Links - 1st February 2020 (1)

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Christmas Spirit - "DEAR JESUS WHAT IS THE TRUE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS?"
"CRASS COMMERCIALISM"
"IT'S a MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO RISING WEALTH IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD"
"WHAT ABOUT FAMILY? AND BABY YOU IN THE MANGER?"
"THAT DOESN'T PUT FOOD ON a POOR FAMILY'S TABLE"
"I SAY KEEP UP YOUR DEMAND FOR SUPERFLUOUS CONSUMER GOODS. YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT AND THE POVERTY RATE OVERSEAS KEEPS FALLING"
"I'M GONNA MAKE MY MOM a HOMEMADE CARD FROM LOCALLY SOURCED PAPER"
"SO IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU HUH?"

Who is Yuna Song and Why is She Not a 'Hot Korean Girl' Too? - "A Facebook post that seemingly burned a cast member in the credits for being just a “Korean girl” and not one of the “Hot Korean Girls” gained thousands of reactions on the group Subtle Asian Traits.
But for the the deep-thinking intellectuals of SAT, the post begs a number of questions. Who is Yuna Song? Why is Yuna Song not a hot girl? What movie is this from? Because I think I will decide for myself if Yuna Song is a hot girl or not. Significant resources were spent to get to the bottom of this — this is what we found...
Yuna Song was the little girl who sang that questionable North Korean anthem at the beginning of the film. As you may notice, Yuna Song is literally a girl in this movie and therefore cannot appropriately be called a “hot girl” unless you have some serious issues with yourself. But there is still a loose end that needs answering. Who even are the “Hot Korean Girls”? They are none other than Kim-Jong Un’s private harem of lingerie-clad girls that parties with him and Dave Sylark in the film."

Daniel Yap - "In Singapore: thousands taking to the streets downtown, shutting down transport networks and crippling the retail industry. They are all dressed in coordinated wear. Police are out in large numbers trying to contain the chaos and erect barricades to prevent spillover.The nation is split - some say we ought to support their efforts. Others condemn and decry the disruption to our daily life.#stanchartmarathon"

'Capitalism Has Failed Us!' Mark Ruffalo Shouts From Atop Massive Mountain Of Cash | The Babylon Bee

Peter Schiff on Twitter - Mark Ruffalo: "It’s time for an economic revolution. Capitalism today is failing us, killing us, and robbing from our children’s future."
"Agree, too many getting rich making movies. Entertainment should be free, a public good. No one should profit from it. That's exploitation. Entertainment is a human right. Let's create a Dept. of Entertainment to be the single provider. Equal pay for actors and postal workers!"

StanChart Singapore marathon named among world's worst marathons, just days before causing traffic nightmare in the city - "Organisers of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon may be pleased with the positive feedback it received for its first-ever night race in the Republic... These issues go beyond causing some of the worst traffic jams downtown Singapore has seen in years... the annual run in Singapore’s city centre is one of the worst in the world.Only two other marathons worldwide were ranked below StanChart’s Singapore marathon – the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon and the IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon. The ranking of 81 marathons globally compiled by The Sole Supplier, a UK-based trainer review and news site, considers factors such as air quality, altitude, average finish times, average temperature and rainfall, starting entry fees, refreshment stations, medical aid, and toilets, among others... at least four major events were taking place on the same day, including the marathon, the U2 Joshua Tree Tour concert at Sports Hub, the C3 Anime Festival Asia at Suntec City and Gardens By The Bay’s Christmas Wonderland.  On top of that, it is also not unusual for a flurry of activity to be taking place in the city during the year-end holiday season, whether it is Christmas shopping, public performances or weddings at major hotels downtown. Musician Selwyn Koh was one of many who took to social media to express bewilderment at the organisers’ choice to hold an evening run in the middle of the city on a Saturday.  In a Facebook post dated December 1, Koh criticised organisers for not exercising empathy in their decision. Instead, the decision “reeks of nothing but stupidity and selfishness”... one of his friends was stuck in traffic for four hours when travelling from Sentosa to Fullerton Hotel, while others had to run to events they were working at with large equipment and bags... the marathon – which was a pre-dawn race in previous years – was changed to a night race as Ironman hoped it would increase its chances of being listed among the Abbott World Marathon Majors, a series of the most prestigious marathons in the world. Asked if the race would be changed back into a morning run next year, Meyer reportedly said “it would be the last thing we want to do”."

