Links - 8th May 2018 (1)

Parisians threaten hunger strike over migrant street camps - "Paris residents furious that hundreds of migrants are sleeping on the streets of their neighbourhood are threatening to launch a hunger strike unless the authorities remove the squalid pavement camps. They are demanding the relocation of a centre that processes asylum requests, which they argue is a magnet for migrants. Local groups accuse the migrants of harassing women and starting fights as they jostle for admittance to the office, managed by a charity with state aid. Several high-profile police operations to clear migrants sleeping in the streets of the 10th arrondissement in northern Paris over the past two years have failed to solve the problem. Migrants reappeared within days or weeks. Pierre Vuarin, a spokesman for a neighbourhood association, said: “The pavement is sometimes soaked in urine and the streets aren’t cleaned every day. Some people have sold their flats at knockdown prices and others have suffered mental breakdowns”... Women have repeatedly complained of harassment by migrants camped in the nearby area of La Chapelle. Leftist groups accused them of exaggerating the problem."
Listen and believe - unless you're racist

Birmingham Labour candidate apologises after saying 'no proof' that ISIS exists - "Law student Safia Noor, 25, has been selected as Labour’s new candidate for the Small Heath ward in city council elections next year."

Liberian nationality law - Wikipedia - "Liberia confers nationality solely on the basis of race. Under the current Liberian constitution, only persons of black African origins may obtain citizenship"

Garrison Keillor & The Dark Side Of #MeToo - "While the trend among elites in the United States — especially intellectual elites — has been to declare nostalgia for America’s past ignorant, misguided, and even harmful, I have always found these declarations to be sanctimonious, self-flagellating, and frankly more than a tad bit annoying. Cultural nostalgia, for me, is not about glossing over a civilization’s injustices, but about finding and momentarily amplifying a civilization’s redeeming aspects (a role, by the way, which nostalgia also plays when it comes to our personal histories)... In a case study of missing the point, Alicia Eler, author of The Selfie Generation, penned an op-ed for Harpers Bazaar (titled “No, Garrison Keillor, Women Who Take Selfies Aren’t ‘Asking For It’”) that twisted the radio host’s defense to the extent of borderline libel... while the Harpers Bazaar article contained an abundance of cluelessness and self-promotion (“Garrison Keillor hates selfies! Buy my book about selfies!”), an article in TIME written by Nora McInerny wins the Gold Medal for snobbery and opportunism. “Garrison Keillor Thinks In The Past & Belongs In The Past” the headline dictates, and the tone of its contents is no less aggressive... MPR has ended distribution of Keillor’s broadcasts and rebroadcasts, the station has changed the name of Keillor’s radio program, and it has separated itself from Keillor’s website and online catalogs. For anyone looking at the history of MPR, then, it will appear as if Keillor never worked for them in the first place. There will literally be a 50-year empty space in the radio station’s record of its past. Such a possibility is particularly eery to anyone who’s ever watched a documentary on the Soviet Union or has ever read 1984. Garrison Keillor is now a “non-person.” He’s gone into the Memory Hole... Presumption of innocence until proven guilt is now not only discouraged, but loudly derided as a concept that contributes to “rape culture” (another radical — and deeply flawed — concept that would require a separate article entirely)... Don’t worry men. If you ever find yourself among the 2-10% of persons falsely accused of rape, you can sleep easy knowing that even if a court of law finds you not guilty, society will loathe and ostracize you regardless. But this doesn’t matter to mainstream feminist writers and activists. In fact, they’re ecstatic about the possibility of innocent men being concerned and worried... With such flagrant disdain for American males on open display during the peak of #MeToo’s popularity, it amazes me how we’re still expected to believe the empty promise that modern/intersectional feminism “is for men too”... Many angry feminist crusaders would thunder that men should instinctively know when a woman is interested in them and when she is not. But at that point you’re effectively punishing social awkwardness, not predatory behavior. Others will say that if a woman is interested in you, she will make it known, and if she doesn’t make it known then she shouldn’t be approached. Because apparently women are incapable of shyness, insecurity, and wondering whether or not a man is in fact interested in them. This type of response seems to suggest that while women should take an active approach to their romantic and sexual satisfaction, men should only take an apathetic approach to their own. Marian Call, the singer/songwriter, would rather see an end to flirting period — especially in the workplace... The result of this diabolical lunacy is obvious: women should be idolized, men should be pathologized... Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, and Kevin Spacey no more represent all men than the escaped asylum patients Jessica Valenti, Emily Lindin, Marian Call, and Ijeoma Oluo represent all women (though they think they do)."
Feminists hating men is supposed to be a myth. But then, no true feminist puts sugar in her porridge
#notallfeminists #yesallmen

