A remote outcrop in Scotland is covered with garden gnomes but nobody knows exactly how they got there. The gnomes beam their mischief from the rock of Swallow Craig which sits just off Inchcolm Island in the Firth of Forth. The gnomes first appeared there in 2010‚ with some people speculating they were left by […] The post Welcome to ’Gnome Island’ a Remote Scottish Outcrop Adorned With Mysterious Garden Ornaments – LOOK appeared first on Good News Network.

Movies &; TV Babylon 5 Rewatch Babylon 5 Rewatch: “The Parliament of Dreams” A festival of religions takes place aboard Babylon 5‚ while G’Kar tries to avoid an assassination plot. By Keith R.A. DeCandido | Published on April 29‚ 2024 Comment 10 Share New Share “The Parliament of Dreams”Written by J. Michael StraczynskiDirected by Jim JohnstonSeason 1‚ Episode 5Production episode 108Original air date: February 23‚ 1994 It was the dawn of the third age… It’s a festival of religions on B5. Each species on the station is encouraged to show off their primary religion to everyone else. In addition‚ both G’Kar and Delenn have new aides show up. In Delenn’s case‚ Lennier is very honored to be tapped for this duty‚ as he was just a novitiate prior to this. He also refers to Delenn by her title of “Satai‚” which she gently asks him not to continue to do‚ as her role on the Grey Council isn’t generally known‚ and she wants to keep it that way. She also urges him to stop looking down at the floor in her presence‚ as he’ll be constantly walking into things. G’Kar‚ meantime‚ has bigger problems. One of his greatest rivals‚ Du’Rog‚ has sent him a message via a courier: he’s dying‚ and his final act before death is to put out an assassination contract on G’Kar in revenge for all the indignities G’Kar has visited upon him. Du’Rog threatens that the assassin could be anyone‚ including someone very close to him. It’s right after he finds this out that his new aide‚ Na’Toth‚ shows up. We see a popular Centauri religious rite: a drunken feast‚ celebrating the fact that the Centauri survived their war against the other species that shared their homeworld‚ the Xon. When Ivanova asks about the statues on the table‚ Mollari explains that they’re the Centauri gods‚ and he climbs up onto the table and explains who they each are before he‚ as Vir says‚ “becomes one with his inner self‚” prompting Garibaldi to say that he’s passed out‚ and Vir says‚ without missing a beat‚ “That‚ too.” Catherine Sakai has come on board the station. Garibaldi warns Sinclair about it. It turns out that Sinclair and Sakai have a past‚ and Sakai insists that she had no idea until she arrived that Sinclair was in charge of the station‚ or she never would have docked‚ as she had promised to stay away. However‚ Sinclair says there’s no need to keep that promise‚ as he and Sykes have broken up. He invites her to dinner at Fresh Air so they can catch up. That dinner is a mix of amusing and awkward‚ as they both have done this dance before‚ going back to when they first met at the Academy and their time serving together: they catch up‚ they ask about each others’ families‚ they fall into bed‚ something goes horribly wrong‚ and they go their separate ways. Both question whether they should go through all that again. G’Kar decides to take Na’Toth into his confidence regarding the assassination. Na’Toth points out that‚ if there really was an assassin‚ they’d be from the Thenta Makur (the assassin’s guild)‚ and they’d leave a black flower to warn him. G’Kar has seen no such thing. Na’Toth also wonders why G’Kar is taking her into his confidence‚ since she herself is an obvious suspect for being the assassin‚ what with her assignment and the fact that Du’Rog was a sponsor of Na’Toth’s father. G’Kar quotes a human saying that he thinks Earthers stole from the Narn: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. The next morning‚ G’Kar awakens to a black flower in his bed. He charges Na’Toth with finding Tu’Pari‚ the courier who brought the message from Du’Rog‚ then he goes to N’Grath to hire a bodyguard. G’Kar can’t go to Garibaldi or report this officially‚ as his specific relationship with Du’Rog might come out. For his own part‚ G’Kar