Meme - Ian Miles Cheong @stillgray: "Structural steel doesn’t need to be at melting point in order to buckle. The argument that “jet fuel can’t melt steel beams” therefore 9/11 was an inside job is a tired one that requires only your ignorance."
Ian Miles Cheong on X - "Candace Owens has gone full 9/11 truther but she picked the most easily debunked theory to jump on, stating that Jews were warned to leave the Twin Towers hours prior to the attacks, insinuating that the Jews were therefore responsible for it. What she doesn't tell you is that the warning given to Odigo employees did not mention the World Trade Center. The very first victim of the 9/11 attackers was Daniel Lewin, an Israeli Jew and hundreds of Jews died in the Twin Towers. The employees who received this message were in the Herzliya, Israel. That's nowhere close to Manhattan. They did not mention this to their employer until after they heard reports of a terrorist attack in the United States on the news, after which they informed the company's management. I've attached the report on the right. 10 seconds of research would tell you this. Let us just assume then that she has "done the research" as she claims and ignored all of this in order to push a narrative."
Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼 on X - "The truth about 9/11. On this day 23 years ago, Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda indiscriminately murdered 2,977 Americans in the worst terrorist attack in history. Osama Bin Laden explained at length that he carried out the September 11 terrorist attacks to “revenge Palestinian blood” and punish the West for supporting “Jewish aggression.” Given the inherently repulsive nature of this act of mass slaughter against innocents, apologists for jihadist terrorism must always obfuscate and lie about the ideological basis of this act of mass slaughter. This is the reason why these apologists constantly promote obscene and disgusting lies about 9/11 - blaming Jews, Mossad, Bush, Cheney, anybody but the actual jihadist terrorists who carried out the slaughter. The truth is that the ideology that motivated Bin Laden and Al Qaeda was radical jihadist terrorism and he explained this at length on multiple occasions. Bin Laden wrote in his “Letter to the American People” manifesto that he hated America for refusing to convert to Islam and for its supposed embrace of homosexuality, gambling, drugs and “sexual immorality.” He argued in this manifesto that Jews controlled America and that all American civilians were therefore collectively guilty of “supporting Jewish aggression.” To Bin Laden, this meant that American civilians could therefore be killed at any moment anywhere. He wrote: “You are the nation who, rather than ruling by the Shariah of Allah in its Constitution and Laws, choose to invent your own laws as you will and desire. You separate religion from your policies, contradicting the pure nature which affirms Absolute Authority to the Lord and your Creator.” So this was the ideological basis for the slaughter. Lunatic anti-Semitic conspiracy theories mixed with hardline Islamic fundamentalism which seeks to eradicate religious and political pluralism in favour of Islamist supremacy everywhere. Sadly there has still yet to be a serious reckoning with these utterly toxic and poisonous political ideas. I say political because it is absolutely vital to clarify that political Islamism as represented by Bin Laden and Al Qaeda is a corruption of Islam as an actual religious faith. Islamism is an entirely seperate political ideology. But it is unfortunately a popular political ideology today. At the height of Bin Laden’s popularity in the Arab world during the 2000s, he regularly polled 50% – 60% favourable ratings in surveys across the region. And as recently as June 2020, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan denounced his killing and called him a martyr. For the sake of peace and harmony between the world’s religions, this horrific veneration of Bin Laden must end and all the sick conspiracy theories and lies designed to obfuscate the role jihadist terrorism played in murdering 2,977 innocents on September 11, 2001 must end. That is the truth about 9/11."
Opinion: Muslim radicalization has increased, not decreased, since 9/11 - "After more than two decades we see the resurgence and rejuvenation of this terrorist ideology among a visible portion of Muslims. Is it because these Muslim populations don’t have political empowerment? The people of Gulf countries have zilch political rights, but they are largely happy and peaceful populations. Is it because of economic opportunities? Not sure. Because when we look at the recent behaviour of some Muslim people on our streets, where they are far better economically empowered than in the countries and societies they left behind, we see an ideologically charged crowd that doesn’t like any symbol of western values. The examples of many in the Arab/Muslim diaspora in the West and Arab citizens of the Gulf tell us that lack of democracy and social development are not triggering their restless and violent behaviour. Despite all these years of attempting to combat terrorism, the radicalization of Muslim populations has become worse, not less, since 9/11. Is it the Palestinian question that has triggered recent protesters? Again, no evidence. They don’t rise and protest human rights violations in their own home countries. Let’s put this question in another way. Would these protesters be happy if Palestinians got their state? Still no evidence. Because for most of them, the demand is for all the land “from river to the sea,” which means they want Jews and Israel gone. If Jews agreed to leave and Israel was no more, would attacks against the West and Jews in other parts of the world end? The answer is a big no. Here’s the problem. Due to regressive education systems in the Muslim world, many of their populations live in a perceived glorified past. Many are indoctrinated as being culturally and religiously superior to the West — meaning Christian and Jewish cultures. They want to bring everyone else down so they can maintain their supremacy. Fighting wars will not change this mindset. And democracy and social development will only work if someone wants them. Amid the rise of woke-ism and political correctness, many are almost forgetting that 9/11 ever happened. The gen Z generation has no recollection of this horrific event. The only thing the West can do is protect its communities and streets with strong law enforcement and promote Western values to immigrant communities."
