Links - 4th February 2020 (2)

Kathleen Stock on Twitter - "Just been told that Oxford University Press (USA) dropped entire book of interviews with women in philosophy, after Holly Lawford-Smith & I were proposed as included in it. Our inclusion was judged "problematic". This after Kate Manne withdrew for same reason. More when I know it"
Feminism only supports women who toe the party line

Daniel Schildt on Twitter - "Media websites: “Our European visitors are important to us. This site is currently unavailable to visitors from the European Economic Area while we work to ensure your data is protected in accordance with applicable EU laws.”"

Thot Police - Posts - "If a sexy man compliments me that's fine. If a ugly man looks at me for too long that's harassment. Yeah i said it! I don't make the rules sorry"
"It's only sexual harassment of he's ugly or poor."
"If he’s cute, it’s called flirting but if he’s ugly that’s sexual harassment and you’d better go to HR."
"Girls banding together to support and help one another and end harassment from ugly boys is why i live #Riverdale"

French exchange student at NUS gets scolded for questioning chicken rice stallholder about food’s origins

Japanese Politicians Are Thinking about Building Gundam. Like, Real, Working Gundam. - "Masaaki Taira and Hideki Niwa are slated to discuss how the LDP is "seriously considering the development of Gundam."Back in 2008, it was estimated that a working (not just a full scale mock-up like above), one-to-one scale would cost US$725,000,000 for parts and materials. That figure doesn't include the cost of labor or the cost of insanity required to build such a machine. These politicians probably do not mean they want to make a 60-foot tall, 43.7 metric ton Gundam replica (at least I hope they don't), but instead, large mecha contraptions that could be used by, presumably, the country's Self Defense Force. In an age of drone attacks, however, mecha don't exactly seem ideal on the battlefield."

BBC accused of being partial on poultry with Christmas advert featuring vegan turkeys - "Farmers have accused the BBC of being in breach of its impartiality rules by promoting veganism with a Christmas advert featuring turkeys wearing "I love vegans" jumpers. The animated birds are seen wearing “I love vegans” jumpers in the recently released festive clip, and rejoicing at meat-free meals.  Concerns have been raised over the impartiality of the “campaigning” broadcaster and the impact of its coverage on livestock producers, with the advert cited as another example of a perceived bias against rural communities... “The cartoon turkeys in ‘Go Vegan!’ t-shirts are intended to be comedic and playful in keeping with the slightly surreal, exuberant spirit of the film, rather than any kind of endorsement or encouragement of a vegan lifestyle.”  Turkey has steadily become the primary Christmas centrepiece following its introduction to the British dinner table in the 16th century, replacing the varied game of goose, boar or peacock"

Long-distance timber trade underpinned the Roman Empire's construction - "By comparing their dated planks to Mediterranean and central European oak reference chronologies, the authors found that the oaks used for the Roman portico planks were taken from the Jura mountains in eastern France, over 1700km away. Based on the sapwood present in 8 of the thirteen samples, the authors were able to narrow the date these oaks were felled to between 40 and 60 CE and determined that the planks all came from neighboring trees. Given the timber's dimensions and the vast distance it travelled, the authors suggest that ancient Romans (or their traders) likely floated the timber down the Saône and Rhône rivers in present-day France before transporting it over the Mediterranean Sea and then up the river Tiber to Rome, though this cannot be confirmed. The authors note that the difficulty of obtaining these planks—which were not specially sourced for an aesthetic function but used in the portico's foundations—suggests that the logistical organization of ancient Rome was considerable, and that their trade network was highly advanced."

🅽🅸🅲 | MrNotThatFamous on Twitter - "It’s not that men are creeps- men are ostracized. Grown women cry and scream when they see male celebrities- a man would be tackled and removed from the location. Every grown lady I’ve encounter says they are a child’s girlfriend and/or future wife. Guys can’t even joke like that"

Man builds fake EU border and charges desperate people thousands to cross - "Russian authorities have apprehended a man after he erected a fake border near Finnish territory in an alleged attempt to swindle desperate people looking to pass into the European Union."

