I'm a rock and roll star‚ I'm not a saint&;#33;

'This year Congress hit a new low.'

'A critical issue for civic life in America'

While Loverboy may be a Canadian rock band formed in Calgary‚ Alberta‚ they became huge in the US in the early 1980s with their big-time MTV Hits. The band was formed in 1979.  Over the years‚ Loverboy has released nine studio albums and achieved large commercial success with hits like “Working for the Weekend” and “Turn Me Loose.” Their achievements include numerous awards and several multi-platinum albums‚ solidifying their place in rock history. The band has seen few lineup changes since its inception‚ maintaining a stable core of members who contribute significantly to its enduring legacy. Mike Reno Mike Reno The post Complete List Of Loverboy Band Members appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Our top 10 Tower of Power songs spotlight an American band that has been a cornerstone of the soul genre for over five decades. Formed in 1968‚ Tower of Power’s journey began when vocalist Emilio Castillo met baritone saxophonist Stephen “Doc” Kupka. Castillo‚ experienced with several bands and encouraged by his father‚ decided to hire Kupka after an impressive home audition. Initially named The Motowns‚ the pair quickly made a name for themselves‚ performing at various gigs and building a dedicated following with their soulful sound. The desire to perform at Bill Graham’s Fillmore Auditorium led to a pivotal name The post Top 10 Tower Of Power Songs appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

In the only study of its kind ever attempted‚ one which poured over hundreds of papers examining the impact of conservation efforts‚ scientists from England have determined that conservation as a whole can and does work. Looking at data from as far back as 1890‚ the researchers say they have produced the first-ever evidence that […] The post Conservation Almost Always Provides Incredible Results‚ First-of-its-Kind Report Shows appeared first on Good News Network.

Featured Essays wrestling WrestleMania and the Cure to Recursive Mythology Tired of the endless reboots and canon resets&;#63; Wrestling might be the cure to what culturally ails us… By Dylan Roth | Published on April 30‚ 2024 Credit: WWE Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: WWE I’m sure I’m not the first person to tell you that “Wrestling is like superhero comics‚ only in real life&;#33;” It’s a pitch I heard and ignored countless times in my teens and early twenties‚ confident that this theatrical pseudo-sport was not for me. At the time‚ it probably wasn’t—I still have no taste for a lot of WWE’s output from my childhood—but by the time I finally gave wrestling an honest try‚ the appeal was impossible to deny‚ as were parallels to superhero comics. Every week on shows like WWE Monday Night Raw and AEW Dynamite‚ memorable characters engage in stylized combat and tell stories about the value of discipline and perseverance‚ the magic of friendship‚ and the corrupting influence of power. Occasionally it offers a profound moment of awe or emotional catharsis‚ but for the most part‚ it’s reliable‚ disposable pop entertainment‚ like the output of any mass market multimedia mythology. But this year‚ during the drama surrounding WrestleMania XL‚ I find myself more excited than ever about what makes professional wrestling unique from any wholly fictional universe: It cannot move backwards. Cape comics fans are accustomed to exciting story or character developments being rolled back after a few years‚ resetting to a more familiar and (supposedly) approachable status quo‚ usually driven by market forces rather than story demands. Bruce Wayne ends up under the Batman cowl again no matter how many times he’s wounded or killed‚ but Macho Man Randy Savage is dead in real life. You can recast Spock or CGI Mark Hamill’s face onto another actor‚ but you can’t just put someone else in Kevin Nash’s outfit and call him Diesel. (They tried this. It didn’t work.) Even though any wrestling fan over the age of six knows that the “sport” is staged‚ much of the appeal of pro wrestling is in the permeability of its fictional world. Most wrestling characters‚ particularly in the modern era‚ are based primarily on the real lives and personalities of the performers‚ cranked up to 11 and processed through the machine of marketing. They’re on social media‚ blending the real life events of their everyday lives with the fiction they perform in the ring and on television. The best wrestling storylines are derived from real professional rivalries or conflicts. Wrestlers can advance themselves through hard work and