Lawrence Solomon: Ban the bike! How cities made a huge mistake in promoting cycling - "In many cities, bike lanes now consume more road space than they free up, they add to pollution as well as reducing it, they hurt neighbourhoods and business districts alike, and they have become a drain on the public purse. The bicycle today — or rather the infrastructure that now supports it — exemplifies “inappropriate technology,” a good idea gone wrong through unsustainable, willy-nilly top-down planning... As a City of London report acknowledged last year, “The most significant impact on the City’s road network in the last 12 months has been the construction and subsequent operation of TfL’s cycle super highway … areas of traffic congestion can frequently be found on those roads.” As Lord Nigel Lawson put it in a parliamentary debate on bicycles, cycle lanes have done more damage to London than “almost anything since the Blitz.” As a consequence of the idling traffic, pollution levels have risen, contributing to what is now deemed a toxic stew. Ironically, cyclists are especially harmed, and not just because the bike lanes they speed upon are adjacent to tailpipes. According to a study by the London School of Medicine, cyclists have 2.3 times more inhaled soot than walkers because “cyclists breathe more deeply and at a quicker rate than pedestrians while in closer proximity to exhaust fumes"... Neighbourhoods endure extra pollution, too, with frustrated autos cutting through residential districts to avoid bike-bred congestion.Health and safety costs aside — per kilometre travelled, cyclist fatalities are eight times that of motorists — the direct economic burden associated with cycling megaprojects is staggering... The indirect costs of cycling also loom large because cycling lanes typically displace lanes that formerly accommodated street parking, especially outside rush-hour periods. Businesses that rely on street parking for their customers are often bitter at seeing their sales gutted. Cities not only lose revenue from street parking, they also lose revenue from public transit because — anecdotally, at least — people are switching to bikes more from public transit than from cars. And because the demand for parking hasn’t vanished, cities now find themselves levelling buildings on main streets and side streets in favour of parking lots. In effect, the varied uses to which the lanes adjacent to the sidewalk were once put — for car and bike traffic during rush hour and for parking benefitting delivery vehicles, local businesses and their patrons at other times — has devolved into a single-function piece of under-used pavement. In a user-pay or market economy, where users pay for the services they consume, bicycle lanes would be non-starters outside college campuses and other niche settings... The most telling opposition to cyclists, though, may be cultural. They are often seen as an entitled, smug and affected minority... At least two cities in the U.K. have banned cyclists from their city centres and just this month the government of New South Wales in Australia decided to ban bikes (but not automobiles, motorcycles, trucks or trams) on a popular Sydney street that had been a bike commuter route. The government explained it wants the street to become conducive to pedestrians. Other street bans important to Sydney’s downtown are in the works."

Eminem Can Keep His Anti-Trump Diss Track | Marshall Mathers, Harvey Weinstein and the Toxic Hypocrisy of the Liberal Elite - "the internet seemed anxious to celebrate another successful man, famous for his rapping talent, but also for his misogynistic art and his real-life domestic abuse, all because he dared to be critical of Trump: Eminem, a man famous for lyrics like, "You think I won't choke a whore? 'Til the vocal chords don't work in her throat no more," and, "Ain't no one safe from, non-believers there ain't none, I even make the bitches I rape cum"; a man who openly discussed the volatile relationship he had with ex-wife, Kim Mathers, and later lamented that he wished he could have "controlled his rage better"; a man who went on to rap about his fantasies of killing and burying Kim Mathers, as hundreds of thousands of young people sang along to the lyrics fetishizing the potential escalation of domestic abuse. Farrow points out that Harvey Weinstein has been thanked more times in Oscar speeches than God"

Tunisian Islamists Ennahda move to separate politics, religion - "Free elections, a new constitution and a compromise politics between secular and Islamist parties have helped Tunisia avoid the turmoil seen in several other Arab nations"

Experiment Reveals How Surprisingly Easy It Is To Become A Fake Instagram Star And Get Brands To Pay You

