[BLOG] Some Wednesday links

[rfmcdpei]

• Laura Agustín takes note of Chinese prostitutes in Kinshasa who, after being taken from their brothel by police, demanded to be allowed to return.
• After too long an absence, Will Baird of The Dragon's Tales comes back with an analysis of the new Chinese stealth fighter, the J-20/JXX. It looks good.
• At Far Outliers, Joel points to the substantial number of Japanese soldiers in post-war Indonesia who tried to settle down, as rebels against the Dutch or simply as farmers.
• The Global Sociology Blog takes a look at Durkheim's theory of suicide, specifically "fatalistic suicide" driven by an individual's despair with his or her society, classifed by him as a marginal type. The author takes a look at the example of Afghan women who burn themselves to death, and wonders how marginal that is.
• Mark Liberman of Language Log examines the origins of the word "overspoke," used by Tucker Carlson to explaibn his call for Michael Vick's death. It turns out it dates back to the early 20th century.
• The Long Game's Matt Warren describes a rather ghastly/amusing Christmas special, which starts with Pac-Man's starring role.
• Behind the Numbers' Eric Zuehlke notices the significant correlation between obesity and the lack of ready access to supermarkets.
• Slap Upside the Head comments on how, after missing the fact for years, the Albertan health ministry has finally delisted homosexuality as an illness.
• Window on Eurasia presents an analysis of Turkmenistan that focuses on the country's clans as the dominant unit of social life, suggesting a certain amount of turnover and the likelihood that opposition to the current regime can be found in these recently excluded clans.