good fortune‚ but they can only thrive with the support of their fans. When your favorite wrestler wins the big match or becomes the top champion‚ fans get to experience both the joy of seeing a happy ending to a fictional storyline and the catharsis of seeing a real person accomplish their dream. You get to be there when it happens‚ and you get to feel responsible. This is the unique appeal of professional wrestling as a medium‚ a fictional narrative that is so inextricably linked to the reality of its audience that it can neither escape our influence nor deny the passage of time. Consider the story of Cody Rhodes‚ the babyface (good guy) who finally captured the most coveted men’s singles title in WWE at WrestleMania XL. Cody is arguably the hottest star in wrestling right now‚ and his popularity is a product of his unique and compelling real-life hero’s journey through the world of professional wrestling. The son of legendary wrestler‚ promoter‚ and trainer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes‚ Cody made his WWE debut in 2006 as a rookie who the audience was meant to watch grow into a star. However‚ Cody stagnated for the next decade‚ hanging onto his spot in wrestling’s biggest promotion‚ but never developing into the main event talent he felt he had the potential to become. Frustrated by the company’s mishandling of his character‚ he took his late father’s advice and went “Off Broadway‚” leaving the WWE to work at dozens of other smaller wrestling promotions around the world. Between 2016 and 2022‚ Cody wrestled nearly everywhere there was to wrestle aside from WWE‚ gaining prestige around the world and even co-founding All Elite Wrestling‚ the first legitimate domestic competitor to WWE in almost 20 years. Once his relationship with AEW soured‚ Cody accepted an invitation to rejoin the WWE. He made an explosive return as a surprise competitor at WrestleMania 38‚ retaining the persona—“The American Nightmare”— and momentum he’d developed outside the WWE and instantly becoming their top babyface. Though usually reluctant to acknowledge anything that occurs at other wrestling promotions‚ WWE embraced Cody’s off-screen ascent‚ promoting him as the wayward son who made good on his own before coming home to pursue his boyhood dream of winning the WWE’s highest prize in the main event of WrestleMania. Cody’s story not only has a Campbellian epicness to it‚ but it also gives fans a greater investment in his success. When Cody left WWE‚ he was an also-ran‚ a talented guy who didn’t really pop and who was inarguably born on 3rd base in this business. He might never be World Champion‚ but he would probably always have a job at the highest level of the industry. Cody walked away from that security‚ pursuing his dream with a courage to which most of us can only aspire. He really did that‚ in real life‚ and we helped. Everyone who ever went to see him wrestle in a high school gym or bought an AEW pay-per-view helped Cody Rhodes become the new face of professional wrestling. These moments cannot be manufactured or reproduced. This connection cannot simply be transferred from one wrestler to another‚ and wrestling fans routinely reject any attempt by a promotion to dictate who their next favorite will be.  For an example‚ one need only look across the ring from Cody in this past Sunday’s main event‚ then-Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Reigns has had his own fascinating metatextual rise to power. The hunky cousin of WWE icon-turned-movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson‚ Reigns was first pushed as the promotion’s next top babyface in 2015‚ when he was positioned as an iron-willed gladiator railing against the corrupt Authority that ruled over the WWE. But regardless of the story being told in the ring‚ fans weren’t buying it. They booed Reigns relentlessly‚ and the more the text of the story framed him as a sympathetic underdog‚ the louder and more acerbic reaction he received. The most obsessive and most vocal segment of the fanbase—“smart marks” who follow the behind-the-scenes drama of the company as intently as the on-screen story—refused to accept this narrative for Roman‚ as it ran totally counter to reality. In truth‚ Reigns was plainly the hand-picked face of the company‚ selected by the very people portraying his evil corporate masters on television for the presumed ease with which he could step into his cousin’s boots. It would take until 2020 for WWE to finally give in to the pressure and allow the real world perception of Roman Reigns to fully bleed into the text of his character. Fueled by years of silent resentment‚ Roman remade himself into