could give a damn if it does come out‚ but the revelations would compromise his position as Narn ambassador. Delenn‚ Lennier‚ and some other Minbari perform a Rebirth Ceremony for the station’s VIPs. Part of the ceremony involves Delenn giving piece of fruit to each of the audience. (G’Kar‚ notably‚ surreptitiously switches his fruit with Ivanova’s‚ just in case.) It ends with Delenn giving Sinclair a significant look and saying‚ “And so it begins.” That’s not ominous at all… G’Kar storms to his quarters‚ livid that the Riar bodyguard he’d hired from N’Grath never showed. He finds the Riar in his bedroom‚ dead‚ a black flower next to the corpse. Garibaldi and a security team arrive to investigate‚ with G’Kar playing dumb and claiming to have absolutely no clue why this total stranger of a Riar could possibly be in his room. When Garibaldi continues to question‚ G’Kar cites diplomatic immunity. Sakai finds out that her latest survey mission turned up large quantities of Quantium 40‚ which is apparently very valuable‚ and entitles her to a massive-ass commission. Not wanting to celebrate this largesse alone‚ Sakai goes to Sinclair’s quarters with a basket of food and a bottle of wine. After a few false starts‚ they wind up in bed together. Na’Toth finds Tu’Pari and brings him to G’Kar’s quarters. The ambassador immediately interrogates him‚ and Tu’Pari admits that the data crystal he delivered came from Na’Toth’s father. G’Kar contacts the Narn homeworld demanding that Na’Toth be recalled. The person on the other end apologizes for the lateness of the courier‚ as he met with a horrible accident while on his way to B5. At that point‚ the jig being up‚ Tu’Pari ambushes G’Kar. He takes G’Kar to a remote part of the station with a pain-giver attached to his person. If he gets too close to Tu’Pari‚ it goes off‚ plus the assassin has a control for it. He tortures G’Kar for a while‚ though the ambassador refuses to give Tu’Pari the satisfaction of a scream. Then Na’Toth shows up‚ claiming to be Tu’Pari’s backup. To prove what she says‚ she kicks G’Kar repeatedly. Tu’Pari is still skeptical‚ a skepticism that is justified when G’Kar jumps him‚ Na’Toth’s kicks having destroyed the pain-giver. Na’Toth injects Tu’Pari with a sedative that keeps him unconscious past the deadline for G’Kar’s assassination. In addition‚ G’Kar transfers money into Tu’Pari’s account. It will appear to the guild that he violated the contract‚ which is a big no-no. Tu’Pari leaves the station in fear and disgrace. Sakai goes off to her next gig‚ but promises to work out of the station going forward so she and Sinclair can make a go of it. Sinclair‚ who has been struggling with how to do for Earth what Delenn did for the Minbari and Mollari did for the Centauri‚ finally presents the command staff and the ambassadors with the Religion Receiving Line: the first person he introduces is an atheist‚ then a Roman Catholic priest‚ then a Zen Buddhist‚ then a Muslim‚ then an Orthodox Jew‚ then Oglala-Sioux‚ and so on down the line. Nothing’s the same anymore. Sinclair has a fondness for Alfred‚ Lord Tennyson’s Ulysses. He listens to a reading of it‚ and has been doing so since the Academy‚ to the point that Sakai can quote parts of it to him. Ivanova is God. Ivanova is the only non-Centauri who seems to be enjoying the Centauri feast. The household god of frustration. Garibaldi opens the episode confiscating a Drazi knife‚ refusing to accept the Drazi’s claim that it’s part of his religion. The security chief thinks the whole religious ceremony thing is a silly goose and he can’t wait for it to be over. If you value your lives‚ be somewhere else. The Rebirth Ceremony‚ at least according to Sakai‚ also can double as a marriage ceremony‚ which makes Sinclair and viewer wonder if anyone wound up married in the eyes of the Minbari after it was all over. In the glorious days of the Centauri Republic… The Centauri started the feast during their war with the Xon to celebrate those who survived the last round of battles with the enemy. The tradition continued after the Centauri won and the Xon were wiped out. Though it take a thousand years‚ we will be free. G’Kar‚ unsurprisingly‚ had some shady