Why isn’t everyone there booing?

500 free final @IvyLeague championships: Lia Thomas, formerly of the @PennSwimDive men's team, won by over 7 seconds. You can hardly see the other women swimming at the far end of the pool by the time the race is over. For the women, "it was a race for second place." pic.twitter.com/3ItZnsGMtR

— Emily Kreps (@ekreps) February 18, 2022

… Read the rest

Julia Beck on that ratbag who got her kicked off a city commission and has now “detransitioned.”

Four years ago I was ousted from a city commission, all because I said “sex” is important. Now I hear the man who took my place, the man who then called himself a lesbian and led the charge against me, has since detransitioned. I welcome every person’s decision to detransition or desist, and at the same time abusers must be held accountable for their actions. Sure, finding yourself in life is a process, but it never requires traumatizing women, or pretending to be one.

I wouldn’t even mind the pretending to be one all that much if it were called that. I would … Read the rest

The crook and his crook kids have to testify.

Donald Trump and two of his children have been ordered by a New York judge to appear for a deposition within the next three weeks, as part of the billowing investigation over alleged fraud in the valuation of assets belonging to his family business.

The ruling by Judge Arthur Engoron to force Trump and his two eldest children – Donald Jr and Ivanka – to comply with subpoenas amounts to a sharp escalation of the legal perils that are rapidly tightening around the former president.

I know, I know, he keeps getting away with it, but you know, you can play with fire 153 times and not get burned and … Read the rest

The one with Andy Lewis and Aaron Rabinowitz.

I’ve watched only a clip so far, in which Helen asks Aaron if he thinks Lia Thomas has a right to be in the women’s changing room and Aaron says yes.

One way of looking at it is that critics of trans ideology are obsessed with the subject [and by implication kind of weird and crazy for being so obsessed].

I still think it was net good, but it really is the case that when you engage with someone on something they obsess about 24/7, they will have more talking points than you can ever possibly be ready for and will switch points till they find one you look weak on. 3/3

Originally a comment by James Garnett on Triple threat.

I’m not a climate scientist, but my professional work is in control theoretic modeling of real, nonlinear systems. It’s difficult to underscore just how frightening a positive feedback runaway can be; the results are catastrophic for the system in question, even for small things. For example, induction motors form the basis of modern processing engineering, so their function and use are taught in most electrical engineering programs. One aspect of these motors is that when they are running, if one opens the field circuit while the driving circuit is still energized, the torque of the rotor becomes infinite (in theory), because the field acts as a negative feedback control mechanism. … Read the rest

More on permafrost:

Thawing Arctic permafrost laden with billions of tons of greenhouse gases [threatens not only] the region’s critical infrastructure but life across the planet, according [to] a comprehensive scientific review.

Nearly 70% of the roads, pipelines, cities and industry — mostly in Russia — built on the region’s softening ground are highly vulnerable to acute damage by mid-century, according to one of half-a-dozen studies on permafrost published this week by Nature.

Another study warns that methane and CO2 escaping from long-frozen soil could accelerate warming and overwhelm global efforts to cap the rise in Earth’s temperature at livable levels.

Exposure of highly combustible organic matter no longer locked away by ice is also fueling unprecedented wildfires, making

Still pretending it’s not just Jo and his ego.

Thanks for all the lovely feedback on this thread. We remain who we always were. We immediately put our hands up when we get stuff wrong. The trick is to identify those in whose eyes we will always be wrong. And to remember that when you read their unsurprising assessment. https://t.co/R1r32Om6DG

— Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) February 17, 2022

Seriously, who is this “we”? Why does he keep pretending when there is no “we” in evidence? If it’s a “we” why does no one else ever speak up as part of the “we”? Why is not a single name other than Jolyon’s ever mentioned? How is he getting away with this absurd … Read the rest

But what are trans rights?

