Links - 5th June 2019 (3)

Ocasio-Cortez likens growing cauliflower to colonialism - "“When someone says that it’s ‘too hard’ to do a green space that grows yuca instead of, I dunno, cauliflower or something, what you’re doing is you’re taking a colonial approach to environmentalism,” the 29-year-old freshman congresswoman says in an Instagram video for her proposed Green New Deal economic-stimulus package.“And that is why a lot of communities of color get resistant to certain environmentalist movements — because they come with a colonial lens on them.”It appears she was referring to yuca, a regional name for cassava — rather than the desert shrub called yucca. It was not clear who she believed was preventing people of color from planting yuca in community ­gardens. Either way, the tuber is not native to New York — making planting it here also an act of colonization.And it doesn’t fare too well in climates such as New York’s, and instead “requires a warm, humid climate” for a good yield, ­according to the US Department of Agriculture... Ironically, AOC in another video talked up the Swiss chard, spinach and collard greens she has been growing — even though none of those are native to North America, either.Collards are actually part of the same species as cauliflower: Brassica oleracea."

Islamic State explains why it doesn't attack Israel (yet) - "The Islamic State has not carried out an orchestrated attack on Israel, though independent cells inspired by the terror group’s ideology have been arrested by Israeli security forces, several dozen Israeli Arabs are said to have been recruited by IS, and terrorists including Nashat Milhem — who murdered three Israelis in Tel Aviv on January 1 — have identified with IS... There is a place, however, where jihad does take precedence, according to the article: in the Arab states that are governed by “tyrants.” First and foremost among these is the Saudi kingdom, where the two holy Islamic cities of Mecca and Medina must be rescued from the Saudi royal family.“The apostate [tyrants] who rule the lands of Islam are graver infidels than [the Jews], and war against them takes precedence over war against the original infidels,” the article said. Despite the fact that the Islamic State ranks in Syria and Iraq are swelled by fighters from across the world, the article calls for jihadists to take the fight to “infidels” nearest to them. Therefore, fighting the Jews should be left to Muslims in Israel/Palestine, while Syrian Muslims should fight Bashar Assad and Egyptian Muslims should fight Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.Only once a Muslim’s native land has fallen under proper Islamic rule, the article said, should he attack the adjacent infidel land. The key argument the article makes is that once the Arab regimes, which supposedly defend Israel, are toppled, then jihadi forces can arrive “at the borders of [the] Jew[ish] State and confront its army directly.”... Muslims worldwide, therefore, have a duty to send aid — money or men — to the Palestinians fighting Israel.And lastly, if they can’t come to the Middle East or do not have money, it argues, they can attack “the Jews and their allies wherever they find them, [by] killing them, destroying their property, and harming their interests in any way they can.”"
Far more seductive to claim that ISIS is created by Israel
Maybe it's the "discrimination" Muslims face in Israel that means IS hasn't really carried out a successful attack yet

Kamala Harris owns a handgun. That's disqualifying for a 2020 Democrat in my book. - "the California senator has conceded that her personal relationship with guns is unique among the major Democratic presidential contenders. She owns a handgun... This under-publicized revelation comes as Harris is getting a lot of ink for being tough about guns. Her words are fine, but for a progressive like me, they are undermined by that handgun. And I can't be the only one who is disturbed. Keeping a handgun for personal safety is a bedrock conservative view.. six of 18 Democratic presidential contenders own firearms. With former Vice President Joe Biden's entry into the race Thursday, make that at least seven. Beto O'Rourke and Pete Buttigieg are among the other gun owners — but their weapons are old and inoperable. Buttigieg, a Navy veteran, says he has two antique pistols that are never fired."
Let the games begin!

'Political Islam' seeks secession from France: Macron - "French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Thursday to resist ‘political Islam’, which he said is a threat and seeks succession from the republic.Macron made the remarks during a press conference at the Elysee Palace to unveil his policy response to the Yellow Vest protests following a three-month-long national debate."

Spoilers Really Can Ruin Your Movie Experience - "A recent study found that spoilers — or giving away key plot details — may not ruin an experience entirely, but can reduce suspense and decrease overall enjoyment... The scientists said they were curious to find if their tests would corroborate results from a 2011 study published in the journal Psychological Science. That research, somewhat unexpectedly, suggested that people actually enjoy an experience more, at least some of the time, after hearing spoilers... the study also discovered some good news about spoilers: They're not as bad as some people think they are"

(14) (PDF) Spoilers Affect the Enjoyment of Television Episodes but Not Short Stories - "While spoilers are culturally regarded as something that detracts enjoyment from a narrative, research has presented a complicated picture. When Leavitt and Christenfeld presented participants plot-crucial information to individuals before reading a short story, the story was subsequently enjoyed as much as, or more than, unspoiled stories. Other research shows that these findings may be driven by an interaction of individual differences, such as need for cognition, rather than a broad spoiling effect. In Experiment 1, we tested if reported enjoyment of a narrative decreased even when participants were alerted to the presence of a plot spoiler, to extend previous findings for short stories while adding a condition informing participants beforehand that their short stories was being spoiled. Experiment 2 extended this methodology to full-length episodes of television. Our results were different from previously reported positive effects of spoilers and show that spoilers, under certain circumstances, have a negative effect on enjoyment for television but not short stories."