dealings with fellow Narn‚ and pissed off one of them enough to take out a contract on G’Kar’s life on his deathbed. Looking ahead. The Minbari ceremony is the latest in a series of occasions when Delenn is acting weird toward Sinclair. In addition‚ the notion of G’Kar refusing to scream while being tortured is one that will be revisited. No sex‚ please‚ we’re EarthForce. Sinclair and Sakai progress to the on-again phase of their on-again/off-again relationship. It’s established that‚ some time since “The Gathering‚” Sinclair and Sykes broke up‚ which Sinclair credits to his refusing to resign his commission and go into business with her‚ as she requested in that episode. In addition‚ G’Kar’s proclivity for human women‚ hinted at in “The Gathering‚” is seen twice here‚ once in Na’Toth’s dialogue‚ once when Garibaldi finds a human woman’s panties in G’Kar’s couch. Welcome aboard. Julia Nickson debuts the recurring role of Sakai; she’ll be back next time in “Mind War.” In addition‚ veteran character actor Thomas Kopache plays Tu’Pari. Mark Hendrickson plays Du’Rog—it’s one of dozens of alien characters he plays throughout the franchise‚ though it’s one of the few with dialogue. Trivial matters. After being in the opening credits since the start‚ Bill Mumy and Caitlin Brown finally make their debuts as‚ respectively‚ Lennier and Na’Toth. It’s established that G’Kar’s previous aide‚ Ko D’Ath‚ died in an unfortunate airlock accident‚ a rather nasty way to write out poor Mary Woronov‚ who couldn’t deal with the facial prosthetics or contact lenses and quit after one appearance in “Born to the Purple.” The Narn do not participate in the ceremony of religion-showing-off. We’ll learn more about the Narn faiths in “By Any Means Necessary.” The echoes of all of our conversations. “Are you Ambassador G’Kar&;#63;”“This is Ambassador G’Kar’s quarters. This is Ambassador G’Kar’s table. This is Ambassador G’Kar’s dinner. Which part of this progression escapes you&;#63;” —Tu’Pari asking a stupid question and G’Kar saying‚ “Duh&;#33;” The name of the place is Babylon 5. “Gods for all occasions&;#33;” Okay‚ I have two extremely minor pet peeves about this generally quite good episode‚ and I want to get them out of the way. One: why the hell is a Narn wearing Earth-style spectacles&;#63; Why would a species that doesn’t have external ears develop a device whose entire design is predicated on having ears that stick out on the side of the head&;#63; Why would a species that doesn’t have external ears use a device whose entire design is predicated on having ears that stick out on the side of the head&;#63; For that matter‚ how are Tu’Pari’s glasses being held onto his head&;#63; (J. Michael Straczynski explained online that Tu’Pari uses human spectacles because the Narn have a prejudice against mechanical improvements to oneself‚ which explains why G’Kar will later go around with only one eye‚ but that only answers my first question‚ not my other two. He should be wearing a pince-nez‚ if anything…) Two: Sinclair introduces the rabbi in the Religion Receiving Line as an Orthodox Jew. He and Ivanova then shake hands‚ and no&;#33; An Orthodox Jewish male would not touch a woman he was not married to or a very close relative of in so casual a situation. He’s very obviously neither of those things‚ because Ivanova’s reaction would be more direct and affectionate if it were the case. And you can’t explain it away by saying that maybe Orthodox Judaism has changed in the three centuries that B5 is in the future‚ because Orthodox Judaism hasn’t changed in the last five thousand seven hundred and eighty-four years. In fact‚ what defines Orthodox Judaism is that it hasn’t changed ever. If it does change‚ then it’s another form of Judaism‚ not Orthodox. Sigh. Okay‚ now that that’s all off my chest… This is a decent little episode. G’Kar’s plotline is pretty straightforward‚ although the misdirects are muted by Caitlin Brown being in the opening credits‚ making it extremely unlikely that she is either the assassin or the assassin’s backup. Still‚ Brown’s Na’Toth is much more compelling than Mary Woronov’s more stereotypical Ko D’Ath was‚ and she and Andreas Katsulas play off each