the monster heel that his detractors online had always considered him to be. He became the Tribal Chief‚ the ruthless patriarch of the Samoan wrestling dynasty known simply as The Bloodline. Roman Reigns is now one of the greatest wrestling villains of all time‚ but it only happened because wrestling fans at large will not accept a hero who is simply a sequel to the last one. Further‚ when a star has been on top long enough that they no longer seem to need our support‚ our eyes inevitably start to wander. John Cena became a massive hero in the early 2000s‚ but within a few years‚ a large‚ loud segment of fans considered him to be the biggest problem with WWE‚ an unstoppable‚ unflappable hero who always won‚ preventing any new stars from rising the ranks. Wrestling is repetitive enough as a form‚ with every conflict ultimately coming down to a grappling match in a 20′ x 20′ square. Who wants to watch the same guy do that every week for a decade‚ always with the same result&;#63; Instead‚ what new or underappreciated talent can we‚ as a community‚ hoist up onto our shoulders and live vicariously through their success&;#63;  That’s not to say that nostalgia doesn’t play an important role in professional wrestling‚ it merely plays a different role in its life cycle than in other media‚ particularly in comics. In Big Two superhero comics‚ the characters are the stars‚ not the talent behind them. Die-hard fans follow particular writers or artists from book to book and from character to character‚ but by and large‚ people buy Batman comics for Batman not for Greg Capullo or Chip Zdarksy. New talent can bring new ideas and a sense of excitement to these long-running titles‚ but the characters’ cultural ubiquity actually works against them‚ as any sufficiently dramatic change will eventually be undone in order to keep the most marketable titles accessible to new or casual readers. Over the past two decades‚ these patterns have escaped their comic book borders and taken hold in Hollywood. Concurrent with the superhero boom in pop culture‚ major studios have spent this past generation developing franchises rather than movie stars—intellectual properties they own forever rather than talent with whom they must negotiate and who eventually outlive their usefulness. (Video essayist Patrick Willems has a terrific piece on this phenomenon.) In wrestling‚ this does not and likely will never happen. Even in the world of lucha libre‚ where masks and mantles are handed down to progeny and prot&;eacute;g&;eacute;s‚ these legacy characters are inevitably surpassed by new ones. El Hijo del Santo and Blue Demon‚ Jr. never outshined their famous fathers and‚ while one of the many men to wear Japan’s iconic Tiger Mask did become New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest star‚ no one has ever done it as Tiger Mask. Nostalgia is nevertheless a key ingredient in wrestling storytelling and marketing‚ and always will be. Any promotion requires a mixture of familiar attractions‚ seasoned veterans‚ and promising rookies‚ not only to appeal to the broadest possible audience but to ensure the continuation of the business. However‚ for wrestling to survive as a form‚ older stars must both apprentice new talent privately and make them look good publicly. A legendary performer losing a match to a young up-and-comer is considered a duty‚ even an honor. This piece of the behind-the-scenes wrestling culture has trickled into the fanbase‚ to the extent that wrestling fans tend to decry aging legends winning feuds over young hotshots‚ even when the legend is one of their favorites.  Wrestlers can continue to perform in the ring at much more advanced an age than in a legitimate contest‚ due to the cooperation of their opponents‚ but the conventional wisdom in wrestling is that‚ even if a star can keep hold onto their spot on the roster‚ they actually shouldn’t. By complete accident‚ this became one of the central conflicts of WrestleMania XL. In January‚ Cody Rhodes won the Men’s Royal Rumble match‚ which in storyline‚ won him the right to challenge any champion in WWE in the main event of WrestleMania. Everyone expected Cody to challenge Universal Champion Roman Reigns to a rematch at WrestleMania XL‚ as Roman’s nefarious Bloodline faction had cheated him out of a win in the previous year’s main event. It wasn’t his only option‚ as WWE had recently created a second world championship to succeed one of the two belts that Roman had been hogging‚ but it was the only option that would make any sense. And yet‚ when Cody confronted Roman on that week’s episode of SmackDown‚ he surprisingly announced that he would postpone his rematch