I think what the Chair of the so-called ECHR is saying here is that all cis women feel like she (plainly) does about trans women. Of course, that's nonsense – the data shows women are more supportive of trans rights than men. But it's extraordinary that it has come from her! pic.twitter.com/y6U9SVW1lD

— Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) February 16, 2022

What trans rights are women more supportive of?

He probably means some leading question version, as in “Do you support trans rights?”, as opposed to an actual specific spelled-out claimed right such as “the right for men to be treated as women in all settings and circumstances because that’s how they identify.” I think when people … Read the rest

I’m beginning to think Our Jolyon isn’t as widely or intensely admired as he would have us believe.

The decision itself has been peddled as involving a finding that Dido Harding's appointment was unlawful. Such a portrayal is inaccurate. The Court found that there had been breaches of the PSED in the process by which Harding was appointed, but 2/ pic.twitter.com/z6wPxSKzVq

— David Turner (@GreatStrides65) February 15, 2022

Oops. As close to an admission as @jolyonmaugham is likely to make that @GoodLawProject's spinning of today's judgment has simply ignored the result pic.twitter.com/MvjmcfFYh1

— David Turner (@GreatStrides65) February 15, 2022

Who is “our”? Jolyon & his invisible friend?… Read the rest

The editor-in-chief of Swimming World doesn’t mince words:

Must give credit to the Ivy League. It didn’t hide its position. From the early days of the Lia Thomas debate, the conference made it clear that it would wholly support one swimmer over hundreds of athletes. It made it clear that Thomas was a priority. It made it clear that its female athletes – specifically its swimmers – were inconsequential.

One male swimmer over hundreds of female athletes. It could be thousands or billions, it would make no difference. The man and his idenniny must have priority.

The Ivy League Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships begin Wednesday at Harvard University and Penn’s Thomas – according to the psych sheets –

A Hooters in Liverpool – Julie Bindel is not impressed.

The all-female waiting staff are required to wear extremely skimpy shorts, tight, low-cut T-shirts, and tights. When a birthday or stag crowd are in, which is most nights, coins are tossed for which of the waitresses take part in the odd wet T-shirt competition, to keep the crowds entertained. The restaurant is, of course, aimed at large groups of heavy-drinking men and, on occasion, customers will be offered half-price entry into the nearest lap-dancing club for afters.

Kind of like beach volleyball without the volleyball.

In 2008, I visited the first UK branch in Nottingham. It was hideous and more than one of the waitresses told me, in the

Nova has an interesting (and alarming) episode on melting permafrost in Siberia and Alaska that’s releasing methane–more warming–more melting and on it goes.

As the Arctic warms, methane that has been locked in permafrost for thousands of years escapes and can explode. Released methane that finds its way to the surface contributes to the greenhouse effect of climate change with even more heat retention capacity than carbon dioxide. Even igniting it doesn’t solve the problem, since that produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct.

It’s a tipping point, and it’s already tipped.

In Alaska they find a large lake bubbling with methane. On Siberia’s Yamal Peninsula, residents have reported large holes in the frozen tundra, including one more than

The royal we doesn’t help his project.

To those who style themselves as progressive but hate me (generally because of @GoodLawProject's defence of trans rights) and so cheer the dishonest attacks of the right, I'd say, be careful what you wish for. Who else is going to do the work we do?

— Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) February 15, 2022

There’s a lot of What’s Wrong With Jolyon packed into that one. Making a public announcement of that kind. Starting with “style themselves progressive,” which is an insult. Much worse, that “but” – “You consider yourself progressive but you hate me, this must be underlined and explained.” I can consider myself progressive and find Jolyon Maugham vain and self-promoting and … Read the rest

Jolyon is blocking all the lawyers now.

Acknowledging that this may be taken as throwing down the gauntlet, I cannot imagine blocking another Member of Faculty. https://t.co/2ouPxSvrUN

— Roddy Dunlop KC (@RoddyQC) February 13, 2022

Oh dear.