other nicely. Seeing the different religious ceremonies was fun. It’s a little to Planet of Hats-ish to see only one Centauri ceremony and one Minbari ceremony but then have Earth show off how many religions there are. Having said that‚ the ceremonies are definitely appropriate: the Centauri eat‚ drink‚ and are merry because they’re not dead yet‚ and the Minbari are all ritualized and sedate and ceremonial and stuff. Each is very fitting. For that matter‚ the Narn not participating is also very fitting‚ as even at this early stage it’s obvious that the Narn play things close to the vest and don’t reveal much to outsiders. (Indeed‚ G’Kar’s reluctance to let any non-Narn in on his crisis is a plot point.) And Sinclair introducing representatives from all over Earth is lovely‚ as is his kicking off with an atheist (which is Straczynski’s own philosophy). I especially like that he put the Muslim and the Jew next to each other (which he has said was quite deliberate). Next week: “Mind War.”[end-mark] The post &;lt;i&;gt;Babylon 5&;lt;/i&;gt; Rewatch: “The Parliament of Dreams” appeared first on Reactor.

Movies &; TV The People’s Joker The People’s Joker Re-Mixes and Re-Mx-es Our Modern Myths with Sheer Trans Joy This movie definitely counts as a happy memory. By Leah Schnelbach | Published on April 29‚ 2024 Credit: Haunted Gay Ride Productions/Altered Innocence Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: Haunted Gay Ride Productions/Altered Innocence How to talk about The People’s Joker&;#63; The rest of this review could consist of the words HAPPY SCREAMING&;#33;&;#33;&;#33; repeated 1200 times and I could hit submit and call it a day and feel pretty good about myself. HAPPY SCREAMING&;#33;&;#33;&;#33; does sum it up. The People’s Joker is pure joy. Actual joy‚ not fake Smylex joy. Even the bits that are horrifying and upsetting are joy&;#33; If there was a way to get this movie into my bloodstream without fucking up my PH balance and going into a coma‚ I would do it. I think it’s something about the filmmakers’ commitment. The People’s Joker is equally about queerness‚ and transness‚ and comedy‚ and Batman‚ and being For The People. It is 1000% in on each thread—it’s a great Trans Joker Movie‚ but an equally great Exploration of Comedy In Modern Society. And it’s a really funny Trans Joker Coming-of-Age Comedy Emotional Abuse Fucked Up Childhood Batman’s Kinda The Villain Except Maybe There Are No Villains movie. It is also for the people. If I had a pink neon sign that said “Hello There” in my room this movie would come in and smash some letters until it said‚ inexplicably: FOR THE PEOPLE. Credit: Haunted Gay Ride Productions/Altered Innocence Perhaps I’m over-complicating this. The People’s Joker is about comedy. Editor and director Vera Drew has worked on I Think You Should Leave and Comedy Bang&;#33; Bang&;#33;‚ was nominated for an Emmy for Sacha Baron Cohen’s political satire Who Is America&;#63;‚ and worked with Tim and Eric—and that particular thread of 21st Century comedy is woven into every frame of the movie. The film was born from a half-joking request by (eventual co-writer) Bri LeRose for Drew to do her own edit of Todd Phillips’ Joker. The movie grew from there‚ becoming a pre-vaccine pandemic Monkey Man-esque labor of love that involved Drew‚ LeRose‚ Drew’s longtime collaborator Nathan Faustyn‚ and over 100 other contributors and animators. Our Joker (whose deadname is bleeped out‚ fuck yeah) begins life as a sad “boy” who can’t express why she feels so out of joint with the world. Like so many of us‚ she turns to comedy—and like so many of our parents‚ her furiously normie mother turns to pharmaceuticals. In this case a trip to Arkham Asylum‚ where the nefarious Dr. Crane (Jonathan‚ presumably‚ Frasier and Niles would never) prescribes a jolt of Smylex whenever conforming to an overbearing society becomes too depressing. Once she escapes to Gotham things are a little better—she can kind of be openly queer‚ finds some good friends‚ like Oswald‚ and embarks on a comedy career. But comedy‚ like everything in Gotham‚ is regimented‚ hierarchical‚ pretty fascistic‚ and under the watchful eye of the vigilante known as