The authors didn't get the memo that if you have strong law enforcement and promote Western values to immigrant communities, it will mean the terrorists will have won. We need to dedicate resources to crushing the "far right" instead
Meme - Egyptian Atheist @egy_atheist: "Muslims in English: The Mossad did 9/11.
Muslims in Arabic:"
"May God grant him paradise...."
"May God have mercy on you, heroic prince Muhammad Atta. It made the Americans taste a fracti... Read more See original (Translated by Google)"
A man who hopes to 'die with zero' says inheritances aren't the best way to pass wealth to your children - ""For any income group you look at, the age of 'inheritance receipt' peaks at around 60. That's a natural result of the fact that the most common life span is 80 and the most common age gap between parents and children is 20," Perkins writes, citing a report from the Federal Reserve. For most people, 60 isn't when that money would make the most impact. The average net worth in this age group, in households headed by someone aged 55 to 64, is over $1 million. People in this age group have already likely planned for retirement on their own, sent children to college, and even paid off a mortgage. For that reason, Perkins writes that the money could be better used earlier in life. Inheritances have largely, and perhaps unintentionally, become retirement funds for middle-class retirees above all else, Insider previously reported. "Inheritances used to go more toward mid-career, mid-life expenses like kids, and now they're likely going more toward concerns of people in their 50s, which is saving for retirement," Lincoln Plews, a research analyst at United Income from Capital One, previously told Insider. Perkins cites the example of one woman who struggled for years financially while raising her own children, only to receive an inheritance at 49 once her mother died. In an interview with one of Perkins' colleagues, this woman said, "It would have been more valuable a lot earlier." Those in their 50s and 60s have had years to start saving, investing, and probably have established a life for themselves. Meanwhile, younger generations, including millennials and Gen Z, face large amounts of student debt, a tough job market, and high housing prices. They're at a stage in their lives where an inheritance could not only allow them to build a life, but also free up money to start saving for their own retirement funds, or start a family of their own. Polling his Twitter followers, Perkins writes that over half of the 3,500 voters chose the ages 26 to 35 as the best age to receive an inheritance. That's the opposite of when people actually receive them in their 60s. By that point, the money is too late to use when it's needed, and doesn't have as much time to take advantage of compound interest and grow in the recipient's lifetime."
Communication revolution: WhatsApp to merge with other messengers - "Meta has been working for quite some time to make third-party chats available on WhatsApp and Messenger for EU users. The company is considered a ‘digital custodian’ under the EU Digital Markets Act. This means that it has to comply with the requirements for WhatsApp and Messenger to be compatible with third-party apps such as iMessage, Telegram, Google Messages, Signal, and others. It will have to overcome some obstacles, as other companies that want to integrate with WhatsApp and Messenger will need to use the same Signal protocol to ensure the privacy of messages. In a copy of the agreement that third-party apps must sign, Meta says it will make the Signal protocol available to partners upon request."
Canadians are wasting money, productivity with recent tax changes - "I always like looking at how complex Canada’s tax system is compared to other countries and what it costs citizens to comply. Some organizations that track this sort of thing put Canada towards the top of comparative complexity. One study concludes Canada has a medium level of complexity, but it is still slightly higher than the average of other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. A recent report by the Fraser Institute concludes that the total compliance cost associated with the filing of 2022 Canadian personal income returns was $4.2 billion, equivalent to 0.15 per cent of the gross domestic product. This obviously doesn’t include compliance costs for corporations and trusts. Another recent report estimates that tax complexity costs the United States economy US$546 billion annually — a staggering figure. Adam Smith, the Scottish economist and philosopher, laid out his four basic tenets of a sound taxation system in his 1776 landmark, The Wealth of Nations:
Equity: the taxation of persons should be proportional to their income;
Certainty: the system should be clear and transparent;
Convenience: the timing and system of payment should be convenient for taxpayers;
Economy: the costs to administer and collect taxes should be minimized...