with Roman to make way for another challenger: The Rock. Once the initial shock of the Rock’s return to the ring had worn off‚ fans found themselves thoroughly confused by this booking decision‚ which had seemingly come out of nowhere. Yes‚ it’s true that his cousin Roman declaring himself the Tribal Chief and the head of the Anoa’i Bloodline was an implicit challenge to the Rock’s dominance‚ but that’s a feud that could be heated up at any time. Why now‚ when we’re in the middle of watching something else&;#63; Not unlike Roman’s initial rise to power in 2015‚ the Rock’s return elicited the opposite response from what was intended. Instead of celebrating the return of WWE’s most famous alumnus‚ crowds began to boo the Rock for denying them the match that they’d been waiting for all year. Even though the text of the story was that Cody had voluntarily stepped aside to allow this monumental main event to take place‚ it was much easier to believe that the Rock was throwing his weight around‚ booking himself in the main event at Cody’s expense. Cody’s fictional motivation for backing out was never clear‚ but Dwayne Johnson’s motivation for screwing him over would seem to be obvious: His past few movies have under-performed‚ he’s just tied his financial future to the WWE‚ and it serves both his ego and his wallet to make himself the biggest star in wrestling again. From a purely business-minded perspective‚ of course you’d want to headline WrestleMania with the most famous pro wrestler of all time‚ even if he hasn’t wrestled in years. It took me several paragraphs to explain why you should be excited about Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns‚ but seeing present-day Dwayne Johnson on the thumbnail image for WrestleMania in the Peacock app is going to pop out immediately. The match also made sense on paper‚ and it would be appropriate for Rock to cement his cousin’s legacy by losing to him on wrestling’s grandest stage‚ but the timing was all wrong. This WrestleMania didn’t belong to a nostalgia act‚ or even to the current champion‚ who had main-evented WWE’s flagship event seven times in the past nine years. This was supposed to be about crowning a new figurehead and launching a new era. The Rock had hit the snooze button on the future of wrestling. Luckily for us‚ the WWE woke up anyway. Rather than risk alienating the audience‚ WWE quickly shifted their plans to incorporate the fans’ grievances. At a high profile press event in Las Vegas on February 8th‚ Cody confronted the Rock and Roman Reigns and reasserted his right to choose his WrestleMania opponent‚ choosing to challenge Roman for the Universal Championship. Rather than surrender the main event‚ the Rock leaned into the fan vitriol‚ turning heel and aligning with his cousin against Cody. Over the next few weeks‚ the story would take on an unprecedented scale‚ occupying the main events for both nights of WrestleMania XL. The Rock pivoted effortlessly into a new version of his character‚ which he calls “the Final Boss.” The Rock expressed his rage against Cody and his “crybaby” fans getting in the way of what should have been the biggest WrestleMania main event of all time‚ and it’s easy to read this as a projection of his real life frustration. Everyone got to have their cake and eat it‚ too—the Rock’s return provided a nostalgic pop of excitement‚ but his new framing as an intruder from another time‚ a suit from the board of directors‚ allowed the text to acknowledge the enormous faux pas that Dwayne Johnson had committed by robbing a rising star of a hard-earned opportunity and trying to turn back the clock in a way that is counter to the nature of the medium. The stakes of the Cody/Roman/Rock feud became a matter not only of hero vs. villains‚ but the future vs. the past. In the epic final battle on Sunday night‚ Cody and Roman fought each other one-on-one for twenty minutes‚ demonstrating their ability to captivate a stadium crowd on their own‚ before the Rock got involved in the match. He wasn’t the only nostalgic favorite to appear during the final hour—John Cena and the Undertaker also made cameos‚ helping to prevent the Rock from cheating Cody out of his big moment. But these icons of old were not there to steal the show‚ they were guest stars‚ textually present to keep another past legend from holding the future at bay. That’s how it ought to work‚ not only in wrestling‚ but in all media‚ and in life. The past can visit‚ it can show us a good time‚ but eventually‚ someone new must hoist the championship title high.[end-mark] Credit: WWE The post WrestleMania and the Cure to Recursive Mythology appeared first on Reactor.