Man in Hong Kong reportedly beaten up outside cinema for leaking Avengers: Endgame spoilers - "The Russo Brothers (directors of Avengers: Endgame) may have put out an open letter on social media for the public to avoid giving spoilers but that doesn't seem to have deterred those who have watched it... a man dressed in white, who seemed to have just exited the cinema after watching the three-hour movie, started revealing spoilers loudly by the entrance."

Avengers: Endgame, Game Of Thrones, And The Peak Of Spoiler Culture - "The definition of “spoiler” has expanded so much in recent years that it encompasses just about any information about a piece of pop culture. If the headline vaguely states that it’s about a “twist,” that is a spoiler. Because now you know there is a twist. The fact that, say, a character’s movie or TV show takes place after Endgame spoils that a character won’t die, even though the studio has released that information on purpose. Attaching positive or negative adjectives to a headline about a movie is a spoiler. “Oh, there’s a ‘great’ scene with Captain America? Spoiler.” Any information, even promotion from the studio designed to get you excited and in the right frame of mind for a work, is a spoiler now. It would be one thing if this were just about fans complaining in blog comments. But their perspective is specifically being catered to. There’s been an uptick in labeling reviews “spoiler-free” or “spoiler-filled.” But the point of a review is to provide guidance on whether or not you should spend your money on something. And that can mean spoiling something by warning people that there’s a plot point that doesn’t work or is downright offensive. And it can mean writing around things that are so good you can’t recreate them in a review. A spoiler-free review at some point just becomes a series of hyperbole designed to get blurbed in an ad by the giant conglomerate behind a property, or to destroy a work that isn’t good with the most invective that can be leveled. Nuance doesn’t exist because nuance requires data. A review is an opinion, and writing it around the idea that any factual information is a “spoiler” will weaken it to the point of uselessness. Being spoiled and having a movie ruined are not the same thing... If knowing what happens in a film ruins it, the film wasn’t good"

Chinese fan cried so much at Avengers: Endgame screening she was hospitalised - and other extreme fan reactions

Aziz - checkmate XD - "The only way captain marvel can defeat Shazam is by accusing him of sexual assault"
"He can counter that by transforming back into a minor and accusing her of pedophilia."

Marvel President: Movies Will Go ‘Inclusive,’ Adding ‘Gay’ and ‘Body Positive’ Heroes - "Fat acceptance and body positivity heroes are on the docket as well. Now, that’s more like it! Feige acknowledged that “traditionally” comic book heroes have “iconic mythic proportions,” as do some of the actors and actresses in the business. Though this had been the trope, he admitted that “yes” there will be a slate of everyman heroes that represent “real bodies” and that they will be introduced “perhaps sooner than you’d think.”As if suspending disbelief for a strong man superhero weren’t enough, now we’re being asked to believe that a morbidly obese superhero will have the strength and stamina to save us. But then again, unattainable beauty standards are the main villain these days."

Leslie Quahe is with Iqbal Jumabhoy. - "When I was 10 I ignorantly called my classmate a ‘black Boy’. Unhappy at being chastised by our teacher I proceeded to punch him during recess to exact my own ‘justice’. Our parents were summoned to the Principal’s office. My father walked in and offered an immediate apology with the assurance he would make me ‘pay’ for my unwarranted indiscretion. My friend’s mother responded with the request that in lieu of pain she should be allowed to take me to her home everyday to have lunch, do homework and play with my friend. I have never forgotten her summary, “We must make them friends and not allow them to be enemies”. I spent many memorable and happy days with them. I sat in on lessons on the Quran. Ever since then we have been blessed with a lifelong friendship spanning 52 years now. To this day, I a pastor, am welcomed in this home as family. We can live and embrace one another if we teach our children to be friends and not enemies. Dedicated to all who have suffered in Christchurch and Sri Lanka with the prayer that parents will see this as an opportunity to make our children friends."
Strange, they should just have screamed at him, called him an islamophobic bigot and thrown him in jail

Clementine Ford quits Fairfax, Nine in Twitter tirade - "Controversial newspaper columnist and author Clementine Ford has quit in spectacular fashion, unleashing a foul-mouthed tirade at her now former employer.In a series of explosive tweets, Ford accused the now Nine-owned news organisation of being “dead”, accused its new managing director of being a Liberal Party stooge, spoke about having to “eat s*** every week” and dubbed PM Scott Morrison a “f***ing disgrace”."
What happens when you employ feminists

Clementine Ford begs social media followers for financial support after quitting Nine, Fairfax - "The Melbourne-based writer, who was booted from a Lifeline fundraiser after she posted a tweet saying “kill all men”, resigned from Nine, which merged with Fairfax Media last year, saying the organisation was “dead”... “Are you regularly accused of being a misandrist?,” it says on the site. “Do you bathe in a pool of male tears each night before bed? Is your bank account full to bursting with all the f**** you don't give about whether or not your feminist views are threatening the men in your life? Welcome, friend!”"
Still, we are told, feminists are not anti-men and want to help men