Links - 12th March 2019

Why There Are No Nuclear Airplanes - "Making a nuclear reactor flightworthy is difficult. Shielding it from spewing dangerous radiation into the bodies of its crew might be impossible. During the Cold War, when the threat of nuclear apocalypse led to surprisingly pragmatic plans, engineers proposed to solve the problem by hiring elderly Air Force crews to pilot the hypothetical nuclear planes, because they would die before radiation exposure gave them fatal cancers."

Download PC ShutDown Timer 1.1 - "There are situations that compel you to leave your computer running, despite the fact that you need to go to bed or leave the house, such as a long antivirus scan or Windows updates. PC ShutDown Timer is an app that can help shut down the computer, regardless if you’re there or not."

Divorce really does have a negative impact on children, study finds - "The study of more than 6,000 youngsters aged three to 14 found that those whose parents split up when children are in primary school or during early teenage years show an average 16 per cent rise in the intensity of emotional problems... Researchers said children over the age of seven were much more likely to be damaged by divorce than younger offspring... The study, published by University College London’s Institute of Education, confirms earlier research pointing to the suffering of children in divorce families. Other studies have found that divorce is linked to poor health among teenagers and an increased risk they will drift into drugs, crime, joblessness or early pregnancy when they are older. The new report comes as controversial no-fault divorce reforms are planned by the Government. They are based on the idea that children are harmed if parents make legal accusations of adultery or unreasonable behaviour... ‘Children from more privileged backgrounds were just as likely to have mental health problems as their less advantaged peers.'... Earlier research has repeatedly shown that children are likely to do better if they are brought up by both their natural parents."

AfD says German state, media favor the left — do they? - "The term "extremism" can be used in many ways. The German state defines it as seeking to abolish the constitution or the basic democratic social order. According to that definition, there are about 25 percent more right-wing than left-wing extremists and more radical right-wing (20,520) than left-wing (9,752) crimes in Germany.Nevertheless, police tabulated more violent left-wing (1,967) than right-wing (1,130) crimes in 2017 — in part because of protests at the 2017 G20 meeting in Hamburg. There are different types of crime typical of both groups. Right-wing extremists tend to attract attention from the law for using banned symbols or shouting forbidden slogans. Left-wing radicals are far more often found guilty of "breaching the public peace," a transgression commonly associated with large groups of demonstrators that falls under the designation violent crime. "Factually, we can say that the phenomena of right-wing and left-wing extremism are treated differently by politicians and state actors," Alexander Ritzmann, a researcher at the Brandenburg Institute for Society and Security (BIGS), told DW. "This is apparent, for example, in the fact that there are many more prevention programs for right-wing extremism."The political scientist KD Hoffmann, a former member of the AfD, also speaks of an "imbalance" both in politics and in the media."Left-wing violence only gets reported on if it happens at large-scale events like the G20 in Hamburg," Hoffmann told DW."
So even though on paper there're more right wing extremists, left wing extremists are more violent - and much more violent on a per capita basis. And right wingers tend to be guilty of distasteful speech, not violence. And the German media and political establishment is biased against right wing extremists

Les Misérables is another depressing example of the BBC’s woke quota targets | The Spectator - "to Les Misérables and the casting of David Oyelowo as Javert. Can anyone point me to any evidence that there were black police inspectors in early 19th- century France; or that a gentleman of West African extraction was what Victor Hugo had in mind when he created this son of a galley slave? Otherwise, I’ll have to assume that this is another depressing example of the BBC’s woke quota targets — 15 per cent representation of black and minority ethnic actors on screen by 2020 — being given precedence over verisimilitude, artistic integrity and viewer satisfaction... in Who Dares Wins, where in the thin Andean air, 10,000ft above sea level, the contestants had to lug huge logs up a mountain trail. And guess which sex it was that bore the brunt of the heavy lifting. Later in the series, the contestants have to box one another and one of the women gamely volunteers to go up against a man. Guess who wins. Really, no one likes to see a pretty girl having seven shades beaten out of her by a bloke. But maybe brave Louise was doing her sex a favour: you really want total equality? This is what it looks like."

Media Astonished To Learn Christian School Teaches Christian Beliefs | The Babylon Bee - "News media outlets around the country were reportedly astonished to discover a Christian school at which second lady Karen Pence is teaching holds their students and staff to Christian beliefs.Expert journalists went to great lengths to uncover this story, unveiling the shocking revelation that a Christian woman teaches at a Christian school that affirms Christian doctrine on human sexuality that has been unchanged for 2,000 years. "It is the current year, and Christian schools still have the nerve to teach Christian things," said a CNN commentator. "I will now glare at the camera in silence for the remainder of the program so you know just how upset I am by this." He only lasted 3 minutes, however, before going on a tirade about something Trump said on Twitter."We don't hate Christians," said a writer for one left-leaning blog. "We just hate Christians who believe Christian things.""

WATCH: Democrat State Senator Announces Using 'He/She' Pronouns Will Be Banned During Hearings - "State Senator and Senate Judiciary Committee chair Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) announced that only "gender neutral" pronouns will be permitted during committee hearings."

