Links - 6th March 2018 (2)

Bangkok Literally Sinking in Sex as Brothels Steal Groundwater - "these brothels resort to groundwater because of their massive water needs, which would rack up enormous utility bills."

Men With Facial Hair Tend To Value Traditional Gender Roles - "women are, at best, ambivalent about facial hair. Some studies find men with facial hair are rated more attractive than men without, while other studies find the opposite pattern or no overall difference. It is most widely believed that facial hair evolved to signal dominance between males, like a silverback gorilla’s coat. Research across cultures, from the hills of Papua New Guinea to the streets of New York, confirms that a beard makes a man appear older, more masculine, stronger and more aggressive."

The Right on Twitter: "When a white person commits a terrorist attack vs when a Muslim commits a terrorist attack... - "If you are white and not speaking out against this, you part of the problem. It is your obligation to stand against this. #Charlottesville" - 12th August 2017
"We must destroy white supremacy in all forms. These cowards are a cancer and a curse on our country. #Charlottesville" - 12th August 2017
"Disgusted at Trump supporters exploiting the violence in Lower Manhattan by turning it into propaganda against Muslim Americans and Islam." - 31st October 2017
"These people don’t give a single damn about New Yorkers. They’re bloodsucking leeches looking to exploit a tragedy to justify their racism." - 31st October 2017

NY Police: Man Threw 'Burning' Liquid In 13-Year-Old Girl's Face: 'This Is For You, White B****' - "a black man in Queens, New York threw an unknown "burning" substance into the face of a 13-year-old white girl as he yelled, "This is for you, white b****!""
Saying white people are evil doesn't have any consequences

Trump reveals New York suspect brought in 23 relatives
Immigration reform is racist

Terror Tunnel: The Media's Selective Omission - "a terror tunnel leading from Gaza under the border into Israel was destroyed by the IDF. As a result seven Palestinians – Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists – were killed and another twelve wounded...
'Israel was at pains to point out that its action against the tunnel was carried out on its own side of the border'...
Israel is regularly and falsely portrayed as an aggressor, particularly when responding to Gazan terrorist threats. In this case, Israel did not mount any actions within Gazan territory... The Washington Post, BBC and The Guardian all fail to mention that the tunnel had been destroyed from the Israeli side of the border. Instead, references to the 2014 Gaza conflict, which took place, in the main, within the Gaza Strip itself, do nothing to dispel the impression that that the IDF has once again taken action against Palestinian territory... Ultimately, this incident clearly shows that Palestinian terrorists are still working towards carrying out acts of violence and terror against Israelis"
And people complain about concrete being blocked from entering Gaza

Sauna Bathing and Mortality - " Increased frequency of sauna bathing is associated with a reduced risk of SCD, CHD, CVD, and all-cause mortality

New Data Reveals Fat Women Don’t Like Fat Men And They Demand You Be OK With It - "Plus size women online want you to know how rough they have it. Whether it’s finding someone who will embrace their “fat pride” or even just the struggles of being queer and fat. It would seem the internet is full of these body positive keyboard warriors. Their latest struggle? Overcoming the “stigma” fat women apparently face when they refuse to settle for overweight men. With modern feminist logic dictating that even the largest ladies should still be able to score themselves a true hottie of a man. In fact there is an increasing amount of real scientific data to prove the concept that women are far pickier and more unrealistic in terms of rating the physical attractiveness of potential partners... females online continue to rage over every example of a fit male not wanting to be a chubby chaser"

Why Bureaucrats Don't Seem to Care - "the routine of everyday work at the front lines of public service is not quite what it seems from the outside. It is neither as simple, repetitive, nor rule-governed as one might believe. If frontline work is soul-sucking, it is less because bureaucrats must mechanically apply rules than because they must shoulder, day in and day out, the weight of difficult discretionary decisions which most people have the luxury to ignore... Bureaucrats end up appearing indifferent not because they are uncaring, but as an adaptive response to the fact that they do, or at least at some point did, care."