PHOTOS: Plaza Singapura has an actual snow playground for kids and adults this Christmas - here's what it's like inside - "The first thing I noticed was how well made the snow was. It’s as if I’d been transported to a different country through a magic door"

Vietnamese Influencer Gains 22 Pounds for 'Reverse' Body Transformation - "Trang Thị Thuỳ Nguyễn, who is a popular livestreamer, gained 10 kilograms (22 pounds) to achieve her fitness goals — 39 kilograms (85.98 pounds) to 49 kilograms (108.03 pounds)."

Liliya on Twitter - "me: don’t idolize dead white men
also me: the Lenin portrait goes next to the bronze Marx bust"

I stopped going to the gym because of Trump. Now I can't open jars - "  It was 9 November 2016 and my thinking about fitness changed almost overnight. In tune with the times, it became more Trump, less Obama.  In the spirit of the Donald, I drank more bottles of Diet Coke and ate more McDonald’s. I dropped the gym – embracing Trump’s belief that we are given a certain amount of energy and if we use it then we are depleting a finite resource.  According to the book Trump Revealed: “Trump believed the human body was like a battery, with a finite amount of energy, which exercise only depleted. So he didn’t work out. When he learned that John O’Donnell, one of his top casino executives, was training for an Ironman triathlon, he admonished him, ‘You are going to die young because of this.’”  I didn’t want to die young, so I didn’t go to the gym."
The Guardian strikes again!

Meme - "Jill Filipovic: How Strange and Sad It Must Be to Live in Such Fear of People Who Are Different, or Who Come From Places You Don't Understand"
"Just Got Accosted by Street-Evangelizing Christians. WTF? I Live in NY Specifically to Avoid That Shit"

Bree Newsome Bass on Twitter - "Zuckerberg is an *active collaborator* w/ right wing factions spreading disinformation via Facebook. He's not doing anything to stop it b/c he's sympathetic toward the fascists, hence having secret dinners w/ Trump. He also wants their $$, obviously.
Zuckerberg is yet another example of why the ruling white elite, billionaire class has to be ended. They are actively subverting democracy in the interests of hoarding wealth & consolidating power for themselves. The billionaire class is the greatest threat to democracy rn."

Monster Attack Leaves 37 Dead, 120 Homeless, 1 Power Ranger Having Learned Valuable Lesson About Peer Pressure - "Sources say that Kwan was convinced by a new transfer student known only as Sharkie to smoke behind the Angel Grove High School bleachers. As a direct result, she was not present to help the other Rangers when the half-boar half-clown monster called Piggly Giggly began his attack."

Salvation Army: Despite hate, misinformation, we serve LGBT community - "The Salvation Army is the world’s largest nongovernmental provider of poverty relief, serving more than 23 million in need each year in America alone. Our doors are, and always have been, open to all. We don’t ask anyone their orientation, identity or beliefs, to help ensure that they feel welcome and safe. So while we can’t claim an exact number, we believe by sheer size and access that we are the largest provider of poverty relief for people in the LGBTQ community. Across our 7,686 centers of operation, you’ll find Salvation Army employees who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community... We have a dorm in Las Vegas exclusively for transgender individuals. In Minneapolis, an estimated 20% of the 550 or so individuals who seek rest in our Harbor Light shelter each night are members of the LGBTQ community. In San Francisco, we operate a detoxification facility that caters to those infected with HIV/AIDS. Our Young Adult Resource Center provides day shelter to homeless youth in Houston, many of whom identify as LGBTQ. We work with the City of Baltimore to combat trafficking among transgender individuals, a growing need there. And every other Salvation Army program, shelter or center nationwide is open to members of the LGBTQ+ community.  Those are verifiable facts... Surely no one wants to see programs for those living in poverty eliminated simply because some disagree with the theology of those who provide them"