Batman. It’s also really binary: you can either be a Jokeman‚ and‚ you know‚ tell jokes‚ or a Harlequin who dances behind the Jokemen being pretty. Our Joker doesn’t like either option—and anyway she’d have to pay for months of expensive classes if she wants to be approved for the cast of the weekly variety show that’s been on TV for years‚ UCB. But is it worth it for the mentorship from Gotham City’s comedy legend‚ Ra’s al Ghul&;#63; Could there be a different way—perhaps involving an abandoned warehouse and an anti-comedy revolution—that would help Joker and her friends find success on their own terms&;#63; Credit: Haunted Gay Ride Productions/Altered Innocence Then there are her relationship issues with another trans comedian‚ the tattooed Marxist edgelord Mr. J‚ and the visits from Mom‚ who is just waiting for her to admit she’s failed and come back home to Smallville. The People’s Joker is about Batman‚ and the Joker‚ and the whole DC Rogue’s Gallery‚ and the movies and animated series that have been spun out of the comics like so much IP gold. If these characters are archetypes‚ and these stories are our modern myths‚ then don’t they belong to all of us&;#63;1 Can’t Drew and her ragtag team of comics nerds use them to tell a story about identity and belonging‚ as long as it credibly falls under parody and fair use laws‚ which it definitely seems to&;#63; Well‚ according to DC‚ maybe not. Which is why it’s been showing sporadically at festivals and brief runs in smaller theaters‚ rather than getting a big rollout like Todd Phillips Joker. (A movie Drew likes‚ by the way‚ but which‚ personally‚ I wish I could set on fire and then piss on when I get tired of watching the flames eat the celluloid. Kidding‚ kidding. They didn’t shoot it on celluloid—Warner Bros. thought shooting a film on film would cost too much money.) When i was in grad school (the first time) (I know‚ I know) people would talk about their “lenses”—they were studying through a “Lacanian lens” or “the les of Foucault”—and one of the reasons I didn’t do all that well (the first time) was that I never found my “lens”. I never saw one that helped me see any better. The People’s Joker is a trans coming-of-age story told through the lens of Batman. There are so many different Batman riffs in this movie&;#33; Like as many as you might think there are from seeing trailers or clips‚ there are MORE. And they’re good. All the of the supporting characters are reimagined in fun ways that are a joy to watch if you’ve ever loved a Batman movie. Do you love Dr. Chase Meridian&;#63; Do you love Poison Ivy&;#63; Did you ever wish that Riddler could get his own weird arc that plays out entirely in the background of a movie about a trans Joker in a dystopian Gotham City&;#63; Do you love it when Penguin eats a whole fish and pulls the skeleton out of his mouth&;#63; Goddamn do I have a movie for you.   Credit: Haunted Gay Ride Productions/Altered Innocence And the style is so maximalist and overstuffed and GREAT. Vera Drew’s costuming and make-up changes constantly‚ some sections are janky live action‚ some sections are animation of wildly varying styles‚ there are fight scenes that nod to the 1960s Pop Art Batman‚ and sequences that parody Suicide Squad. “Party Man” is rewritten. The Joker Stairs are danced upon. But possibly the very best thing in this no skips banger of a movie is its heart. Joker the Harlequin can’t really become funny until she knows herself better. Her whole life is a performance‚ so how the fuck is she supposed to perform onstage‚ too&;#63; Or really‚ more than that: if comedy comes from telling the truth‚ how can someone who has to lie all the time supposed to be honest in their work&;#63; When she does work up a successful routine‚ it’s‚ um‚ complicated. There are a lot of layers. Rather than making the ragtag band of outcasts also a bunch of oppressed geniuses‚ The People’s Joker is about people who might not be funny enough to be professional comedians‚ but who use comedy as a lifeline in a bleak world. And that’s good actually. As long as you’re being true to yourself‚ the jokes will probably‚ eventually come—and even if they don’t‚ at least you’ll know who you are. In