Opinion | America Doesn’t Need France’s Economy - The New York Times - "Tankersley’s piece coincided with a fresh round of nationwide strikes in France, where at least 800,000 people took to the streets to protest Emmanuel Macron’s attempts to modernize the country’s byzantine public pension systems. At least one of these plans — there are 42 in all — dates to the reign of Louis XIV, and some kick in when workers retire in their fifties, costing the state an ever-mounting fortune as average lifespans get longer.Successive French administrations of both the left and right have been trying to reform this and other aspects of the country’s statist economy for decades, with limited results. Social benefits, once given, are hard to pare, much less withdraw. Hence the frequent strikes: Since 1789, French governments have been acutely sensitive to mass protests, and too often have capitulated to them. Hence also France’s perennial economic crisis.The country’s unemployment rate has not fallen below 7 percent since 1983 and is now at 8.6 percent. Long-term unemployment exceeds 40 percent, compared with 13.3 percent in the U.S. The country’s annual growth rate has barely exceeded an average of 1 percent per year since the 21st century began. It’s expected to come in at 1.3 percent for this year. As of last year, the median monthly take-home pay was just $1,930, meaning half of all French workers make even less. It’s why the country erupted in protest when Macron proposed raising fuel taxes a few cents per liter... the health service that used to be the toast of Francophiles is overwhelmed, understaffed, and “on the brink of collapse,” according to a report in The Guardian. French universities, while cheap, are overcrowded, underfunded, and notoriously mediocre: “Too easy to get in and too easy to get out,” as one local observer put it. French workers exercise their right to strike roughly seven times more frequently than German workers do, and 125 times more than Swiss ones... All of this should stand as a stark warning to Democrats. France has the highest overall tax take among O.E.C.D. countries (46.9 percent of G.D.P.), the highest rate of government spending, (56.38 percent of G.D.P.), the highest rate of safety-net spending, and the third highest rate of pension spending.Whatever else all this taxing and spending might be doing, it’s clearly not creating jobs or prosperity. As for making people happy, France doesn’t break the top 20 in this year’s World Happiness Report. Even Mexico ranks higher... If anything, it’s a tribute to the French that they continue to punch above their weight in so many fields, when the weight of the state lies so heavily on their backs.But as far as models go, the story of France’s economy in the past 40 years is mostly one of bad turns, thwarted hopes, and forgone opportunities"

Segments of Random Thoughts on Twitter - "Facebook is a white supremacist site. It frequently bans people who want progress for the Muslim world and therefore criticise it, because FB doesn't want the Muslim world to make progress. They want Muslims to be free from criticism and stuck in their backwardness and misery."

John on Twitter - "what are redditors "saving the planet" for if they call unborn children parasites"

Cosmic Crisp: This latest apple launch is nutritious and lasts in fridge for a year - "More than two decades in the making, a new apple variety called the Cosmic Crisp started shipping to retailers across the country in recent days. The new variety of the fruit was developed by researchers at Washington State University, who describe it as an exceptionally tasty and long-lasting cross between the disease-resistant Enterprise and the Honeycrisp apples... "Enterprise was chosen really because of its appearance," Evans told a podcast devoted to eaters called the Sporkful with Dan Pashman. "It looks really nice — it's a very pretty apple."Dubbed Cosmic Crisp for the bright yellow dots on its skin that resemble stars, the apple industry's newest addition keeps well in storage and especially the refrigerator, where it reportedly can still be in eating shape even after a year.But do the new apples live up to the hype, in terms of their taste? According to Pashman, the answer is a resounding yes."That's very juicy, very juicy," he said after a tasting. "The entire sensory experience of this apple is just amped up and elevated. It's extremely crunchy; it's extremely juicy; it's extremely sweet and also acidic. It's like a technicolor apple."

