Links - 31st May 2020

Ford government pitches new law to reduce Toronto transit delays - "Doug Ford’s government returned to Queen's Park on Tuesday after an extended winter break with a proposed law to help push through four Toronto-area transit projects championed by the Progressive Conservatives.The new law is meant to fast track transit builds. And one of the ways it is going to do it is by allowing work to proceed before environmental assessments have been completed. The proposed Building Transit Faster Act would grant more power to the provincial transportation minister and the Metrolinx transit agency to override objections from the City of Toronto and neighbouring municipalities, utility companies and other property owners to a $28.5-billion plan to upgrade the city’s transit infrastructure.At the centre of that plan is the Ontario Line, a downtown relief subway line Ford is hoping to get built by 2027 at a cost of $10.9 billion. It also includes a three-stop Scarborough subway extension, a light-rail extension to the city's west end and future plans to extend the Yonge subway north to York Region. The bill will make it easier for the province to acquire the land needed to build the projects, and forces utilities and telecommunication companies to move out of the way at their own cost. It also requires other projects, such as condo developments and municipal road maintenance projects, to win the approval of Metrolinx and align with its construction schedule.Related draft regulations published by the environment ministry on Tuesday call for early planning to move forward before environmental assessments are complete. Such work could include station modifications, bridgework, expansion of rail corridors and utility relocation.“We’re not going to spend 12 months getting approval to cut down a tree”... Transit in Toronto has for years been plagued by construction delays and the vagaries of a shifting political landscape"
Of course, in the comments on Facebook people were slamming this. Of course, they also complain about projects taking a long time

Shuteye and sleep hygiene: the truth about why you keep waking up at 3am - "Lifestyle changes can make a big difference, even for people suffering from sleep apnoea (although that should be treated by a specialist). It is hackneyed to point the finger at caffeine, but people tend to underestimate how long its effects can last – Fischer says to stop consuming it by 2pm or 3pm. Water intake during the day is also a factor: “Even going to bed mildly dehydrated can disrupt our sleep.”Similarly, although people commonly turn to alcohol to help them fall asleep – Fischer says one in 10 use it as a sleep aid – it has a disruptive effect beyond the initial crash, causing spikes in blood sugar and cortisol levels. Diet can function in the same way, with “anti-sleep foods” that are high in sugar or cause flatulence or heartburn (such as broccoli and cabbage). A “pro-sleep” bedtime snack is a small amount of complex carbohydrates and protein, such as wholegrain cereal with milk, or toast with peanut butter, says Fischer. An “anti-inflammatory” diet favouring fruits, vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds and healthy fats (and limiting processed foods, red meats and alcohol) has been shown to improve sleep apnoea.As for exercise, although being active during the day aids sleep, anything strenuous is to be avoided before bedtime. A lot of advice for preventing night-time “awakenings” falls under the umbrella of what has come to be known as “good sleep hygiene”: restrict the bedroom to sleep and sex, ban screens emitting blue light, keep to regular bedtimes and so on... she “really cannot bear” fitness trackers, which monitor sleep, for focusing people’s minds on often inaccurate data. It is wrong to assume that you must sleep through the night, every night, she says. “We all have blips in our sleep – it’s never going to be that you sleep brilliantly all the time.”"

Normalization of plus sizes feeding obesity epidemic, study shows - "“While this type of body‐positive movement helps reduce stigmatization of larger‐sized bodies, it can potentially undermine the recognition of being overweight and its health consequences,” states the author of the study, titled “Normalization of Plus Size and the Danger of Unseen Overweight and Obesity in England.” The study suggests that the increase in advertising of “plus-size” models is contributing to the obesity epidemic by normalizing the social stigma surrounding it. This comes at a time when body-positivity and size-acceptance are being pushed heavily by feminists and many left-leaning organizations, trends capitalized on by the retail and fashion industries... the percentage of overweight people who underestimate their weight has increased from around 48 percent to 58 percent in males and 24 percent to 30 percent in females. Additionally, the study shows that 40.8 percent of overweight people are underestimating their weight and only 51.8 percent of them are trying to lose weight. What’s more, this normalization of plus sizes is eerily similar to the campaign that sought to normalize smoking... “This new study suggests that the normalization of obesity — and especially by deliberately choosing to feature models who are obese [‘plus size’] in magazines and in other ads — contributes to our current epidemic of obesity which costs the American economy about $150 billion a year; more than the total cost of Obamacare”... “Pointing out a study which suggests that, departing from long established custom by featuring models who are obese may, despite arguments for it, have adverse consequences, does by no stretch of the imagination constitute fat shaming, any more than a suggestion that the models should not be shown smoking necessarily constitutes smoker shaming”
Glorifying obesity has costs. Which is why we have gaslighting by the 'health at any size' people

