All entries by this author

Do it to her

Aug 21st, 2023 4:42 pm | By

But…

But Joanne Harris is herself white middle-class. She’s also female, which I assume “vulnerable” is code for. She’s playing the Karen card, because……………I have no idea why she’s doing that.… Read the rest



A pattern of behavior

Aug 21st, 2023 4:18 pm | By

Trump was trash-talking about Brian Kemp and Fani Willis just this morning.

Governor Kemp of Georgia is fighting hard against the Impeachment of the crooked, incompetent, & highly partisan D.A. of Fulton County, Fani Willis, who has allowed Murder and other Violent Crime to MASSIVELY ESCALATE. Crime in Atlanta is WORST IN NATION. She should be impeached for many reasons, not just the Witch Hunt (I did nothing wrong!). Willis should focus on out of control Murder, not “I will get TRUMP” over a Perfect Phone Call. Georgia does not deserve this GIANT MURDER WAVE!

He won’t stop just because he’s required to.… Read the rest



Conditions

Aug 21st, 2023 3:53 pm | By

The BBC on Trump’s out on bailitude:

A judge in Georgia overseeing former US President Donald Trump’s election interference case has set a bail bond of $200,000 (£157,000).

Mr Trump and his 18 co-defendants have until midday Friday to surrender to a court in Atlanta.

The bail filing says Mr Trump can remain free pending trial so long as he does not attempt to threaten or intimidate witnesses.

But he will. He won’t be able to do otherwise. He doesn’t take orders from anyone.

Mr Trump is also banned from committing any crimes, and can only have contact with the other co-defendants in the case with lawyers present.

He’ll probably do both of those things too.… Read the rest



In cash sir

Aug 21st, 2023 3:39 pm | By

Out on bail.

Former President Donald J. Trump’s bail was set at $200,000 on Monday in a sprawling racketeering case charging Mr. Trump and 18 associates with election interference in Georgia.

The move came as it became clear that Mr. Trump and the other defendants will be required to pay cash upon being booked in Atlanta, unlike in the three other criminal cases involving the former president.

Under the conditions of his bond agreement, Mr. Trump cannot violate state or federal laws or communicate with any co-defendants in the case except through his lawyers. He was told not to intimidate witnesses or co-defendants, or “otherwise obstruct the administration of justice,” by threatening them or 30 unindicted co-conspirators in the

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Uncontacted tribes AND biodiversity

Aug 21st, 2023 12:22 pm | By

No. Get out.

Ecuadorians voted against drilling for oil in a protected area of the Amazon, an important decision that will require the state oil company to end its operations in a region that’s home to two uncontacted tribes and is a hotspot of biodiversity.

Yasuni National Park is inhabited by the Tagaeri and Taromenani, who live in self-isolation. In 1989, it was designated a world biosphere reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, also known as UNESCO. Encompassing a surface area of over 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres), it boasts 610 species of birds, 139 species of amphibians, and 121 species of reptiles. At least three species are endemic.

Rock on birds and amphibians … Read the rest



The most vulnerable

Aug 21st, 2023 11:22 am | By

Big weekend for cheating!

Read the rest



Define “therapy”

Aug 21st, 2023 9:51 am | By

The NY Times reports:

A federal judge in Georgia has temporarily blocked part of a state law that prohibits hormone replacement therapy for transgender minors. 

But is “hormone replacement” actually therapy? Or is it medical malpractice? Or something in between?

Calling it therapy puts a big thumb on the scale in this contested issue. What if it’s quackery rather than therapy? What if it’s the new thalidomide, driven by trendy but magical ideas about people “born in the wrong body”?

Judge Geraghty, who was appointed by President Biden, said in her ruling that the ban “is substantially likely to violate the Equal Protection Clause.”

But maybe the equal protection needed is protection from quack medicine sparked by wack ideas … Read the rest



Guest post: Far from its roots

Aug 21st, 2023 9:18 am | By

Originally a comment by Mike Haubrich on From Joe Hill to Rich Men North of Richmond.

The Republicans of today are benefiting from the abortion and gay rights strategy of the Moral Majority. Before they embarked on that, most Catholics were Democrats due to the social justice aspect of being Catholic. It also picked up on many of the blue collar workers who didn’t want rampant gay sex and loose women getting welfare checks during the Reagan era. These are now Trump Republicans who sincerely believe that he is going to drain the swamp and end child trafficking.

Our Billy Bragg has written a responsorial to this song (I know, I know!) Rich Men North of Earning North of Read the rest



Grandy narky

Aug 21st, 2023 8:14 am | By

This fool should be a dictionary entry for narcissism. “So whenever someone looks at me, and they can’t tell what I was born as – [thumb up] – that’s perfect to me.”

Perfection to this fool is strangers looking at xir and not being able to tell what xir “was born as.” Not a fiery sunset, or a walk in the forest, or making a baby laugh, or helping someone, or learning something, or laughing xirself breathless – but causing a stranger to pay xir extra attention.

What a pathetic, witless, empty, futile, claustrophobic form of “perfection.”… Read the rest



Exlusive incloosion

Aug 21st, 2023 7:31 am | By

Interesting. Innnnnnnteresting. It’s fine to have a Trans Pride event, but it is not permitted to have a lesbian/gay/bi event. No LGB without the T but definitely T without the LGB.

Why is that exactly?

I guess Maggie Chapman must be really quite thick? Not to have noticed? That she was promoting a trans event and in the same breath saying no lesbian gay bisexual without the … Read the rest



Mere women

Aug 20th, 2023 4:53 pm | By

Sigh. Yes it is. Of course it is. Men don’t need to shed the endometrium every month. Men don’t have any endometrium, because they don’t have any uterus.