Another Kavanaugh accuser admits to fabricating rape story - "One of Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh’s accusers admitted this week that she made up her lurid tale of a backseat car rape, saying it “was a tactic” to try to derail the judge’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.Sen. Charles E. Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee revealed the fraud in a letter to the FBI and Justice Department Friday, asking them to prosecute Judy Munro-Leighton for lying to and obstructing Congress."

Finnish Study Validates Jordan Peterson's Take on Nordic Feminism - Sputnik International - "A fresh analysis called "Glass Ceiling Paradox" by Finnish think-tank EVA has addressed the issue of low proportion of female managers in Finland, despite the Nordic country potentially offering more equal opportunities compared to its less "feminist" peers. In Finland, the proportion of women in senior positions is 32 per cent, which is below the OECD average, the report stressed. This is still a far cry from 44 per cent in Latvia, an OECD member state, which, unlike Finland and its fellow Nordic countries, seldom gets any praise for its gender equality... Sanandaji ascribed Nordic women progressing more slowly in their careers to generous contributions from the welfare state. Another factor that impedes women's career progression, according to Sanandaji, is high levels of taxation which discourage people from working, while at the same time make it more difficult to procure household services to the same extent as, for example, in the US. By contrast, freeing up more time for work would not only increase productivity but provide jobs to others. Lastly, women's career choices are another factor that impedes their advancement. According to Sanandaji, opportunities in the female-dominated public sector are limited. According to Expert Market, Belarus, often labelled by western politicians and press alike as "totalitarian", has the highest percentage of women in managerial positions in Europe at 46.2 per cent. Internationally, Jamaica, Colombia and Saint Lucia are in the lead, being the only countries where female managers enjoy a numerical superiority."
More on the Nordic 'paradox'

Flowers Sweeten Up When They Sense Bees Buzzing - "A new study suggests plants can ‘hear’ the humming of nearby pollinators and increase their sugar content in response"

Serco, Mears win £2.9 billion refugee housing contracts in Britain - "Serco and Mears have won contracts totalling 2.9 billion pounds from the British government to provide accommodation and support for asylum seekers, lifting shares in both outsourcing firms"
Refugees are big business

In Home Of Original Sriracha Sauce, Thais Say Rooster Brand Is Nothing To Crow About - "Sriracha sauce. It's everywhere. Even beer and donuts. The fiery chili paste concocted by Vietnamese-American immigrant David Tran has conquered the American market and imagination in the past decade.But the original Sriracha is actually Thai — and comes from the seaside city of Si Racha, where most residents haven't even heard of the U.S. brand, which is now being exported to Thailand... Saowanit says a proper Sriracha sauce needs to be what Thais call klom klom — the hotness, the sour, the sweet and the garlic all blending together seamlessly, none overpowering the other. The American version, she says, just brings heat."
Can 'minorities' culturally appropriate each other?

Playing Nintendo as a kid makes you smarter and more socially aware - "The more fun the participants had playing, the more the grey matter in the right hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex and parts of the cerebellum increased... when brothers play violent video games together, they experience less sibling conflict."

Ubisoft Apologizes For Forcing Your Assassin's Creed Odyssey Character Into A Straight Relationship - "At the end of the content, Kassandra or Alexios, depending on who you're playing as, has a child in a heterosexual relationship. Dumont said in a forum post that it was important for the game to establish how "your character's bloodline has a lasting impact on the Assassins." However, Dumont acknowledged that Ubisoft "missed the mark.""
Apparently it's worse to be straight than to kill people

Oxford college bans octopus from menu in bid to make disadvantaged students feel more 'comfortable' - "An Oxford college president has demanded that octopus is removed from the menu as part of a drive to make disadvantaged students feel more “comfortable”.Baroness Jan Royall, head of Somerville, said she wants to “change the culture” of the college to make sure it is “welcoming for all”.The Labour peer told how after receiving a complaint from a first-year student about an octopus terrine dish, she instructed Somerville’s catering staff to replace it with a less adventurous alternative... "octopus, and certain food dishes, are not for people from a particular background and should be reserved for the privilege few.”"

NBC New York Reports Alleged Home Invader as 'Unwanted House Visitor' - "NBC 10 Philadelphia described the suspect as an “armed robber,” explaining that the home owner had to fight with him to gain control of the gun and end the threat."
As if 'undocumented migrant' were not silly enough

Non-Muslims cannot obtain Kuwaiti citizenship
Is criticising this Islamophobia?

Rita Panahi on Twitter - "Creepiest men I’ve encountered were ‘male feminists’.
Every obsessed, abusive, creepy creep I’ve had the misfortune to encounter was a ‘feminist ally’. Don’t forget that before his rapey ways were exposed Harvey Weinstein was a model male feminist. He even attended the Women’s March.
Beware of weak men...they lack honour, are prone to abuse & endlessly selfish. Strength, masculinity & protective instincts should be celebrated, not maligned."