Alan Moore’s BBC Maestro Class‚ our greatest living magus reminds us that writers are magicians. And while that makes me nervous (that’s the kinda shit that’ll go straight to my head and make me genuinely insufferable)‚ I mean‚ he’s not wrong. By talking about these archetypes and remixing them and re-mx-ing them‚ by claiming characters and using them to tell this story‚ Vera Drew and her collaborators have pulled off a powerful work of magic. Luckily for all of us‚ Alter Innocence has managed to distribute The People’s Joker in a few places across the US. See if there are any screenings near you‚ and if there are‚ throw some green dye in your hair‚ break out your purplest lipstick‚ and get to a theater&;#33; I assure you it will be an incredible time—and I’m an enby of my word.[end-mark] Speaking to The Daily Beast last year‚ Drew said: “If these are our modern myths‚ and if the purpose of myth is to learn about the human experience and grow and also chart your progress—the hero’s journey and all that stuff—let’s actually do that earnestly with these characters” ︎The post &;lt;em&;gt;The People’s Joker&;lt;/em&;gt; Re-Mixes and Re-Mx-es Our Modern Myths with Sheer Trans Joy appeared first on Reactor.

Local fisherman spotted large alligator in river near illegal entry point in Eagle Pass, Texas.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Under new federal guidelines‚ an employer would be guilty of harassment for requiring someone to use a restroom that comports with his or her biological sex‚ or for referring to someone by a pronoun the person doesn’t want used. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published the guidance on Monday. The guidance passed on a 3-2 vote‚ along party lines on Friday‚ a source familiar with the EEOC confirmed. “Harassing conduct based on sexual orientation or gender identity includes … repeated and intentional use of a name or pronoun inconsistent with the individual’s known gender identity (misgendering) or the denial of access to a bathroom or other sex-segregated facility consistent with the individual’s gender identity‚” the new enforcement guidance says.  The guidelines would affect most employers‚ private or public. The EEOC announced last fall it a proposed update of its harassment policy affecting to include sexual orientation and gender identity rules. This prompted opposition from 20 state attorneys general‚ led by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. In November‚ the attorneys general contended what was then the proposed “Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace” updates would threaten the First Amendment rights of employers‚ employees‚ and possibly customers.  “Here‚ the proposed guidance would require employers to affirm or convey to employees and customers—often against religious conviction or deeply held personal belief—messages that a person can be a gender different from his or her biological sex‚ that gender has no correlation to biology‚ or that they endorse the use of pronouns like ‘they/them‚’ ‘xe/xym/xyrs‚’ or ‘bun/bunself‚” the letter from the attorneys general says. “This mandate flouts First Amendment freedoms of religion and speech—yet EEOC rejects any role for accommodation of contrary religious beliefs or speech‚” the attorneys general add. “Further‚ EEOC’s for-cause insulation from direct presidential supervision unconstitutionally blurs the lines of accountability for this overhaul of workplaces nationwide.” In 2021‚ EEOC Chairwoman Charlotte Burrows attempted‚ in a statement‚ to unilaterally include these actions under harassment without public comment or a vote by the full commission. However‚ a federal court in Tennessee enjoined the guidance from going forward in 2022. A separate federal court in Texas vacated Burrow’s guidance altogether. The commission did not appeal the rulings. Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on race‚ color‚ religion‚ sex‚ and national origin. It applies to any employer with more than 15 employees. “Harassment‚ both in-person and online‚ remains a serious issue in America’s workplaces‚” said Burrows‚ a Democrat‚ of the new guidelines in a public statement issued Monday afternoon. “The EEOC’s updated guidance on harassment is a comprehensive resource that brings together best practices for preventing and remedying harassment and clarifies recent developments in the law.”  