About 1,000 homeless people sleeping rough in Singapore, first-ever academic study finds - "They are mostly older men, and 31 per cent of the sample interviewed — which would translate to more than 300 people — said they have been homeless for at least six years... At the time they were interviewed, which was after 11.30pm, one in four had eaten only one meal or none at all for the whole day... The main reason for sleeping rough was unemployment, irregular hours or low pay – cited by 47 per cent of those interviewed. The other main reasons for homelessness were: Family relationship problems and lack of access to housing services.The researchers also found that many homeless people defy stereotypes: They can be well-dressed and well-groomed, most hold down jobs albeit low-paying ones, and in some cases, they even own residential property. Nearly one in 10 of the people, or 9 per cent, was observed to have health issues including visible injuries and ailments, physical disability, a frail appearance or possible mental health conditions... Just under 40 per cent said they had residential property in their name — 15 per cent said they have public rental flats as addresses, while 11 per cent said they own HDB flats"
Presumably the researchers will be slammed as PAP stooges since they found that there are indeed people who choose to be homeless

Anti homeless bench covered up as a wheelchair friendly bench : HostileArchitecture

'Housing First' approach won't solve homelessness crisis - "Housing First is an approach launched under President George W. Bush and dramatically expanded into a one-size-fits-all policy under President Obama. It provides those experiencing homelessness with subsidized housing with no expectations... Utah, which was once lauded by Housing First advocates, initially reported reducing its homeless population by 91 percent between 2005 and 2015. But a recent report from the state’s Legislative Auditor General found that number was based on flawed data that falsely inflated the decrease in homelessness. To add insult to injury, the homeless population in Utah has nearly doubled since 2016. Utah is only one example. In July, Austin Mayor Steve Adler visited Los Angeles and Seattle, which embraced the model and yet continue to lose their battles with homelessness. California made Housing First official state policy in 2016 and required that all state funds for addressing homelessness be directed solely to programs that provide housing — with no preconditions or expectations of recovery. Since that time, the state’s crisis has only grown worse with homelessness increasing in the city of Los Angeles by 16 percent from 2018. Seattle, likewise, has struggled to make a dent in its homeless population... These failures stand in stark contrast to the success of Austin’s own Community First! Village, which Secretary Carson cited as an example of innovation. Operated by the nonprofit Mobile Loaves & Fishes, it is a planned community of tiny houses and mobile homes specifically designed to provide housing for those struggling with homelessness. Unlike Seattle’s tiny house village and other Housing First programs, residents of Community First! are required to undergo a criminal background check and are expected to pay rent and abide by civil law and community rules. Alan Graham, the founder and CEO of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, points to the community’s rules as the key to its success. “When you have skin in the game you’re invested in your community,” Graham said.  A major problem with the Housing First policy, according to Graham, is that it focuses solely on giving someone a roof over their head and not allowing for the expectations that enable residents of the Community First! Village to thrive. Nearly 75 percent of unsheltered people in the United States struggle with substance abuse disorders. Giving them a roof over their head without expecting them to address the root causes of their homelessness robs them of their inherent dignity and the opportunity to reach their full potential"
So much for ending homelessness by just giving people homes. I'm sure liberals complain making people undergo criminal background checks, obey rules and them pay rent is discriminatory, white supremacy etc

‘Satellite Babies’ Spend Their Earliest Years in China - The Atlantic - "When Misty Ouyang returned to her parents’ home in the United States as a toddler, she’d forgotten who her mom was. Ouyang, now a 21-year-old college student in Boston, spent the first four years of her life with extended family in Fuzhou, China"

Vote 100: Who still can't vote in the UK? - "Rules from the Electoral Commission state that to vote in the UK, you must be aged 18 or over on polling day.In Scotland, people 16 or over can vote in local elections, but not a general election... The 1983 Representation of the People Act states people who have been convicted of crimes from which they are or will be imprisoned cannot vote in any election in the UK...   Members of the House of Lords are exempt from voting in general elections, but can participate in local and European votes.  This practice has been the case for hundreds of years, but in 2011 MP Hywel Francis wrote a letter to then deputy prime minister Nick Clegg questioning whether it was compatible with the rules of the European Court of Human Rights.  Clegg replied: "The fact that members of the House of Lords have a voice in Parliament makes it legitimate to deprive them of a right to have their voice also heard through their elected representative in the Commons."
Technically, there is no law stating that the Queen or members of the royal family cannot vote.  However, Parliament guidelines state it is considered unconstitutional for the Monarch or their family to vote in an election."
Strange how unlike the Americans the British don't get upset about ex-prisoners not being able to vote
How come members of the House of Commons get to vote?