Links - 26th August 2013

Women: Why do some women like to strike a pose where one leg is kicking backwards? Is there a name for this pose? - Quora - "I think the primary aesthetic reason is the enhancement of the booty curve. It also can elevate sexy-looking shoes so they're highlighted in a photo."
"the leg thing is a prerogative of very young (chronologically and emotionally) females. The sole purpose of this is to look perky since certain muscles get tensed, plus the pose adds the curves, as you can see from the referenced photo. Otherwise, it adds some romantic aura (below is the explanation from The Princess Diaries (2001 movie)"

Parisians issued advice on how to deal with Chinese tourists - ""A simple smile and a greeting in their language satisfies them completely," the guide issued by the Regional Tourism Council of the Paris Chamber of Commerce reads. "Rouanne ing gouang linne" is how it tries to explain the intricacies of saying "welcome" in Chinese... Last autumn, a Parisian hotelier caused outrage when he said his hotel would not serve Chinese tourists, because of their bad manners... Despite this, most Chinese remain enchanted with the city of lights. Almost 47 per cent of visitors from China say they wish to return to Paris within two years, according to the tourism council."

The day I asked the Home Office to help me go home – to Willesden Green - "I kept the (very polite) Home Office man on the phone for some time, all the while sounding more and more despondent at the fact there was no chance he would get me a taxi for my five-mile journey home. It wasn't the most considered form of political action I have ever engaged in. But I soon wondered if it might be the most effective. The tweets I posted summarising my conversation reached hundreds of thousands of people and trended second in the UK. Others began to text messages to the Home Office asking for help to "go home": road updates, train times and lost keys, all reported under the #racistvan hashtag, utilising both wit and disgust. People saw the humour in the mild trolling of the Home Office, and the responses demonstrated that they too recognised that this is a vicious, hateful campaign."
A form of trolling liberals would approve of

The Avengers (Power Rangers Style!) - YouTube

NeverSeconds - "One primary school pupil's daily dose of school dinners."

Is Indonesian Islam tolerant? - "Is Indonesian Islam better? In what way? If it is tolerant and inclusive because of its strong Sufi dimension, whereas some orientalists argue that Sufism is not originally Islamic, does it mean that Islam basically is intolerant and Indonesian Islam is less Islamic? How would we explain the recent increasing intolerance of Muslims in Indonesia, as reflected in the recent acts of terrorism in the name of religion, the Sampang Shiite tragedy, the rise of extremism among young Indonesian Muslims and the negative evaluation by the US Department of State in its 2011 International Religious Freedom Report? If this intolerance is seen as foreign influence, wasn’t Islam itself a foreign religion in the beginning?... In different degrees and levels of power, both the inclusive and exclusive, tolerant and intolerant Islam coexists throughout Islamic history. We cannot argue that any act of violence committed by an Indonesian Muslim is an anomaly, an exception, or due to foreign influence. That would be dishonest and would only prevent us from properly digesting and eventually overcoming the real problems."

Is Indonesia still a model of religious tolerance? - "Despite a rise in religiously-motivated violence at home, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono addressed a wealthy crowd at New York’s Pierre hotel on Thursday night and accepted an award from an interfaith group for his work promoting religious freedom and human rights... the US State Department released its annual report on religious freedom, which expresses concern about rising religious intolerance in Indonesia."

Is Will Smith Homophobic? - ""MOSCOW (AP) — Hollywood star Will Smith slapped a male television reporter who he said tried to kiss him on the lips as he walked down the red carpet for the Moscow premiere of "Men in Black III.""
If a woman slaps a man who tries to kiss her, is she misandristic?

Beautiful women 'more likely to be unfaithful' - ""Women with higher oestradiol reported a greater likelihood of flirting, kissing and having a serious affair with someone other than their primary partner and were marginally more likely to date another man." But while high-oestradiol women had significantly more long-term relationships the hormone wasn't related to the likelihood of one-night stands. "The results suggest although high-oestradiol women may not subjectively prefer long over short-term relationships they nonetheless adopt a strategy of serial monogamy""

Men prefer feminine features for a quick fling - "Studies on factors that influence human mating mostly focus on women, who have shown a similar preference for a hunkier man for a fling but a geekier one to settle down with -- possibly a more reliable bet for helping to raise children... They found that men rated women with more feminine features more highly for a fling. The preference was especially high among men who were already in a steady relationship. "When a man has secured a mate, the potential cost of being discovered may increase his choosiness regarding short-term partners relative to unpartnered men, who can better increase their short-term mating success by relaxing their standards," wrote the study authors. But in making long-term choices, men "may actually prefer less attractive/feminine women," they added. Previous research has found that attractive women are likelier to be unfaithful, particularly if their partner is unattractive. "If his partner cheats on him, a man risks raising a child which is not his own""
Marry a woman uglier than you

