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs announced Thursday that he was gay, breaking a barrier in Eastern Europe’s socially conservative political arena. The declaration, made via a cheerful Twitter posting, immediately gave gay rights advocates a prominent voice in post-Soviet Eastern Europe. The region — where openly gay public figures are a rarity — has significantly lagged behind the United States and Western Europe in its acceptance of same-sex relationships. The announcement came less than two months before Latvia assumes the European Union’s rotating presidency on Jan. 1, giving Rinkevics an even higher-profile platform from which to push for more tolerance for same-sex relationships."

Swedish Snus Is Saved!

Snus, is a moist powder tobacco product originating from a variant of dry snuff in the early 19th century in Sweden. It is consumed by placing it under the upper lip for extended periods of time. The precursor of snus, the dry form of snuff inhaled through the nose, was introduced in Europe much earlier. Snus is not fermented and contains no added sugar. Although used in a manner similar to American dipping tobacco, snus does not typically result in the need for spitting and is different from naswar in that snus is steam-pasteurized. (Wikipedia)

Snus is widely consumed in Sweden by a large portion of the Swedish male population and some of the women too. It is considered a healthier way to consume nicotine and has the added benefit of not provoking spiteful comments or hateful glances like the ones smokers get for "polluting the environment".

Snus' sale is illegal in Turkmenistan and the European Union, but due to special exemptions, it is still manufactured and consumed primarily in Sweden and Norway.

The Swedish snus recently came under threat as the EU Commission in its proposed tobacco direktive wanted to regulate the flavors that could be used in snus. It was also suggesting a prohibition to add sodium carbonate, E 500, which is used in all Swedish snus to facilitate nicotine absorption. This prohibition would, according to the manufacturer Swedish Match, ultimately mean "the end of Swedish snus".

Todays meeting of the responsible EU ministers has in Swedish press been described as "a fateful day" for Swedish snus. However, the EU ministers today took Sweden's side, thereby leaving it up to Sweden to continue to determine the flavor and content of Swedish snus.

"I feel very happy", said Minister for Children and the Elderly Maria Larsson, to the waiting journalists on location in Luxembourg. "The joy is for the fact that the tobacco directive has been approved, but in particular the Swedish "victory" on snus. We actually saved the snuff to be free to decide on content, product marketing, ingredients, distinctive flavors and also sodium carbonate and the pouches can maintain their moisture."
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How's that for some first life drama?

IDAHO Day 2013 (Updated)

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (url).

In almost 80 countries around the world, loving someone of the same sex is still considered illegal, at times involving lifetime imprisonment and, in nine countries, it is even punishable by death!

And in many more countries still, citizens are denied their right to live according to their preferred gender identity.

As well as legal discrimination's  social homophobia and transphobia serve to daily deny millions of people across the world their basic human dignity.

The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) was created in 2004 to draw the attention of policymakers, opinion leaders, social movements, the public and the media to this issue.

It is not one centralized campaign; rather it is a moment that everyone can take advantage of to take action.

The date of May 17th was specifically chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

Today is the day to take action in your local area, talk about it or simply mention it, just spread the word!

Update 1
The European Union´s Agency for Fundamental Rights today presented a report of a survey among 93 000 gay inhabitants in the EU and Croatia (read the summary here)

The lowest rate of discrimination occurs in the Netherlands followed by Denmark and Luxembourg, while the highest rate of discrimination occurs is in Lithuania followed by Croatia and Poland.

Update 2
Read my friend Garth Raleigh's suggestion in the comments below about how to take part in the manifestation in SecondLife today!

Tier

This is a comment to the present discussion in the Swedish SecondLife blogs concerning tier.

My tier for Southern Charm at the moment is L$ 5,55 per prim for four weeks (including the VAT-tax enforced by the European Union on all EU-citizens who rent directly from Linden Lab).

Without the European Union penalty tax for renting directly from the Lab my cost would be L$ 4,44 per prim and four weeks. To the best of my knowledge no one who rents from anyone other than Linden Lab ever gets hit by this deeply unfair tax.

(The interpretation of the reasons for the tax given above is mine, I am sure the bureaucrats in Brussels would describe the reasons differently.)