Book Recommendations Front Lines and Frontiers Gems From a Master of SF: The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge Vinge was one of the all-time greats; his stories remain thrilling‚ thought-provoking‚ and stand the test of time… By Alan Brown | Published on April 30‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share In this bi-weekly series reviewing classic science fiction and fantasy books‚ Alan Brown looks at the front lines and frontiers of the field; books about soldiers and spacers‚ scientists and engineers‚ explorers and adventurers. Stories full of what Shakespeare used to refer to as “alarums and excursions”: battles‚ chases‚ clashes‚ and the stuff of excitement. Today‚ I’m going to look at an excellent collection of stories by one of the science fiction field’s greatest authors‚ Vernor Vinge. Even though I knew he had been ill‚ his recent death came as a shock to me. And just like I’d reach for a photo album to look at pictures of a departed family member‚ I often reach for an old favorite book when I hear about the death of an author; it is a chance to look back and remember. The book I picked up to remember Vinge‚ ironically‚ is one I had never opened before. The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge is a handsome hardcover edition issued by Tor Books in 2001. The reason I hadn’t read the book was the fact I had read most of its contents in the past‚ either when the stories first appeared (primarily in my monthly Analog magazines)‚ or in a pair of paperback anthologies that Baen Books had published a few years before. But like many other collectors‚ I am drawn to purchasing the works I enjoy in more durable and attractive formats. The only drawback with this book is that it does not contain True Names‚ Vinge’s seminal novella from 1981. Unfortunately‚ that story‚ widely held to be the inspiration for the cyberpunk subgenre that dominated science fiction in the late 20th century‚ was included in a separate anthology‚ keeping this book from being the definitive collection of Vinge’s shorter work. About the Author Vernor Vinge (1944-2024) was a California-based educator and science fiction author. His academic career focused on computer science and mathematics‚ and inspired some of the unique themes in his work. His first story sale was to Analog magazine in 1966‚ and he became an influential author of hard science fiction‚ engaging in speculation on technological developments that influenced not only his own work‚ but that of other writers. I’ve looked at two of his novels before in this column‚ A Fire Upon the Deep‚ and A Deepness in the Sky‚ and you can find more information on the author and his ideas in those reviews. There were a number of obituaries and tributes written about Vinge after his recent death‚ including pieces from The New York Times‚ here at Reactor‚ at the File 770 blog‚ and from SFWA‚ and James Davis Nicoll recently collected a list of Vinge’s best work here on the site‚ as well. Major Themes and Concepts in Vinge’s Work Vernor Vinge was an undeniably compelling author‚ but his stories were often dark in tone. They often dealt with war‚ disasters‚ and conflict‚ and his characters were often lucky simply to survive the tales. He not only had a knack at presenting advanced scientific concepts in ways that were easy to understand‚ but was also skilled in developing characters who were relatable‚ even if their environments were fantastic. One of the concepts central to Vinge’s work was the idea that human civilization is headed for a massive disruption. His theory was presented in a 1993 essay‚ “The Coming Technological Singularity‚” in which Vinge stated: “Within thirty years‚ we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after‚ the human era will be ended.” And unlike some other predictions by science fiction authors that have been overtaken and made obsolete by time and circumstance‚ the recent explosion of Artificial Intelligence into public consciousness appears to be validating Vinge’s predictions‚ and in just a little over Vinge’s 30-year timeline. In fact‚ as I wrote this article‚ I found my web browser replaced by a new version that promised advanced features driven by AI—just one of many such changes appearing throughout the virtual world. Vinge predicted that the “singularity” would produce so many changes that life afterward would be incomprehensible to those living before the transformation. As a result‚ many of Vinge’s stories have settings where the singularity is approaching‚ or where some major event‚ like a war or catastrophe‚ had prevented the event. But even though he saw a transformation in society as inevitable‚ and recognized that the universe is bound by immutable natural laws‚ he still had a desire to write science fiction stories free from those constraints. His solution was the creation of the “Zones of Thought‚” a concept where the closer you were to the galactic center‚ the less possible it was to develop intelligence‚ with the galactic fringes being a place where superhuman intelligences were not only possible‚ but common‚ and where technologies like faster than light travel were possible. This concept was incorporated into what I feel are his best series of novels‚ A Fire Upon the Deep‚ A Deepness in the Sky‚ and The Children of the Sky‚ and the idea of the Zones of Thought are discussed in my reviews of those first two books. The concept was also used for the first time in the short work‚ “The Blabber‚” which appears in this collection. Another concept Vinge used to explore changes in future societies was the “bobble‚” a stasis field that could be formed to trap its contents in suspended animation for years‚ centuries‚ or even millennia. This concept appears in The Peace War‚ “The Ungoverned” (which appears in this volume)‚ and Marooned in Realtime. Vinge’s work often explored