Psychology of infidelity: Why men and women cheat - "“Men and women view sex differently. They have different values. Women view sex more relationship-related than for procreation. Men tend to view sex more in terms of recreation, fun and even stress release”... “When the woman cheats, she’s more likely to cheat with a single male and to develop an intimate and more romantic relationship,” he said. “Women tend to cheat more along the lines of a romance novel, where they are looking for that kind of dynamic and romantic intimate attention and excitement. When a man cheats, he’s more likely to cheat in a series of one-night-stands. Men oftentimes are looking for that kind of high from a new sexual relationships from the attention of oftentimes a younger woman and to feel that kind of escape.” In his research, Dr. Ley said the one common ground amongst both sexes that cheat is a sense of psychological and biological excitement that oftentimes diminishes in long-term relationships. In fact, the aforementioned Journal of Marital and Family Therapy study showed 57 percent of men and 54 percent of women admitted to committing infidelity in any prior relationship... Openness: Those who are open to trying new things might be more likely to try infidelity as well... Dixit says men with high self-esteem and confidence are more likely to be unfaithful, while the opposite is true for women... age difference for infidelity is a bimodal distribution with men under 35 and over 60 years of age likely to cheat more. The same can be said for women in their 60s... “The more recent generations, the under 35 group, are perhaps a little less committed to the notion of marriage forever to one person just as there’s less commitment to one job for a lifetime”

Believing in TV romances could hurt your real-life relationship - "Those subjects who had a higher "belief" in romantic stories on television, as well as those who spent more time watching TV romance, were found to be less committed to their spouses and thought their alternatives to their spouse, including being single, were attractive options. They also felt that their real relationships "cost" them more in terms of personal freedoms and time spent alone -- and they were more aware of their partner's flaws."

Hung controversy draws focus from military's real importance - "Military forces around the world have not been known for their respect of human rights, nor their transparency. As organizations dedicated to the art and science of efficient eradication (or at least the incapacitation) of human beings designated as enemy, the armed forces can find themselves psychologically far-removed from the norms and rules of the civilian society they defend. Brigadier General John B. Murphy, a commanding general of Division Artillery of the U.S.' 100th Infantry Division during World War II, dismissed the idea of a democratic army as absurd, saying such a force would be an “undisciplined mob.” Many U.S. servicemen and women are probably still reminded of a similar philosophy by their boot camp sergeants: “You are here to defend democracy, not to practice it.” The significance of Taiwan's spectacular response to Hung's death is therefore twofold. First, it highlights the Taiwanese people's extraordinarily high regard for human rights. The 200,000 protesters amassing outside the Presidential Office for Hung showed the world the proudly humanistic spirit of Taiwan. It, however, also reveals the predicament of the nation's armed forces, which seem to have lost their purpose. The Taiwanese military should have built a reputation as one of the forces in the world most needed by its nation. It defends Taiwan from the world's most populous and armed (in terms of military size) nation, one which is also a major nuclear power. The mainland's People Liberation Army (PLA) has been advancing rapidly in recent years. Decades of military standoff and Taiwan's recent detente with the mainland seem to have stripped the military of its purpose and a substantial amount of respect."

Wisconsin Woman Accused of Holding Men Hostage for Sex - "Terry L. Boyd, 52, allegedly locked her roommate and another man inside a room at a residence on North Sixth Street, and refused to let them leave until one of the victims agreed to have sex with her."

Lawful Evil | Talking Philosophy - "While I am a professional philosopher, my view of ethics was significantly shaped by the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons alignment system... during WWII not all Germans were evil, but Germany acted as a rather evil nation. To be fair, most nations tend to be evil and, more specifically, lawful evil"

This charming charlie - "All images adapted from Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic series. All words adapted from Smiths lyrics written by Morrissey."
Many of these wouldn't be out of place in the original strips

Switzerland builds £1.5m drive-in sex chalets so prostitutes can service clients in privacy - "Authorities in Zurich are trying an innovative way to regulate prostitution by introducing 'sex boxes' as discreet solicitation areas... The boxes are equipped with panic alarms which can be activated if the clients or prostitutes feel in any danger. The sex workers will have to register with a health insurer and buy a 'work ticket' each night for £3.50 each night that they work. Prostitution in Zurich will be confined to the booths and two other zones after they open. This is intended to curb the large numbers of prostitutes working in residential areas and in the city centre.
Discrimination against non-motorists! There're class implications (even motorcyclists can't use them)