This Is Why Red Delicious Apples Suck So Hard - "Bland, sometimes cardboardy in texture and usually covered in wax, they’re still found in gas stations, in bowls at the reception desks of fancy hotels and, yes, in brown bag school lunches. But who likes to eat them?Not even many growers... If you want it to taste better, the Red Delicious needs to be left on the tree so long that a condition called watercore develops. “What that means is the starches and sugars get converted to sorbitol, or unfermentable sugar,” he says. “They’re very sweet, but they don’t last long. If you let the Red Delicious do that, even the cardboard ones can become nonoffensive. They can get a little interesting-er.”If you want a better-tasting apple, go to an orchard or farm to buy apples.Or try a different variety like the Fuji, which is a better-tasting descendant of the Red Delicious. Or taste an Empire or a Jonagold.“And Winesap — they’re like biting into a glass of chardonnay. They’re so delicious”"

Why Airlines Make Flights Longer on Purpose - "In the 1960s it took five hours to fly from New York to Los Angeles, and just 45 minutes to hop from New York to Washington, DC. Today, these same flights now take six-plus hours and 75 minutes respectively, although the airports haven’t moved further apart... Padding is the extra time airlines allow themselves to fly from A to B. Because these flights were consistently late, airlines have now baked delays experienced for decades into their schedules instead of improving operations... not only does your journey take longer but creating the illusion of punctuality means there’s no pressure on airlines to become more efficient, meaning congestion and carbon emissions will keep rising... this tactic not only enables airlines to claim they have improved on-time (OT) flight performance, but it also makes it easier to swerve the “magical three-hour limit” on delays – the threshold that qualifies passengers to file compensation claims at least under European Union passenger rights’ law"

What’s the Difference Between Greek, Icelandic, and Australian Yogurt? - "Greek
This style of yogurt is arguably what started the whole thick-and-creamy yogurt trend.. traditionally Greek yogurt is made only with full-fat milk... It’s the most tart and tangy of the three....
Icelandic
Also know as skyr, this yogurt from the Nordic island is giving Greek a run for its money. It’s actually made the same way as Greek yogurt, but it’s strained just a bit more to result in a seriously stick-to-your-spoon product that has even more protein. It’s traditionally made with nonfat yogurt, but popular brands like Siggi’s and Smári often add a bit of whole milk or even cream to give it richness. Overall, it’s less tart and more decadent than Greek yogurt.
Australian
Unlike Greek and Icelandic yogurt, Australian yogurt is unstrained. It’s still a bit richer and creamier than traditional yogurt, but the reason for that varies by brand. The popular brand Noosa uses only whole milk to achieve this, while Wallaby uses nonfat milk, but cooks it slower and longer than traditional yogurt to achieve that extra creaminess. Noosa also sweetens their yogurt with honey to give it a unique flavor."

"It's like something Trump would do": Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones hits out at new sequel - "The SNL comedian, who played Patty Tolan in Paul Feig’s 2016 all-female reboot, responded on Twitter after it was revealed that a third instalment of the original 1980s movies will arrive in 2020 – directed by Jason Reitman. Jones wrote: “So insulting. Like fuck us. We dint count. It’s like something trump would do. (Trump voice)”Gonna redo ghostbusteeeeers, better with men, will be huge. Those women ain’t ghostbusteeeeers” ugh so annoying. Such a dick move. And I don’t give fuck I’m saying something!!”... “I have so much respect for what Paul [Feig] created with those brilliant actresses, and would love to see more stories from them,” Reitman said. “However, this new movie will follow the trajectory of the original film.”"
So if you make a shitty movie which bombs, other people aren't allowed to reboot the series
No wonder her version failed

Domestic Workers Claim To Want 'Ang Moh' Employers. Does This Actually Make A Difference? - "my boss mentioned that his neighbours not only allowed their domestic worker to date, but to bring her boyfriend back to their house.This raised a couple of eyebrows, but on the whole, nobody was that surprised. My boss’ neighbours are French... domestic workers perceive foreign employers as being ‘better’, and would prefer to work for an expat family. Their stories also suggested that the stereotype has some basis in truth, as stereotypes often do... the kind of work performed for expat and local employers can differ, leading to different expectations being set. Local families tend to engage domestic workers to look after young children and/or their ageing parents, while expats virtually never request help with eldercare.Leizle also suggested that based on her and her friends’ experiences, local employers can be more accommodating of a new worker. “Most local families are willing to teach you when you are new, but some expat employers have very high expectations from you that your service is 100%.”... I asked David what the top requests he gets from domestic workers are. He told me that the second most common is for an ‘ang moh employer’. The first is that they want to be treated like family."