Priti Patel says it is 'right' that UK only accepts people who speak English
Naturally this is "racist" even though many other developed countries do this (e.g. Germany)

Soon we’ll all enjoy supermarkets more – once the crowds of low-skilled migrant staff have been deported
Comments (from elsewhere): "Sounds a lot like "who will pick the cotton if we get rid of the slaves". Author should be ashamed of himself."
"Why does the left like to use blacks and illegals as their slave labor? They will never change."
Ironically, leftists are very keen on high minimum wages - while proclaiming that without illegal immigrants who are paid below the minimum wage (or who are otherwise exploited), life will be very hard. Almost as if there's a connection between high minimum wages and illegal immigration...

Why so many of the world’s oldest companies are in Japan - "Back in 2008, a Bank of Korea report found that of 5,586 companies older than 200 years in 41 countries, 56% of them were in Japan. In 2019, there were over 33,000 businesses in Japan over a century old, according to research firm Teikoku Data Bank. The oldest hotel in the world has been open since 705 in Yamanashi and confectioner Ichimonjiya Wasuke has been selling sweet treats in Kyoto since 1000. Osaka-based construction giant Takenaka was founded in 1610, while even some global Japanese brands like Suntory and Nintendo have unexpectedly long histories stretching back to the 1800s... Japanese companies’ emphasis on sustainability, rather than quick maximisation of profit, is a major reason why so many of the nation’s businesses have such staying power. “In Japan, it’s more: how can we move [the company] on to our descendants, our children, our grandchildren?”... “More generally, we could say that it is because of the general long-term orientation: the culture of respecting tradition and ancestors, combined with the fact that it has been an island country with relatively limited interaction with other countries,” she says, pointing to people’s desire to make the most of what they have for as long as possible by preserving local companies in the community. Many of these oldest companies are medium or small family-owned organisations focusing on hospitality and food, like Tsuen Tea. Several companies have even benefited from the widely-accepted Japanese practice of adopting adult male workers into the family bloodline to ensure an unbroken succession for the business, something even huge firms like Suzuki Motor and Panasonic have done... Hara also points to kimono companies struggling to stay in business as fewer Japanese women wear the traditional garments. One Kyoto-based kimono manufacturer dating back to 1688, Hosoo, has expanded into carbon fibre production for materials companies. “The core competency is the same: 3-D weaving”... Japanese businesses value this high-level customer service, known as omotenashi, and try to anticipate what customers need because they fuel the sustainability that Japanese companies value... Yet this admiration for longevity does have a downside, particularly when it comes to the nation’s start-up scene, which has been criticised as sluggish in comparison to elsewhere, although that characterisation is changing... “While in other countries, founders are praised for transforming their failures into valued experiences, in Japan, the dominant mindset towards risk and failure is a battle many entrepreneurs have to overcome.”... “Closing a company or selling it is also considered something of a failure and shame in Japan, and this feeling goes back centuries. So these cultural issues also seem to encourage families to keep firms going,” he says. “Japanese society, and the economy, is not as flexible as the US, and so Japan does not generate big new firms so easily. The tendency is to preserve what they have.”... “I was born here by chance. My ancestors continued the tea business and I’m taking over,” Tsuen says. “My goal is not to make the company bigger or expand sales or go worldwide. What’s most important is to just continue this.”"