Female lawyers in Australia are being burnt out by the ‘boys’ club’ - "“Young women know it’s a boys’ club and they have to work harder than men to get ahead. That isn’t to say you don’t make great friends, but it’s exhaustingly competitive.” Bowie decided to play along with the firm’s mantra: “work hard, play hard” until her health broke down under the strain of long hours and little support and she took a medical leave of absence. Bowie’s experience may reflect a greater disillusionment women in the legal profession are experiencing... It was a senior partner at the mid-tier firm who lamented to Boyle that skilled and eminently capable women lawyers were not pursuing senior positions and showing greater doubt and lack of confidence in themselves as professionals which was stark in contrast to the cocky confidence of many male lawyers who were quick to compete, to take on extra work, to claim knowledge... Gaining clients and briefs is a competitive venture and often leads to late nights, tense and emotional clients, the pressure of assets, relationships, reputation and ego at stake."
More reasons for the gender pay gap

Tip: Stop Eating Brown Rice - "Yes, brown rice has protein, but it's a negligible amount; you're better off with a mouthful of animal protein. Brown rice does indeed have fiber, but you'd be better off getting your fiber through other, more nutrient-dense fiber sources like fruits and vegetables. And lastly, yes, it doesn't do much to raise blood sugar, but no one eats a bowl of white rice by itself unless that's all they get to eat. Instead, they eat it with meat, or vegetables, or a little oil, all of which ameliorate rises in blood sugar. There's one thing about brown rice that makes it particularly problematic and that's the presence of phytic acid, a compound located in the rice bran – the part that gives brown rice its color. Phytic acid, quite simply, grabs on to or chelates minerals, in addition to inhibiting enzymes we need to digest food. This results in making many of the coveted nutrients largely unavailable for digestion."

Why is the Budweiser better in Europe? Because it isn't 'Bud' - "try ordering "Budweiser" in Austria, for example, and you'll be drinking European beer. Ask instead for the "Bud" label, and you'll be served the American product."

Essex police investigate stab wounds on fired protester's friend - "Police have found no witnesses to an alleged assault against an Essex Junction man who publicly disagreed with efforts to get his high-school friend Ryan Roy fired after Roy participated in the Aug. 12 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia... Sam Wormer told police he was attacked outside his home by "multiple assailants" and stabbed, Essex Police Capt. George Murtie said Monday. Wormer posted a photo on Facebook of the injuries he said he sustained in the attack. "This is social justice apparently," Wormer wrote in the post. "This is what I get for sticking up for someone. Cowards.""

To be or not to be … indecisive: Gender differences, correlations with obsessive–compulsive complaints, and behavioural manifestation - "Indecisiveness can pose a threat to normal daily functioning. In addition, it has been associated with obsessive–compulsive disorder. Undergraduate students (N = 135) completed the Indecisiveness Scale (Frost & Shows, 1993) and three other measures. It was found that women are more indecisive than men. Furthermore, indecisiveness correlated positively with several obsessive–compulsive complaints (e.g., checking and rumination), but negatively with life satisfaction. Finally, indecisiveness was associated with the number of do-not-know answers on a scale containing political statements that had to be evaluated by participants. The latter finding suggests that indecisive individuals not only need more time to reach a decision, but that they also actually fail to reach decisions."
Ahh... stereotypes!

The Silver Snipers are a CS:GO team in Sweden where the youngest member is 62 and the oldest 81. They say playing CS has helped to give them a confidence boost and serve as a sort of mental gymnastics : gaming

Nobody Is Going to Force You to Marry Homosexuals
Christian Bed & Breakfast Fined $80K for Refusing Gay Marriage Now Forced to Host Gay Weddings
Nobody Is Going to Make You Participate in Gay Weddings
Gay Colorado Couple Sues Bakery for Allegedly Refusing Them Wedding Cake
Nobody Is Going to Teach a Homosexual Agenda to Your Children
California High School Creates Gay History Class
The slippery slope was supposed to be a fallacy