Joining Burrows to vote in favor of the updated harassment guidance were two other Democrat commissioners‚ Jocelyn Samuels and Kalpana Kotagal. The two Republican members‚ Keith Sonderling and Andrea Lucas‚ voted against the guidance. Women’s rights are under attack by the EEOC‚ said Lucas in a statement issued Monday.  “Biological sex is real‚ and it matters. Sex is binary (male and female) and is immutable‚” Lucas said in a public statement. She added‚ “It is not harassment to acknowledge these truths—or to use language like pronouns that flow from these realities‚ even repeatedly. Relatedly‚ each sex has its own‚ unique privacy interests‚ and women have additional safety interests that warrant certain single-sex facilities at work and other spaces outside the home. It is neither harassment nor discrimination for a business to draw distinctions between the sexes in providing single-sex bathrooms or other similar facilities which implicate these significant privacy and safety interests.”  In 2020‚ the Supreme Court held in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County‚ that a firm violates Title VII if it fires an employee “simply for being … transgender.” But‚ the Republican state attorneys general argued in the November letter‚ “Bostock gives no license to these and other of EEOC’s novel proposals.” “Nor‚ in all events‚ can EEOC permissibly require these deeply controversial gender-identity accommodations without express congressional authorization—authorization not found in Title VII‚” the letter continued. The guidance does not carry the same weight as a law passed by Congress or a regulation imposed by an agency. However‚ the guidance essentially states the position of the EEOC. This means an employee inclined to claim harassment regarding a restroom or pronoun dispute would have the guidance to refer to. Also‚ under private litigation‚ a plaintiff could refer to the formal position of a federal agency. “If you still believed that the Biden administration’s pedal-to-the-metal advancing of gender ideology is all about freedom and individual rights‚ this new EEOC ‘guidance’ should dispel that myth‚” Jay Richards‚ director of the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Life‚ Religion‚ and Family at The Heritage Foundation‚ told The Daily Signal. (The Heritage Foundation founded The Daily Signal.) “Employers may now find themselves in legal hot water if they prefer to use language‚ including pronouns‚ and preserve private spaces that comfort with biological reality rather than the bizarre canons of gender ideology‚” Richards continued. “We’re dealing with a totalitarian ideology that wants to destroy the present order. The sooner normal people understand that‚ the sooner we can dispatch this ideology to the history books.” The EEOC website describes guidance as “official agency policy and explains how the laws and regulations apply to specific workplace situations.” This story was updated to include comments from commission members of the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. The post ‘Harassment’: Feds Impose Trans Agenda on Employers for Pronouns‚ Bathrooms appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Pro-Palestine protesters have defaced a statue of George Washington on the George Washington University campus in Washington‚ D.C.   The statue is draped in a Palestinian flag‚ while a black and white scarf is wrapped around the statue’s neck. Stickers reading “End the Genocide Free Palestine‚” “The Students United Will Never Be Divided‚” and “Anti-Fascist Action‚” are dotted around Washington’s bronze body. A pink sticker reading “Rise Love Resist” covers Washington’s face. “Genocidal Warmongering University” is written in paint across the granite base of the statue and a portion of the statue’s plaque.   Protesters have draped a Palestinian flag around a statue of George Washington on the GWU campus in DC.