John Oakey, vice-president of taxation at CPA Canada, put it aptly in a LinkedIn post last week when he said the “complicated rules to mitigate the impact of complicated rules do not do our tax system any favours.” Bang on. The solution, of course, is for our country to purposely engage in meaningful efforts to simplify our system and to introduce what economist Jack Mintz calls “big-bang tax reform to wake up the economy.”"
CBC 'can do better,' ombudsman says, after host cited for editorializing - "Host Ian Hanomansing has been cited for editorializing during a 2023 broadcast of the CBC Radio show Cross Country Checkup , according to Blacklock’s Reporter. The CBC’s ombudsman said Hanomansing strayed from being balanced when it came to a contentious issue and instead offered a “value judgment” when he said people “want more immigrants to come to Canada.”... Cross Country Checkup senior producer Richard Goddard defended the broadcast as unbiased."
CBC media bias is a right wing myth
The Weekly Wrap: The CBC went all in on identity politics. That will be its downfall - The Hub - "As the CBC faces growing scrutiny, including for a new round of executive bonuses in spite of major layoffs, its proponents continue to hang onto the argument that the public broadcaster is still needed to fill the gaps caused by the decline of local news across the country... even if one accepts that this is a case of genuine market failure, the CBC doesn’t really provide the type of news that most people ostensibly have in mind when they make such an argument. Public interest local journalism would in theory cover basic civic news like city hall, local sports, or community activities. The CBC’s provincial and local coverage is decidedly not focused on these topics. A case in point is an article published this week on the CBC Newfoundland webpage about a local trans man who unexpectedly gave birth to a baby. Whatever one thinks about the story it’s hard to argue that it reflects broad public interest journalism. The article itself indicates that the individual’s chance of conceiving a child was 1.8 percent. The nature of their experience—particularly in St. John’s—is even more atypical. It’s highly niche content that is neither representative of the broad-based local experience nor informative of major national or international developments for a local audience. It didn’t have to be this way. The decline in local news isn’t a new issue. It’s been a slowing-moving crisis. The CBC had plenty of time to reorient itself as a key part of the government’s response to these developments. But it has chosen not to. In a parallel universe, the public broadcaster could have reconfigured its staff and other resources beyond the 40 or so communities (which mostly comprise provincial capitals and key population centres) in which it’s currently present. It could have gone much further than last year’s addition of 14 journalistsin communities like Cranbrook, Lethbridge, and Kingston to establish itself as a major player in secondary and rural communities across the country. It could have dedicated a greater share of its local coverage to public interest journalism and away from its overemphasis on identity politics. If the CBC had pursued these changes in the face of the decline of local news, it would have renewed its public broadcasting mission for today’s media environment and made it far more difficult for Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives to campaign on the pledge to defund it. Its failure to be responsive to the evolving local media landscape has undermined its strongest argument for continuing to exist. There may be a role for public policy to support local journalism. That’s the subject of a worthy policy debate. But however one comes down on the question the CBC isn’t the answer. The CBC doesn’t do public interest local journalism anymore. It does identity politics. And that will ultimately be its downfall."
I’m proud that I’m not proud to be British - "across every metric measured, Britons’ pride in our country has gone down since 2013, according to a new National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) report. When asked whether they were “very proud” of Britain for a number of criteria, the 1,600 respondents from England, Scotland and Wales answered in the affirmative thus: 64 per cent for its history, down from 86 per cent a decade ago; 53 down from 69 per cent for the way democracy works; 44 down from 57 per cent for our economic achievements; 48 down from 59 per cent for Britain’s political influence; and 77 down from 84 per cent for its achievements in sport. The highest amount of and lowest decrease in pride was reserved for the realm of art and literature: 79 down from 80 per cent in 2013... It’s arguably no bad thing that Brits’ patriotism has reduced when confronted with the sins of the past – and goes hand-in-hand with our growing embrace of diversity."
We're still told that left wingers don't hate their countries
It's curious how diversity is linked to hating your country
Healthy childhood development through outdoor risky play: Navigating the balance with injury prevention - "Free play is essential for children’s development and for their physical, mental, and social health. Opportunities to engage in outdoor free play—and risky play in particular—have declined significantly in recent years, in part because safety measures have sought to prevent all play-related injuries rather than focusing on serious and fatal injuries. Risky play is defined by thrilling and exciting forms of free play that involve uncertainty of outcome and a possibility of physical injury. Proponents of risky play differentiate ‘risk’ from ‘hazard’ and seek to reframe perceived risk as an opportunity for situational evaluation and personal development. This statement weighs the burden of play-related injuries alongside the evidence in favour of risky play, including its benefits, risks, and nuances, which can vary depending on a child’s developmental stage, ability, and social and medical context. Approaches are offered to promote open, constructive discussions with families and organizations. Paediatricians are encouraged to think of outdoor risky play as one way to help prevent and manage common health problems such as obesity, anxiety, and behavioural issues."