societies that had embraced some form of libertarianism or anarchy‚ in which governments are not the dominant organizations‚ which allowed him to look at the issues of individual freedom and responsibility. These societies were frequently portrayed as a reaction to or result of disruptions like wars or natural disasters. The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge Every tale in this book is a good one. Even the shortest stories‚ which often rely on some sort of gimmick or hook‚ find some interesting twist or scientific principle that makes them stand out from the crowd despite their brevity. But it would be tedious to summarize each and every one of them here‚ so I will focus on the longer stories‚ and those that particularly stuck with me. Buy the Book The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge Buy Book The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget The book begins with “Bookworm‚ Run&;#33;” While not Vinge’s first sale‚ it is one of the first stories he wrote. It is brimming with ideas‚ including the impact of unlimited energy sources on the economy‚ a secret underground government facility so complex you need a computer to find your way through the labyrinth‚ and a simian‚ Norman‚ who has been boosted to human levels of intelligence by linking him to the Department of Defense computer network. Norman finds that he can access more information than anyone else imagined‚ and tries to escape. What he doesn’t realize is that the further he gets from his computer link‚ the less he can rely on his enhanced intelligence. “The Peddler’s Apprentice‚” co-authored with Joan D. Vinge‚ is a precursor to Vinge’s “bobble” stories‚ featuring an enigmatic salesman who spends centuries in suspended animation only to appear and meddle in whatever society that has emerged during his long sleeps. He is especially irritated to find the Earth trapped in stagnation by a world government afraid of change‚ and decides to upset the status quo. The story is told from the perspective of a simple young man who stumbles across the peddler‚ and is forever changed by that encounter. “The Ungoverned” is a story from the “bobble” series‚ set in an era where the stasis fields have destroyed the governments of our time‚ and America is divided into a confused jumble of organizations (or lack of organizations). Wil Brierson is an officer in a protection company called the Michigan State Police who has been sent to assist clients on the midwestern plains threated by the bellicose and authoritarian Republic of New Mexico that has emerged in the south. The invaders know the area does not have a government‚ and assume that means they are without defenses. But the lack of an army does not mean that the locals are unarmed‚ and the invasion does not go as planned. “Apartness” was Vinge’s first commercial sale‚ a story set in the wake of a world war that has destroyed the northern hemisphere‚ and offers an ironic look at what happens to colonies when the colonial powers are gone. It is a companion piece to “Conquest by Default‚” which shows that same war-torn Earth invaded by humans from other stars. The invaders think they are being merciful to offer assimilation into their very different culture‚ but all it means is that the survivors of the world war will face a different kind of destruction. “Gemstone” is a shorter piece‚ but one with an emotional resonance that has stuck with me for years. A young woman is sent to stay with her grandmother while her parents are on a weeks-long trip. But unlike her previous visits‚ she finds the house oppressive‚ and is disturbed by mysterious rocks in a terrarium near her room‚ brought back from an Antarctic expedition by her grandfather. Her grandmother had been supporting herself by selling uncut diamonds‚ which attracts the attention of some local thieves‚ and the story ends in a tragedy that reveals extraterrestrial mysteries. The story “Just Peace‚” co-authored with William Rupp‚ is a James Bond-esque tale of derring-do‚ with an agent from Earth being teleported to a colony world that is more interested in fighting for dominance than preparing for seismic disasters that loom in the near future. The fact that the agent is identical to another agent the colonists had murdered a short while before is just one of the aspects that makes this tale an interesting read. The alien race in “Original Sin” is as horrifying as it is fascinating. They are extremely intelligent‚ held back only by their short lifespans‚ which come to a violent end when their offspring eat their way out of their bodies in a cannibalistic frenzy. Now a man has been hired to find a way to extend their lives‚ which could cause the aliens’ technological capabilities to expand and accelerate…and thereby threaten the existence of humanity. “The Blabber” is my favorite Vinge story‚ and one of my favorite science fiction stories of all time. It is the first tale Vinge wrote using his Zones of Thought concept‚ and succeeds in recreating the fun and excitement of science fiction’s Golden Age. A young man‚ Hamid Thompson‚ works on an Earth colony entertaining visitors from beyond the galaxy who want to see how primitives behave in the Slow Zone. But other‚ more threatening visitors from beyond also arrive‚ and are interested in Hamid’s alien pet‚ the Blabber‚ a creature who resembles a cross between a dog and a seal‚ with uncanny mimicry abilities‚ and an intelligence that sometimes seems to be near human. The story is full of action and the revelation of mysterious destinies‚ and even features a chase involving flying carpets. The Blabber turns out to be a member of one of the most fascinating alien races I’ve ever encountered in fiction‚ and the ending leaves the reader wanting more. “The Barbarian Princess” is a fun story that follows the adventures of a company traveling on a