Trump was in Davos today, pretending to be a grownup again. “Don’t worry about climate change,” he said, on the basis of nothing.

“This is not a time for pessimism. This is a time for optimism. Fear and doubt is not a good thought process because this is a time for tremendous hope and joy and optimism and action,” Trump said in his opening address at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Did they let him write it himself? That’s gibberish, and childish.

“But to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse,” he continued. “They are the heirs of yesterday’s foolish fortune tellers. And

The Guardian reports:

The Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos had his mobile phone “hacked” in 2018 after receiving a WhatsApp message that had apparently been sent from the personal account of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, sources have told the Guardian.

It was a video file from MBS’s account sent to Bezos.

Large amounts of data were exfiltrated from Bezos’s phone within hours, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Guardian has no knowledge of what was taken from the phone or how it was used.

I’m sure it was all perfectly innocent and benign.

The disclosure is likely to raise difficult questions for the kingdom about the circumstances around how US tabloid the National Enquirer

Oh ACLU. You are so fucked up.

This is not a drill:

■ AL
■ GA
■ ID
■ IN
■ MO
■ NH
■ TN
■ WA

Have all introduced bills to keep trans youth out of sports. Now some members of Congress are trying to do the same.

Here’s what groups that actually fight for women’s rights in sports have to say: pic.twitter.com/wTqlNyERYy

— ACLU (@ACLU) January 17, 2020

Nobody is trying to “keep trans youth out of sports.” The issue is BOYS who identify as trans competing against girls. Boys should compete with other boys whether they identify as trans or not. That’s the issue, as of course you know.

And women who say that – the … Read the rest

Originally a comment by Sastra on A T shirt that could cause trouble or offence.

When psychologically fragile people are encouraged to believe they have no control over their emotions and no capacity to become mentally confident and self-sufficient — and society is told that these fragile people are completely and utterly dependent on outside validation in order for them to function or indeed even continue to live — we end up with self-appointed Saviors. Someone has to step in to protect the vulnerable.

We then go from a Culture of Respect, in which self-worth is inherent and restraint and resilience are held up as ideals, to an Honor Culture mentality, in which worth is socially determined. The ability … Read the rest

The new gay-basher, so like the old gay-basher.

Well done The Polo Lounge for turfing the TERF out – she had her chance. She was wearing a T-Shirt that could cause trouble or offence – she could have turned it inside… https://t.co/PhiRHiFBBY

— Scott Agnew (@scottagnew) January 21, 2020

Huh. Man approves of a bar that throws a woman out into the January night without her jacket and keys because she is wearing a pro-lesbians and gays T shirt. I guess Man is a Christian fanatic, or maybe a some other religion fanatic? Or just a secular fanatic? But anyway someone who hates lesbians and gays and is happy to see them persecuted and ostracized.

Mind you he would probably … Read the rest

Does it make sense to call it a “peaceful protest” – let alone “incredibly” peaceful – when many or most of the people protesting are conspicuously carrying guns?

No, it doesn’t. A large gathering of men carrying assault rifles is a threat, a visible calculated threat, aka terrorism.

Threats are not “peaceful” and guns are not not-threats.

What a turnout! Check out these images from Monday morning's gun-rights rally at the state Capitol >> https://t.co/Vl6hty00rO

From all accounts, it was an incredibly peaceful protest. pic.twitter.com/rMBVdPlqpk

— NBC12 WWBT Richmond (@NBC12) January 20, 2020

… Read the rest

More from the Hooray For Guns rally.

The morning commute #Richmond2ARally pic.twitter.com/gW946MyflH

— Andrew Kimmel (@andrewkimmel) January 20, 2020

This group, at least some of whom are militia affiliated, has been parading up and down the streets next to the gun rally. pic.twitter.com/HSN7IpkvQU

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) January 20, 2020

Earlier posted video of Pledge of Allegiance. For those who’ve asked, here’s the video of “We will not comply.” Taken seconds apart. pic.twitter.com/vl66eQsLIo

— Gabe Gutierrez (@gabegutierrez) January 20, 2020

… Read the rest

Brilliant.

Big groups of heavily armed men arriviving in Richmond, many in camo and body armor pic.twitter.com/N9SqKQadia

— Ned Oliver (@nedoliver) January 20, 2020

Just imagine if they were not white men.

Consider the counterfactual: How long would this be permitted if the people who did it were not white men? https://t.co/PhiVefVG24

— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) January 20, 2020

… Read the rest

Aw, swell, just what we need.

Caitlyn Jenner is using her voice to speak out for transgender rights.

The activist and former Olympian, 70, took the stage at the Women’s March in Los Angeles on Saturday and declared her desire to change the direction the country is taking.

Oh, at the Women’s March. A man who won medals at the Olympics and killed a woman with his car “took the stage” at the Women’s March, because anything for women is always improved by having a man take over. Always.

Dressed in a white blazer, lavender skirt and heels, Jenner shared her delight to be attending her very first Women’s March.

If you report on a woman you have to … Read the rest

No, really? That’s not fake?

"Women are so complicated.

Men are so simple." pic.twitter.com/5DacJ3nUVk

— Georgina (@LabelFreeBrands) January 19, 2020

It’s not fake; I found them.

Male

and

Female

On the one hand, the sex that produces spermatazoa, and on the other hand

The traditional definition of female was “an individual of the sex that bears young” or “that produces ova or eggs”. However, things are not so simple today. Female can be defined by physical appearance, by chromosome constitution (see Female chromosome complement), or by gender identification. Female chromosome complement: The large majority of females have a 46, XX chromosome complement (46 chromosomes including two X chromosomes). A minority of females have other chromosome constitutions such as 45,X (45

Some people were chatting about the LGB Alliance.

This is, even by today’s low standards of public debate, astonishingly ridiculous.

Most LGBT people in the UK will never subscribe to the separatist and exclusionary rhetoric of this “alliance”, precisely because of the hurt it could inflict. pic.twitter.com/xQ7xj9omRC

— Paul Johnson (@echrso) January 18, 2020

People can choose whatever name they want and organise how they choose but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to point out the name seems deliberately provocative and seems to send a clear exclusionary signal

— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) January 19, 2020

But what does that mean, “exclusionary”?

All groups “exclude” some people, necessarily, because if they don’t they’re just “everybody.” They may be open to all … Read the rest

And there’s the trendy angle.

My first inkling that trans was becoming trendy was in 2012 when a household of five lesbians I knew all transitioned within a year. It just seemed statistically impossible. And yet!

— Katie Herzog (@kittypurrzog) January 19, 2020

Two of the 5 still ID as trans and maybe always will. Trans people exist and social and physical transition helps many of them. But something else is happening here and ignoring or suppressing it is going to create a backlash that will hurt both trans and other LGB people.

— Katie Herzog (@kittypurrzog) January 19, 2020

This is not an exaggeration. And it’s not just among kids. Most of my friends are in their 30s and

This happened last night:

A young bisexual woman was just kicked out of @PoloGlasgow for wearing an @AllianceLGB t-shirt due to complaints from trans people. Clearly, lesbians, gays and bisexuals are no longer welcome in “LGBT+” spaces. #LGBAllianceScotland pic.twitter.com/pvMzhL8trI

— Nicole Jones (@satiricole) January 19, 2020

If we’re thinking that lesbians and gays and bisexuals should be able to have alliances and groups for lesbians and gays and bisexuals, Owen Jones is here to tell us we’re wrong to think that.

But why does “the LGBTQ movement” have to be that and only that? Why is it some kind of law of the universe that all those items belong together, and not just together but always together, and not … Read the rest