Finland has recently begun a two-year trial providing basic income for the unemployed. The concept of a universal basic income, which aims to supply a monthly stipend regardless of employment, has gained currency in recent years. Finland, however, is the first country in Europe to put the idea into practice. Under the new provisions, 2,000 unemployed citizens, selected at random, will receive €560 (£460) per month. The amount will be deducted from the recipient’s other benefits. There are no restrictions on how the money is to be spent and the salary will continue if recipients find work.
The move was made by prime minister Juha Sipla’s centre-right government to reduce unemployment. Under Finland’s current system of benefits, recipients can reject poorly paid or short-term work. The government agency KELA has suggested this is more likely to happen when people fear their benefits will be reduced after returning to employment. The government hopes that a basic income will ultimately reduce poverty by tackling the ‘disincentive problem.’ The monthly allowance is considerably less than the country’s average private sector wage of €3,500. However, expectations remain high that the scheme will reduce bureaucracy while also helping recipients back into work.
This from one of your last posts last night, Den:
Trump was in on it with his pal Putin. They thought if they could make Ole Hill look bad enough he would be shoe in for POTUS.
THAT is what they did while the pundits keep talking about the Russians tampering with the actual votes. I never thought for one minute that they did that, or even could do that, it was their adding to the propaganda that has plagued Hillary all her life. THAT is how they swung the election.
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Oh, how we humans love to believe what we want to believe when the information, reliable or not, comes from “our side.”
Remember when WikiLeaks was the darling of the Democrats and liberals? When Julian Assange was leaking information that the Dems saw as favorable to them? — i.e. Wikileaks was then viewed as bringing much-needed transparency to the issue du jour. The Republicans were apoplectic! Now, the tables are turned.
I’m not suggesting that Putin didn’t (or wouldn’t) try to influence a U.S. presidential election. But, the “evidence” that WaPo and other media are “reporting” as “fact” is unconvincing IMO. The United States has a long record of influencing elections in countries all around the world! (U.S. even uses military force to oust duly-elected leaders to bolster U.S. interests, for gawdsakes — It’s called partisan opportunism!)
It is possible that the Russian govt is behind the hacks. The United States and Russia (and many other nations) have interfered in other countries’ internal affairs on a regular basis. Here we go again…anonymous sources are used to launder/support the administration’s claims through willing newspapers and other stenographic media. Be skeptical! I’m all for that. But, where’s the skepticism being applied by the Dems/liberals to the very agencies that have repeatedly and routinely deceived and misled the American public — the CIA and other intelligence agencies. (Even when they’re not overtly lying, they are often just plain WRONG in their bumbling assessments!)
I believe most of this breast-beating about hacking the election to ensure Trump’s win, is to escalate tensions between two nuclear powers to keep the world on edge, to the powers-that-be advantage. Journalists should be doing all possible to rein this nonsense in, instead of feeding it! Opportunism reigns, as usual…. unfortunately.
P.S. Hillary played a leading role in making herself look bad. That “basket of deplorables” comment pissed off a lot of people. Politicians can spew barbed comments at their opponents, but a good politician does not refer to voters as “deplorables.” (Yes, yes…I know…Trump lobbed really nasty comments, too…just goes to show that a contented country does not produce candidates like we had.)
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Breathtaking
My favorite takeaway from the Mickster’s post is ‘be skeptical’.
Kind of the ‘question authority’ of our times.
Further believe that the lesson is not to automatically choose sides, but to think cogently through every issue.
It’s a lot of work, someday I hope to achieve my own goals 🙂
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Think?
Think cogently??
Wa that?
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http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cogently
Sorry to raise your hackles, Doc, but since my frontal lobotomy I have had my struggles relearning proper sentence construction :;
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It was supposed to be a slightly sick joke.
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I know that 🙂
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Remember that, “never trust any one over 30?” Haha! With an aging population, no wonder no one trusts anyone any more. 😉
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The movie was Wild in the Streets. Was 12 when I saw it.
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I prefer irrational assessment, it is more comforting.
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Still very cold, but still no snow. Hope that continues since I have to drive about 50 miles a day now to see Bob.
Jill is having fun in the sun in Mexico, snorkeling and who-knows-what. Quincy probably hates being home alone for 5 hours, but LOVES when I come home. Never saw him so happy to see me, he jumps a mile in the air and dashes here and there, very excited.
A sparrow hit the bay window a little while ago and apparently lived.
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Snowing and supposed to rain tomorrow as most of the students return.
On another topic, all the senators chickened out yesterday.
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3 cm already and still snowing hard.
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Daughter in Portland reports SNOW, too! Hope it stays down there! I don’t mind the cold, but snow?? Only for skiing. Stay in the mountains, please!
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No snow in forecast for Bellingham.
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The forecast here is rain, monsoonal.
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I feel a certain kinship here:
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Where do you get these hilarious things? LOL!
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I steal the hell out of Den’s gif’s.
He gave me the website, but it’s a rabbit hole where once entered you may never see light again 🙂
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giphy.com
Select the one you like, right click, View Image, then copy the address bar(should be a .gif at the end of the address) and paste.
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There are gifs on FB all the time but I don’t know how to put one there. Would your advice above work on FB?
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In Praise of Women Who Read
One morning a husband returns to the cabin after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap, leaving his fishing gear in the boat. Not familiar with the lake, his wife takes the boat out, since it is such a beautiful day.
She motors out a short distance, anchors, and reads her book.
A Game Warden pulls his boat alongside… “Good morning, Ma’am, what are you doing?”
“Reading my book.”
“You’re in a Restricted Fishing Area,” he informs her.
“Oh… but I’m not fishing, I’m reading.”
“Yes, but you have all the equipment. I’ll have to write you up a ticket. ”
“For reading a book?”
“You’re in a Restricted Fishing Area,” he informs her again.
“But officer, I’m not fishing, I’m reading.”
“Yes, but with all that equipment, for all I know you could start fishing at any moment.”
“If you do that, I’ll have to charge you with sexual assault,” she responds
“But I haven’t even touched you,” says the Game Warden.
“That’s true, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment.”
“Have a nice day ma’am,” immediately departing.
MORAL: Never argue with a woman who reads. It’s likely she can also think.
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🙂
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🙂
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🙂
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I’m sure glad you chaps were all “equipped” with the same response. 😉
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Still snowing and 20 °F out.
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Professional rider, closed course, OOPS!
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I finally dusted the computer room. I’m getting so lazy, it’s been months since I bothered. It looks normal now, like I used to keep it. Now I have to keep it up.
Of course that prompted dealing with stuff I put here and there to deal with, dealt with most of it.
I even plugged in the music hard drive Pete gave me for Christmas at least 3 years ago. I used to borrow it all the time. He finally put it all on his computer so he gave me the external. He got it from his DJ boss, it has Tunes By T‘s entire music collection on it. I bet T has way more music by now though. I now have access to almost every record put out from the 40s on. Just have to find the time to comb thru it again. I used it for the videos I make and I haven’t touched my videos in a year now. 😦 I hate how I’m slowing down.
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Don’t seem slow to me…
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Den will appreciate this:
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/videos/chilean-officials-say-ufo-spotted-by-its-navy-cannot-be-identified-22439
??
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Stunned!
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