Why do homes in the UK have separate hot and cold taps? - "We asked Kevin Wellman, chief executive officer of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering. "This tradition dates back to a time when hot and cold water were kept separate to prevent contamination through cross connection," he said. "Cold water came from a mains supply and was fit for drinking. Hot water would be serviced by a local storage cistern often situated in the loft. "This caused an imbalance of pressures which meant that if incorrect taps and valves were installed one stream of water could force its way across to the other." Water bylaws prevented hot and cold water being mixed because water that had been sitting in a tank in the loft was not deemed safe to drink, he said... "When mixer taps came into vogue there was still a requirement to make sure water didn't mix until it came out of the tap," he said...
Tourists may be puzzled as to why the British pull a string from the ceiling to turn on the light in the bathroom... "In the UK we follow British Standard Requirements for Electrical Installations. "These consider the bathroom to be an area of increased risk because the body could become immersed in water in the bath. "The body's resistance to electricity drops significantly when immersed or partially immersed in water."
Acute Effects of Brisk Walking on Sugary Snack Cravings in Overweight People, Affect and Responses to a Manipulated Stress Situation and to a Sugary Snack Cue: A Crossover Study - "Research has shown that acute exercise reduces urges for chocolate in normal weight people. This study aimed to examine the effects of an acute exercise bout on urges to consume sugary snacks, affect as well as ‘psychological and physiological responses’ to stress and a ‘sugary snack cue’, in overweight individuals. Following 3 days of chocolate-abstinence, 47 overweight, sugary snack consumers were assessed, in 2 randomly ordered conditions, in a within-subject design: 15-min brisk walk or passive control. Following each, participants completed 2 tasks: Stroop color–word interference task, and handling sugary snacks. Urges for sugary snacks, affective activation and valence were assessed. ANOVAs revealed significant condition x time interaction effects for: urges to consume sugary snacks, affective valence and activation. Obtained data show that exercise reduces urges for sugary snacks and attenuates urges in response to the stress situation and the cue in overweight people."
Objective quantification of the food proximity effect on grapes, chocolate and cracker consumption in a Swedish high school. A temporal analysis - "In the present study, food proximity, especially of chocolate, appears to be responsible for increased cumulative energy intake per participant when two independent groups of high school students were tested in identical naturalistic conditions. Additionally, the proximity of the food seems to affect the pattern of servings across time, causing increased frequency of servings for grapes and crackers and, in general, leading to “continuous” rather than “burst” serving patterns. Overall, these findings provide a more comprehensive description of the reported effects of food proximity on energy intake, compared to past studies. They also indicate the importance of controlling the accessibility of food in studies examining other external factors, such as social interactions (e.g., ), in respect to their effect on food intake. In the future, detailed temporal analysis might prove a powerful tool to analyse eating behaviour in naturalistic environments with continuous access to food for longer periods of time (e.g., an office environment [24], a kitchen environment, etc.), allowing the collection of more detailed information about the environmental effects on eating behaviour."
Tourists say they'll never return after anti-English hatred in Wales - "The group of seven English women, aged between 55 and 70, travelled from Lancashire on a four-day walking holiday to enjoy the natural beauty of Llanberis, but claim they were met with anti-English jibes in the street. They also said they were snubbed in pubs and restaurants and found it hard to get served. Amy Hurst, 56, from Clitheroe, who is a member of Women That Walk, a local group set up to encourage them to get out and about in nature, said they encountered 'astounding hatred for the English' at every turn. The mother-of-one said: 'The hatred for the English in North Wales is astounding, we will not be returning.'... When we first arrived there, we were walking down the street when one of us remarked on there being a funeral care place. 'A guy walking past overheard us and said: "It's free for the English!" It was a bit strange.' The following night, Ms Hurst claims the group entered a pub where a punter said: 'Let's not bother with these they're bloody English.'... Ms Hurst claims he group visited a restaurant the following day and everyone was served apart from them - though she admits it could have just been bad luck... On the group's final night, Ms Hurst claims the group visited a pub and when last orders were called a member of the group went to get drinks - only for the pub workers to turn all the lights out. She added: 'They clearly wanted us out as well. I've never had an experience which has made me feel like this before.'"