“Genocidal Warmongering University” is written in paint on the base of the statue. pic.twitter.com/ks3H9HuRZl— Virginia Allen (@Virginia_Allen5) April 29‚ 2024 The anti-Israel protest began Thursday. Dozens of tents litter University Yard on campus around the statue where students are working on laptops‚ taking naps‚ and talking in small groups. Some tents sit empty and appeared open for students to take up residence.   &;#63;A quick tour of the pro-Palestine encampment on the campus of George Washington University in D.C. pic.twitter.com/rHrj1j5AG1— Virginia Allen (@Virginia_Allen5) April 29‚ 2024 The protest was calm late Monday morning‚ but was intense around 1 a.m. Eastern Monday morning when students tore down the metal barricades authorities had in place around the encampment. The barricades now sit in the center of the encampment with two Palestinian flags waving over the pile.   In a statement Monday morning‚ the university said “protesters from the encampment demonstration located adjacent to GW property breached and dismantled the barriers used to secure GW’s University Yard. This group of approximately 200 protesters from across the DMV‚ including professional organizers‚ activists‚ and university students‚ have joined the unauthorized encampment on our campus.”   SEE: Metal barricades are piled in a heap in the center of the pro-Palestine encampment at George Washington University. pic.twitter.com/NTX6Ff3uKv— Virginia Allen (@Virginia_Allen5) April 29‚ 2024 The statement went on to warn that the removal of the barricades around the encampment “is an egregious violation of community trust and goes far beyond the boundaries of free expression and the right to protest.”   The university told the public it is “committed to implementing the safest resolution possible‚” adding that “additional security resources” have been arranged to “respond appropriately to this escalation.”   About a half dozen police officers were visible at the encampment just before noon Monday.   The post SEE: Statue of George Washington Defaced at DC University Bearing President’s Name appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. According to the US-based healthcare colossus‚ Kaiser Permanente‚ an extensive amount of customer information was likely shared with companies like Microsoft and Google‚ among others. A whopping 13.4 million existing and former members were notified of the situation‚ in which potentially personal information may have been unwittingly passed to these third-party vendors via Kaiser’s own web and mobile platforms. The Kaiser corporation revealed that it was the implementation of third-party tracking and analytics tools that led to the unforeseen information leak. It’s only recently that they have understood the full scope of data delivered by this embedded tech to third-party entities whenever users were active on their digital interfaces. Highlighting the severity of this leak‚ earlier in the month‚ Kaiser Permanente officially reported a security lapse to the US Department of Health and Human Services‚ as was reported by TechCrunch. This disclosure evidenced the scale of the impact‚ with a massive 13.4 million data leaks. The data that potentially found its way into the hands of third parties‚ ranged from IP addresses‚ names‚ login status to Kaiser services‚ interaction history on Kaiser’s web and mobile platforms‚ and even search terms used in their online health dictionary. Kaiser‚ however‚ was keen to suggest that super-sensitive data—usernames‚ passwords‚ Social Security numbers‚ financial details‚ and credit card numbers—had not been accessed by the third parties. Related: Meta is sued over data collection on hospital patients  Having detected and addressed the situation‚ Kaiser‚ assembled in Oakland‚ California‚ took steps to eliminate the problematic tech from its platforms and implemented additional measures to prevent any repetition of such privacy breaches. The post Kaiser Data Breach Exposes 13.4 Million Users’ Info to Google‚ Microsoft‚ and Others appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

The Ayatollah Smiles

Columbia's President Says Negotiations With Protesters Have Failed‚ Sets Deadline for Clearing the Camp

'Occupy Jackson Square' Protesters in New Orleans Injure Four Police Officers