'No Malaysian donations ever reached us, except from Mais' - "Palestinian ambassador to Malaysia Walid Abu Ali yesterday dropped a bombshell, claiming donations raised by Malaysian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had failed to reach the Al Aqsa Mosque fund for years.Only donations raised by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) had been accounted for3

Nine Ways You’re Cooking Pasta Wrong - "1. You use a small pot.
“Even if it looks way too big, grab a large pot,” Robbins says. “And add more water than you think you need. There should be enough space for the pasta to move around so that it cooks evenly in water that’s at a rolling boil. If it looks like your pasta is crammed in a hot bathtub of simmering water, you were too skimpy with your pot and your water. And remember that heavily salted water is essential.”
2. You add oil to your cooking water.
“Here’s the short reason why: It prevents sauce from sticking to the pasta"...
3. You grab a colander.
“If you’re draining your pasta in a colander in the sink, you’re losing all the cooking water—and that water is an important ingredient for a great dish...
5. You pour sauce on top...
If you’re serving a sauced pasta, you should always add the pasta to a pan of sauce and finish cooking it there. These last few minutes are crucial: They ensure that the pasta absorbs more flavor. Allow for that additional time by undercooking your pasta a little bit in the boiling water. And add spoonfuls of the pasta cooking water you reserved to the sauce as you stir the pasta; it will be a little bit thick from the starch of the pasta and help thicken and flavor the sauce.”
6. And you use too much sauce...
"There should be next to nothing in your bowl or on the plate when you serve it"...
7. You believe pasta belongs on a plate.
“I use bowls to serve almost all pastas, from long strands of spaghetti, fettuccine, and mafaldini to short shapes like rigatoni and gnocchi. Pasta is more comfortable in a bowl, it’s more fun to eat, and there’s less chance of cooling down quickly. The exceptions to my rule are flat-bottomed pasta, namely ravioli but also varieties like the coin-shaped crozetti, which can get broken up if they’re jumbled in a bowl.”...
9. You throw out the leftovers.
“Almost any leftover pasta, with the exception of stuffed ones, can have a second life as a very delicious frittata or baked dish. Add a few beaten eggs, a lot of grated cheese, and any other ingredients that sound tasty such as cooked sausage and bake in a 350F oven in a baking dish or heatproof skillet.”"

You’re Doing it Wrong: The Guide to Making Perfect Pasta - "Over the past few decades, pasta has been given a bad reputation by many low carb fad diets such as the original Atkins diet. On the flip side, the touted Mediterranean Diet includes pasta as a staple. Part of the confusion over the merits of eating bread draw from the conflation of durum wheat, which pasta is traditionally made from, and wheat used for baking bread. Durum pasta has a low glycemic index(GI) of about 25-45. To compare, white bread has a high GI of about 75 and potatoes have a GI of about 80, as do many breakfast cereals. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating foods with a low GI has been associated with higher HDL-cholesterol concentrations (the “good” cholesterol), a decreased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And, case-control studies have also shown positive associations between dietary glycemic index and the risk of colon and breast cancers. Pasta made with even healthier grains, such as whole grain and spelt, do add additional nutrients but do not necessarily lower the GI. The way pasta is cooked also affects its healthiness. For the healthiest and tastiest way, you want to cook the pasta al dente, which means “to the tooth” or “to the bite.” If overcooked, the GI index will rise...
Make sure the water is boiled: For all the impatient cooks out there, just wait that extra minute until the water is boiling with big bubbles. The boiling temperature is what prevents the pasta from getting mushy. That first plunge into the boiling water is critical to the texture of the final product. It will also help you time the pasta better.
Stir: Do not forget to stir. It may sound obvious, but this simple step can easily be forgotten through everyday distractions and the rush of cooking dinner. Without stirring, the pasta will for sure stick together and cook unevenly...
Don’t rinse cooked pasta: Adding oil to pasta is not the only culprit to preventing the sauce and pasta from harmoniously mixing. Rinsing the cooked pasta under water does just the same. According to Giada de Laurentiis in her cookbook Everyday Pasta, “the starch on the surface contributes flavor and helps the sauce adhere.” If you rinse the water, you rinse away the starch."