I’ve never attacked Mr Maugham, in any way. I’ve never interacted with him. My sole crime seems to have been saying I couldn’t imagine blocking another Advocate.

If he ever wants to chat, he should pick up the phone. Till then: hugely, irredeemably disappointed. pic.twitter.com/TD8DNWIJZc

— Roddy Dunlop KC (@RoddyQC) February 16, 2022

https://twitter.com/jeremybrier/status/1493864251819233283

Plus it makes him look so good.… Read the rest

The wrong word was used in a magic ceremony so the magic ceremony is invalid. You might think this is a small matter that can easily be rectified by re-doing the ceremony using the correct word this time – but unfortunately, perhaps tragically, it wasn’t just the one, it was many. Many many many. And not valid means…eternal torture*. Oops.

A Catholic priest in Arizona has resigned after he was found to have performed baptisms incorrectly throughout his career, rendering the rite invalid for thousands of people.

Thousands of people doomed to eternal torture*! You’d think it would be dominating the news cycle.

The Catholic Diocese of Phoenix announced on its website that it determined after careful study that the

Well…maybe, but then again maybe not.

When my son Connor first told me he was transgender and was not, in fact, the daughter I thought he was for the first 12 years of his life, I could have handled it a lot better.

It’s not that I kicked and screamed. I didn’t throw him out or call him vile names. I wasn’t even disappointed. It almost feels worse than all that: I didn’t believe him.

What if she’d said she was a llama, or a hummingbird, or Chomolungma? Would you now think you should have believed her?

A girl remains a girl even if she has picked up the novel cultural belief that her body is irrelevant to … Read the rest

Originally a Facebook post/Miscellany post by Bjarte Foshaug:

There is an expression in my mother tongue that translates as “Adam’s clothes” – or, alternatively, “Eve’s clothes” – and is commonly understood to denote the absence of any physical garments. This appears to be conclusive scientific* proof that the very first humans** were in fact trans-dressed and what they were wearing was widely accepted as a legitimate kind of clothing from the very beginning. The white, Western idea that wearing “clothes” – or being fully “dressed” – has anything to do with vulgar physical fabrics is a recent cultural invention and inextricably linked to cultural imperialism, Western hegemony and white supremacy, i.e. the stereotypical “dressed” person is not … Read the rest

Oh was it indeed.

slightly bemused that the Good law project can do a press release on the case today without mentioning its own case was wholly dismissed for two fundamental reasons. Is that not something people who donate money should be informed about?https://t.co/Q1sImulbfq

— Scott Wortley (@Scott_Wortley) February 15, 2022

Barrister Steven Barrett at the Spectator tells us the court ruled the Good Law Project doesn’t have standing.

…there was some confusion that the Good Law Project had ‘won’. It had not. Every claim brought by the GLP failed. The court I suspect did not want anyone to be so confused, so it stated that expressly in paragraph 126. There is very little ambiguity in the words ‘the

More of the Pregnancy and Childbirth are for Everyone bullshit, this time from a charity that helps “birthing people.” The first thing you see on their website is

Support our work

Make a donation today to help us to provide pregnancy, birth and postnatal support for birthing people in Glasgow.  

The second thing you see, scrolling down, is

Who we help

We provide pregnancy, birth and postnatal support to birthing people facing barriers like poverty, isolation, or language.

On the about us page –

Amma Birth Companions is a registered Scottish charity that supports women and birthing people who are experiencing significant adversity on their journey to parenthood.

Wo, a mention of women at last! But birthing people are always … Read the rest

Andrew Windsor has settled the case.

Prince Andrew has settled a civil sexual assault case brought against him in the US by Virginia Giuffre, court documents show.

…

A statement in the letter to US judge Lewis A Kaplan said the duke would make a “substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights”. It added that Prince Andrew had “never intended to malign Ms Giuffre’s character” and he recognised she had “suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks”.

The duke also pledged to “demonstrate his regret for his association” with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by supporting the “fight against the evils of sex trafficking,