These 12 Places In Quebec Have The Best (& Strangest) Names - "The art of naming places in Quebec is an exercise in imagination. The Commission de toponymie has dropped its latest list of geographical oddities, confirming that when it comes to labelling locales, the province is unlikely to run out of creativity anytime soon. Each year, the commission sifts through around 1,500 newly officialized place names to pick the top dozen that stand out for their originality, evocative imagery, or cultural significance... Topping the 2024 list is "La Venise des Castors" (Beaver Venice), a name that celebrates the engineering skills of Canada's favourite tree-fellers. Found in the Capitale-Nationale region, the area features an intricate network of ponds and beaver dams that draw comparison to the iconic waterways of Venice, minus the gondolas, of course. Meanwhile, "3e rang du Vieux-Verbal" throws back to a time when establishing a road was a matter of verbal agreement, documented with the formality of a court proceeding. Among the other contenders, "Lac du Raidillon" (Steep Path Lake) suggests a challenging hike, while "Parc du Flottage" (Log Driving Park) pays homage to a time when rivers served as the highways for timber transport. Then there's "Parc du Plus-Petit-au-Plus-Grand" (From the Smallest to the Largest Park), a place that sounds like a Dr. Seuss book turned municipal project. "Rue du Minot-de-Pommes" (Apple Kernel Street) and "Rue du Train-de-Neige" (Snow Train Street) conjure images of quaint, apple-lined streets and locomotives plowing through winter wonderlands. "Sentier d'un Flâneur" (Stroller's Path) invites leisurely walks with a name that promises idyllic scenery and perhaps a chance encounter with a wandering poet. Among the other standout names this year are "Boisé de l'Ocarina" (Ocarina Woods) in Boucherville, hinting at a magical forest where the wind plays melodies through tree branches, and "Chemin Rupicole" in Potton, suggesting a pathway favoured by rock-dwelling birds. There's also "Trou des Campions" (Champions' Hole) and "Verrou du Malin" (The Evil Lock), names that seem to have been plucked from medieval legends or the pages of a fantasy epic."
Are wheelie suitcases banned from Dubrovnik? - "The City of Dubrovnik released a promotional animated video in June, as part of its Respect the City campaign, encouraging people to carry wheeled suitcases rather than drag them along the cobblestones. The video shows a prohibited sign over a wheeled suitcase and advises on the behavioral best practices for anyone visiting: don’t walk around without a top on, don’t ride a bike or electric scooter in the historic center and don’t climb on protected monuments. However, while those behaviors are discouraged, the tourism board has since released a statement to clarify that a ban on wheelie cases will not be introduced. And no fine will be levied to those who choose to roll their suitcases in Old Town."
You could be fined £400 for eating on this Italian beach - "Even consuming a sandwich or ice cream on the beach in Sant’Antioco in Sardinia, is banned, according to new council bylaws. The town’s Mayor Ignazio Locci stunned residents and tourists with his list of 23 prohibited beach activities. Among them is eating food of any kind, using stones to stabilise a sunshade and doing sport. The maximum penalty for eating is €500 (£430). Authorities said the food ban was to stop large gatherings that were sometimes disorderly and reduce litter... Last year tourists in Sorrento, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, learnt they could no longer wear Speedos or bikinis on the town’s streets. Similar to the situation in Sant’Antioco, anyone flaunting the new rule could be hit by a €500 fine, said town officials at the time. The mayor of Sorrento Massimo Coppola banned the act to stop what he said was ’widespread indecorous behaviour’."
Major change to speed cameras puts millions of drivers on notice - "Point-to-point average speed cameras might soon keep track of all cars and not just heavy vehicles, leading to speeding fines and other penalties if a new trial proves successful. NSW Roads Minister John Graham announced the state would trial a six-month change along two highways soon at a media conference on Sunday. Point-to-point speed cameras, also known as average speed cameras, track the time it takes a vehicle to travel from one distance to another. Mr Graham said these cameras prevent motorists from momentarily slowing down as they would for a mobile traffic camera which only records a vehicle's speed at the time it passes by... 'NSW is the only jurisdiction in the world to use average speed cameras but restrict their use to heavy vehicles only,' Mr Graham said. 'In the context of a rising road toll, now is the time to trial these cameras for light vehicles and understand if we can keep more people safe on the road more of the time.' Mr Graham said NSW is behind other states and countries which already use point-to-point speed cameras on all vehicles."
Probably people who warned at the start that this might be extended to everyone were accused of spreading misinformation and of being ignorant (just like left wingers are trying to defend Kamala Harris's plan to tax unrealised capital gains)