Racial dispute at beloved bakery roils liberal college town - "The dispute, which began in November 2016 with the arrest of three black Oberlin students who tried stealing wine from Gibson's, is now a lawsuit in which the exasperated bakery owners accuse the college and a top dean of slandering Gibson's as a "racist establishment" and taking steps to destroy the family's livelihood... The three students were arrested after punching and kicking the white shopkeeper. The 18- and 19-year-old students said that they were racially profiled and that their only crime was trying to buy alcohol with fake identification; the shopkeeper, Allyn Gibson, said the students attacked him after he caught them trying to steal bottles of wine. The day after the arrests, hundreds of students protested outside the bakery. Members of Oberlin's student senate published a resolution saying Gibson's had "a history of racial profiling and discriminatory treatment"... The three students arrested at Gibson's pleaded guilty in August to attempted theft and aggravated trespassing and said in statements required by a plea agreement that their actions were wrong and that the store wasn't racist. Even so, students continue to boycott Gibson's over perceived racial profiling, causing business to suffer. Pressed by a reporter to provide evidence or examples of profiling, they said only that when black students enter the store, they feel as though they're being watched. "Racism can't always be proven on an Excel sheet," said Kameron Dunbar, an Oberlin junior and vice chair of the student senate... "I've never seen evidence; it's always hearsay," Copeland said. "When your fellow student is shutting down a conversation because he or she is made uncomfortable, it leads to a hive mentality." On Nov. 7, the Gibsons sued Oberlin and Meredith Raimondo, vice president and dean of students, for slander, accusing faculty members of encouraging demonstrations against the bakery by suspending classes, distributing flyers, and supplying protesters with free food and drink. It says Raimondo took part in the demonstration against Gibson's with a bullhorn and distributed a flyer that said the bakery is a "RACIST establishment with a LONG ACCOUNT of RACIAL PROFILING and DISCRIMINATION." Today, the lawsuit says, college tour guides continue to inform prospective students that Gibson's is racist. Dave Gibson, the bakery's owner, says the lawsuit is about standing up for his right to crack down on shoplifting without being branded as a racist. The suit says Oberlin demanded that he stop pushing criminal charges on first-time shoplifters and call school deans instead... "Sometimes you have to stand up to a large institution. Powerful institutions — including Oberlin College — and their members must follow the same laws as the rest of us." Gibson's loses thousands of dollars to theft, the lawsuit said. It rejects any accusations of racial bias, pointing to police figures in the past five years that show only six out of 40 adults arrested for shoplifting at the bakery were black."
Social Justice has consequences

Piers Morgan: Trump keeps his promises. Lib media hate it - "there’s one thing even his most vociferous enemies – and that is a historically high volume of human beings – cannot continue to deny, and it’s this: Donald Trump delivers on his promises. Of course, in the main, they’re not promises his opponents actually wanted him to keep, but that is beside the point... Candidate Trump repeatedly vowed to ‘wipe the hell out of ISIS’... Experts say this success is down to Trump authorizing his military commanders, led by secretary of defense Gen. James Mattis, to do what they needed to do without getting bogged down by slow-moving, agenda-driven politicians in Washington. Brig. Gen. Robert Sofge, the top US Marine in Iraq, said he and his men ‘enjoyed not having to deal with too many distractions’ and ‘there was no question about what the mission in Iraq’ now was. Yahya Rasool, a spokesman for Iraq’s Ministry of Defense, agreed: ‘I was not optimistic when Trump first came to office,’ he said, ‘but after a while I started to see a new approach. I saw how the coalition forces were all moving faster to help the Iraq side more than before. There seemed to be a lot of support, under Obama we did not get this.’... Unemployment is at a 17-year low, hiring is strong - last Friday’s jobs report showed 228,000 new jobs in November - GDP expanded 3.3% in the third quarter, and the stock market keeps breaking new records. All this after America’s supposedly leading economist Paul Krugman tweeted on election night: ‘It really does now look like President Donald J. Trump, and markets are plunging. If the question is when markets will recover a first-pass is never.’ Financial experts put this success down to Trump unburdening America of many of the over-draconian and panicky regulatory barriers put in place after the 2008/9 crash... his ‘big, beautiful’ wall along the Southern border (just the threat of it has led to a 38% fall in illegal immigrants coming over that border since he was elected)... By contrast, Obama – an eloquent, intelligent and thoughtful man liked and admired by almost the entire world – abjectly failed on many of his biggest promises including pledges to close Guantanamo Bay, get new gun control laws, create a path to citizenship for undocumented illegals, reform Washington, and end the war in Afghanistan... In the past 10 days alone, journalists from four supposedly reputable media organisations (ABC, CNN, Bloomberg and Washington Post) have had to retract stories – a shameful state of affairs that simply serves to strengthen his point [about fake news]."