Was the fall of Rome a biological phenomenon? - "The most devastating enemy the Romans ever faced was Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes bubonic plague and that has been the agent of three historic pandemics, including the medieval Black Death. The first pandemic interrupted a remarkable renaissance of Roman power under the energetic leadership of the emperor Justinian"
But for most people, the Byzantines weren't Roman

The head of MI5 has lost the plot. Britain is safer than ever in its history | Simon Jenkins
Comments: "Yes Simon - you definitely know more about the current threat level than the head of The Security Service."
"He's had enough of experts."
"It's funny how the same liberals being vocal about the 'epidemic' of hate crime 'attacks' (often just nasty words) and the 'rise' of the 'far right', are out of the other side of their mouths playing down this low grade insurgency we have going on by religious fanatics. if it was the far right blowing up kids outside of pop concerts I wonder if the rhetoric would be as moderate?"
"It is entirely possible for there to be the highest risk of a terror attack in years, whilst also having less overall killings than during the IRA years because of a combination of factors (e.g. the amount of attacks being thwarted, proximity to the enemy, etc). It is also utterly vacuous to pretend that this is somehow fear-mongering regarding Islam. It is a fact that there are Islamic groups who want to commit terror attacks... an ex-MI5 agent gave an interview on the BBC where he described a terrorist plot to hijack two school buses on a trip to France. It was apparently foiled within hours of being executed. How many such attacks do you think have been foiled without being public knowledge?"
"ISIS released a statement in 2015 which explicity stated that even if we were to stop waging war in the Middle East, their primary reason for killing us (which is that we are not all muslims) would still be in place, so they would continue trying to eradicate or convert us all."

Yale dishwasher who smashed racist window gets a 'second chance' to work there - "A former worker at Yale University, arrested after breaking a stained-glass window that depicted slaves carrying bales of cotton, has been granted a second chance to work at the Ivy League institution... Menafee became an unexpected hero for his act, which some believe was justified. Supporters gathered for his courthouse appearance, and a GoFundMe campaign to help Menafee so far has raised approximately $24,705... Yale University has informed Menafee’s attorney, Patricia Kane, that it’s giving him a job back, should he want it, according to a Yale statement emailed to USA TODAY College. It has also asked the State’s Attorney to drop all charges."
Anti-racism means destruction of property is okay

Critics of the 'Microaggressions' Framework Are Skeptical - "When a person is engaged in objectionable behavior, publicly shaming rather than engaging them causes them to become defensive or hostile in turn. (Is it ever more difficult to admit to a mistake than when lots of people are angrily confronting you about it?) Shaming is often carried out by mobs with no mechanism to make the punishment proportionate to the offense. And public shaming targets some people who did nothing wrong (friendly criticism is better for fallible critics)... An Hispanic student at Oberlin was able to viciously attack a fellow student in a curated public space largely for having used the Spanish word “fútbol” despite being white. There is, however, nothing inherently objectionable about a white person using a non-English word... if status accrues to people based on expressing grievance and demonstrating victimhood, the incentives to exaggerate both will be strong, especially among immature people in their late teens and early twenties... at this point even the New Yorker magazine’s liberal humor section is mocking its excesses... As when French Revolutionaries were put to the guillotine, purity tests always turn inward... The conceit that white students, or at least white men, cannot be subject to “microaggressions” by definition is wrongheaded too... “I'm south Asian,” he writes. “But, whether it's my goatee or gelled hair, I'm usually mistaken for being Hispanic––typically Mexican. Hispanics inevitably always speak to me in Spanish, and even other south Asians often don't realize I'm one of them… Because of a non-profit I help run, I get asked ‘Where are you from?’ on a weekly basis...Victimhood culture tells me this is a ‘microaggression’ based on racism that should offend me. But it's not. We live in a multicultural society, and it's not always clear what someone's background is. I don't assume they're racist just because they're curious about my background. But victimhood culture tells me I should.”"