Menstruation isn’t just a women’s issue, say Lib Dems

But it is, just as pregnancy is “just” a women’s issue. Women aren’t being selfish and mean by hogging all the menstruation – they’re stuck with it because of being women. It’s idiotic, insulting, frivolous, fatuous, rude, absurd, grotesque, for adult political parties to start whining that men get to bleed out their uterine linings every month too.

Sir Ed Davey’s party will vote on a policy proposal that insists period poverty is an issue that affects “some trans and non-binary people”

Read the rest


From Joe Hill to Rich Men North of Richmond

Aug 20th, 2023 3:32 pm | By

Kenan Malik on a trumpy version of a folk song:

A jobbing country singer from Virginia, [Oliver] Anthony’s video of his song Rich Men North of Richmond has gone viral over the past week, clocking up more than 20m views on YouTube, rising to the top of the streaming charts and becoming an anthem for conservatives from Marjorie Taylor Green, the reactionary Republican congresswoman from Georgia, to the rightwing political commentator Matt Walsh, all viewing Anthony as a righteous figure, whose “rawness” and “authenticity” speak to real Americans.

The kind who just love them a criminal billionaire who wouldn’t give them a sandwich if they turned up starving at one of his golf resorts.

Kenan compares Anthony … Read the rest



Performative hunger strike

Aug 20th, 2023 11:15 am | By

A hunger strike.

A violent man who claims to be a woman and told a rally to “punch a terf in the face” is demanding to be moved to a female prison so that he can terrorize yet more women.

Colin Montgomerie is on Team Men in Women’s Spaces of course.

Read the rest


The spaces they identify with

Aug 20th, 2023 10:11 am | By

The ever-popular “but what do you mean by ‘trans rights’?” question.

For once we get an answer.

Ah, that “right.” Ok so now explain to us how that can be a right without demolishing the right to single sex spaces. Explain how it can be a right for … Read the rest



Two fires merged

Aug 20th, 2023 9:45 am | By

British Columbia’s turn:

About 30,000 households have been ordered to evacuate in Canada’s British Columbia province, where nearly 400 wildfires are raging.

Two huge fires in the Shuswap region merged overnight, destroying blocks of houses and other buildings. To the south, travel to the waterside city of Kelowna has been restricted, and smoke from nearby fires hangs over Lake Okanagan. Fires have charred homes in West Kelowna, a nearby city of 36,000.

The province’s emergency management minister said officials “cannot stress strongly enough how critical it is to follow evacuation orders”. Bowinn Ma added: “They are a matter of life and death not only for the people in those properties, but also for the first responders who will

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Not like the others

Aug 20th, 2023 6:09 am | By

Robin Ince promotes LGBT Youth Scotland, is reminded of the allegations of grooming and trafficking, boasts that he views the people reminding him as flat-earthers.

https://twitter.com/robinince/status/1693042303579922475

https://twitter.com/robinince/status/1693051284608188447

It’s a particularly odd comparison, because it wouldn’t be supernatural or an overturning of a huge chunk of science for LGBT Youth Scotland to have a history of grooming.

It’s also callous and smug.… Read the rest



Guest post: Permit us to doubt

Aug 19th, 2023 6:50 pm | By

Originally a comment by Nullius in Verba on We can say it; he can’t.

We could say the same about the word “nerd”, which people tell me isn’t an insult anymore. They tell me that it’s cool to be a nerd now. They tell me to look at how nerd subculture is mainstream with comic book superheroes reigning at the box office.

Permit me to doubt. What I see is the cool kids saying, “I’m such a nerd,” in the same way and the same tone as they would say, “I’m such a bitch.” I see basic functionality locked behind menu options with labels like “stats for nerds”, implying that to understand or care about such things … Read the rest



We can say it; he can’t

Aug 19th, 2023 5:22 pm | By

India Willoughby spits venom at The Telegraph for saying “terf” is a slur. Such a lovely guy.

He says, echoing every racist who wants to say “nigger” because theyyyyyy dooooooooo so whyyyy cannnnnn’t weeeeeee? Thick as a plank and nastier than rancid fish.… Read the rest



Guest post: The sense of entitlement is too deeply engrained

Aug 19th, 2023 5:16 pm | By

Originally a comment by Francis Boyle on The situation evolved rapidly.

Terrible as this is it’s almost the best case scenario. The worst case scenario would be that the planet warms more or less uniformly with the tropics slowly becoming uninhabitable while the industrialised world looks on with much hand-wringing but precious little useful action. This way everyone is on notice that it’s their life or at least their property that is on the line.

Now, I’m not pretending that anyone is voluntarily going to give up their lives of consumption-for-the-sake-of-consumption. The sense of entitlement is too deeply engrained in the wealthy and the wannabee wealthy. But we have an opportunity to make the worst of the destructive behaviours … Read the rest



Guest post: Why is there a need?

Aug 19th, 2023 4:25 pm | By

Originally a comment by Rev David Brindley on More threats.

It’s an easy, and lazy, argument to make that chess is played with the brain, not the genitals or the muscles therefore saying there is a need for a separate women’s category is demeaning to women. It relies on the trope of men’s brains and ladyeez brains and assumes women’s intellect is inferior to men’s.

Susan Polgar – Hall of Famer, the Winner of 4 Women’s World Chess Championships,12 Olympic Medals (5 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze), and the first woman in history to break the gender barrier in chess would like to disagree.

“Why is there a need for Girl’s or Women’s tournaments?”

This is probably one of

Read the rest