Politically Correct “Lord of the Flies” | The New Yorker - "“Are you the boys who need to be rescued?” an officer shouted.
“Why is he screaming at us?” Percival cried. “I feel very unsafe!”
“Some of us identify as gender-questioning,” Jack called back to the officer. “And we reject your Eurocentric imposition of the jungle-rescue narrative.”
“No, please! Save us!” Ralph yelled, rushing to the officer. “Save us!”
“Er, see, here’s the thing,” the officer said, backing away. “I’m going to have to radio back to my supervisors to make sure I’m following the proper protocols for dealing with self-identified indigenous populations before I can do anything.”
They stared at him. He shrugged. “Or else we’ll just get killed on Twitter.”"

Vox Popoli: A review of SJWADD - "The thing you have to bear in mind about modern-day Social Justice Warriors is that they have their own version of ‘The White Man’s Burden.’ And the unintended consequences are pretty much the same... The essential difference between a person who is genuinely concerned and a full-fledged SJW is that the former has essentially limited goals, while the latter’s objectives are nebulous, wide-ranging ... and permanent. The former will identify a problem - and it is often a very real problem - and propose practical solutions, then retire gracefully when victory has been achieved. The latter will not retire, even when he gets what he says he wants. He’ll just come up with newer demands, which will be harder to resist because one has already conceded the earlier set of demands. It is, in short, about power and appearances rather than practicalities. Somewhere along the way, the idea that one is trying to solve a single very specific problem is lost... They will never declare victory for the simple reason that declaring victory means giving up their power... A further, more fundamental, difference between the genuinely concerned and the SJW is that the latter believes so deeply in his cause that he finds it impossible to comprehend that someone might have a reasonable reason to disagree. No, anyone who disagrees must be evil. This has a great deal in common with a number of religious groups... the SJW always doubles down and attacks anyone who dares to question him. Thus, for example, anyone who points out Hillary Clinton’s massive failings as a candidate for President is a sexist, as far as the SJWs are concerned. This allows them to comfortably dismiss anything that runs contrary to their narrative... What’s wrong with social justice? Why should well-meaning SJWs be opposed at all costs. There are essentially three answers to that question. First, SJWs have no concept of individuality. A person is defined by their identity... Second, SJWs have made us less empathic - not more."

The Most Important Book Of 2015: SJWs Always Lie - "The 3 Immutable Laws Of SJWism
1. They always lie
2. They always double down when confronted with their lies
3. They always project...
The easiest way to stop this attack cycle is to gather support from allies and not apologize. The apology plays into their hands and makes the situation worse, which is why Vox implores his readers to never apologize to SJWs:
Look at Hunt. Look at Eich. Look at everyone in your personal experience who has come under attack by SJWs. Did apologizing do them any good at all? Did apologizing reduce the intensity of the attacks on them, or did the SJWs keep attacking? An apology is not going to relieve the pressure on you, it is only going to increase it."

Tamania @TXMAJ33D - "White America must apologize for the Las Vegas shooter. If you don't, you're a fucking Nazi like the rest of them"
"One asshole Muslim doesn't mean we condemn a whole fucking people. Get it through your sick head."
Tellingly her Twitter was empty as of the time of writing, but Google records show she had some old tweets

Medical graduate put on sex offenders' register after grabbing Tinder date's breasts during sex - "A medical graduate's career is in ruins after he was convicted of indecently assaulting a woman he met on Tinder by grabbing her breasts during consensual sex. Philip Queree, 37, was taken to court for repeatedly grabbing the woman's breasts hard and pulling her hair while the couple had intercourse. Despite consenting to having sex with Queree, the victim told him she did not want her breasts touched and accused him of using "excessive force"... "Irrespective of her consent to other sexual conduct, I am sure that the touching was in circumstances of indecency and thus Queree is guilty of indecent assault.""
If someone you're having sex with doesn't want to be kissed and you do it, is it sexual assault?

How do countries get their names? - "the majority of country names fall into just four categories:
a directional description of the country
a feature of the land
a tribe name
an important person, most likely a man...
Nauru, an island northeast of Australia, is perhaps the most delightful, reportedly named after the indigenous word “anáoero,” “I go to the beach.”"

“Youths” Kick Man to Death on Crowded Antwerp Bus - "Guido Demoor, a father of two, intervened when six “youths” got on bus 23 in Antwerp and began to intimidate passengers. There were some forty people on the bus. Demoor asked the “youths” to calm down, whereupon they turned on him, savagely beating and kicking the man. At the next stop thirty passengers fled the bus. The thugs kept beating Demoor. They then pulled the emergency brake and jumped from the bus leaving their victim to die. Three Moroccans, two of whom are minors, were arrested today. The website of the Dutch paper De Stentor reports tonight that a fourth suspect, believed to be the ringleader, fled into a shop as the police were poised to arrest him. He managed to escape from the shop when dozens of “youths” came to his rescue. Witnesses had described the culprits as immigrant youths of between 18 and 21 years of age. During the weekend the police had called for witnesses as only four people had come forward. The police offered the witnesses absolute confidentiality and promised not to reveal their identities. “Obviously people fear reprisals”... “You see what happens if you intervene,” one of Guido Demoor’s colleagues at Belgian Rail is quoted in the newspaper De Morgen today. “If Guido had not opened his mouth he would still be alive. [...] He was a good man. I would not have dared to do what Guido did. I was beaten up once and since then I have become very careful”... An Antwerp bus driver told De Morgen: “These youths can be very aggressive. If you say one wrong word they throw themselves on you. I do not dare to say anything. I keep my mouth shut.” Public transport passengers declared: “They call you names in a language you do not understand, shouting and abusing you. What can you do? Who can you call for help? I do not know.”... Problems occur not only in major Belgian cities, such as Antwerp and Brussels, but also in provincial towns, such as Sint-Niklaas. Last week bus drivers in Sint-Niklaas refused to drive out in protest against the aggressive behaviour of immigrant youths on the buses. In today’s De Morgen drivers, who have all asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, relate experiences of “buses being demolished while en route” and of “youths harassing girls, who beg the driver to protect them.” One of the drivers said: “If they refuse to buy a ticket I leave it. I do not want to be beaten up for one and a half euros.”"

The future belongs to Islam - "One of the most obvious refutations of Francis Fukuyama’s famous thesis The End Of History — written at the victory of liberal pluralist democracy over Soviet Communism — is that the victors didn’t see it as such. Americans — or at least non-Democrat-voting Americans — may talk about “winning” the Cold War but the French and the Belgians and Germans and Canadians don’t... there was no sense on the Continent that our Big Idea had beaten their Big Idea. With the best will in the world, it’s hard to credit the citizens of France or Italy as having made any serious contribution to the defeat of Communism. Au contraire, millions of them voted for it, year in, year out. And, with the end of the Soviet existential threat, the enervation of the West only accelerated... In 2005, Tomy began marketing a new doll called Yumel — a baby boy with a range of 1,200 phrases designed to serve as companions for the elderly. He says not just the usual things — “I wuv you” — but also asks the questions your grandchildren would ask if you had any: “Why do elephants have long noses?” Yumel joins his friend, the Snuggling Ifbot, a toy designed to have the conversation of a five-year old child which its makers, with the usual Japanese efficiency, have determined is just enough chit-chat to prevent the old folks going senile. It seems an appropriate final comment on the social democratic state: in a childish infantilized self-absorbed society where adults have been stripped of all responsibility, you need never stop playing with toys. We are the children we never had."
This is one of the more poignant/convincing pieces I've read on having children