large barge between city-states and villages along the shores and islands that surround a largely unexplored continent. The society has technology roughly similar to that of 19th century Earth‚ held back by the planet’s lack of metals. The barge’s occupants make their money by trading‚ by publishing a science fiction magazine (which amusingly resembles John Campbell’s old Astounding)‚ and by putting on a traveling circus. They find a young barbarian from the unexplored regions—a remarkable young woman named Tatja Grimm—and train her to portray an adventure hero from their magazine stories. But when they run afoul of the taboos of a superstitious village‚ that fictional portrayal might be the only thing that can save them from certain death. “Fast Times at Fairmount High” was written in 2001‚ and follows the adventures of a group of San Diego high school students who are working on their final exam projects. It portrays a society already being transformed by advanced information technology‚ where people live in a world that mixes virtual reality with the physical world. While many stories of its type quickly become overtaken by real-world advances‚ this tale still feels fresh and possible after more than two decades. It offers a view of what the world might be in just another decade or two‚ a world on the cusp of Vinge’s singularity. Final Thoughts The Collected Works of Vernor Vinge is a fascinating introduction to Vinge’s fiction for someone who has not yet encountered his work‚ and presents an excellent array of Vinge’s shorter pieces‚ which was where he did some of his strongest work. There is plenty of thoughtful scientific speculation here‚ and no small measure of action and adventure. You generally find one of those elements or the other in a story‚ but here you get the best of both worlds. I’d love to hear from readers regarding their favorite Vernor Vinge stories. There are certainly plenty of good ones worth discussing&;#33;[end-mark] The post Gems From a Master of SF: &;lt;i&;gt;The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge&;lt;/i&;gt; appeared first on Reactor.

Monday may have been Education Secretary Miguel Cordona’s terrible‚ horrible‚ no good‚ very bad day. The ink was barely dry on the Education Department’s vast rewrite of Title IX before three separate federal lawsuits were filed in quick succession in courthouses in Louisiana‚ Texas‚ and Alabama. The essential elements of each lawsuit share a common theme: The Biden administration’s new Title IX rule is illegal. Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a single sentence. It simply bars sex discrimination in any federally funded education program. It doesn’t matter how much federal funding a school or institution of higher education receives. And it doesn’t matter whether such funding from the federal government is direct or indirect. So yes‚ even the vast majority of private schools must comply with the new rule.    But this simple‚ longstanding prohibition on sex discrimination has been manipulated by the Biden administration to undermine constitutional freedoms (including the freedom of speech)‚ eliminate commonsense due process protections for students accused of sexual misconduct‚ and erase the very women that Title IX was enacted to protect. The Department of Education has unilaterally expanded the prohibition against discrimination based on “sex” to include a prohibition against discrimination based on “sex stereotypes‚ sex-related characteristics (including intersex traits)‚ pregnancy or related conditions‚ sexual orientation‚ and gender identity.” None of these terms was in the minds of the ratifiers of Title IX in 1972‚ but that’s of no concern to the Department of Education‚ which believes its vast expansion of the word “sex” is legally sound. Federal courts have disagreed.    Shortly after midnight Monday morning‚ the Defense of Freedom Institute and the states of Louisiana‚ Mississippi‚ Montana‚ and Idaho filed the first of the three lawsuits in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana against Cardona‚ Assistant Education Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon‚ and the Department of Education as a whole. In the complaint seeking declaratory and injunctive relief‚ the Defense of Freedom Institute writes that the rule “is a naked attempt to strongarm our schools into molding our children … in the government’s preferred image of how a child should think‚ act‚ and speak. The final rule is an affront to the dignity of families and school administrators everywhere‚ and it is nowhere near legal.” Among other claims‚ DFI argues that the Title IX rule interferes with the states’ ability to enforce their own duly enacted laws protecting girls’ and women’s scholastic athletics and defining “sex” for purposes of state law. It also claims the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act—a federal law governing all of executive agency rulemaking. The Administrative Procedure Act requires courts to “hold unlawful and set aside agency action” that is “arbitrary‚ capricious‚ an abuse of discretion‚ or otherwise not in accordance with law”; “contrary to constitutional right‚ power‚ privilege‚ or immunity”; or “in excess of statutory jurisdiction‚ authority‚ or limitations‚ or short of statutory right.” In a public statement‚ the states’ lawyers weighed in‚ with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill‚ a Republican‚ saying: “This is all for a political agenda‚ ignoring significant safety concerns for young women students in preschools‚ elementary schools‚ middle schools‚ high schools‚ colleges and universities across Louisiana and the entire country.” Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch‚ a Republican‚ added: Title IX has been a game-changer for generations of women. For more than 50 years‚ it has given young girls an opportunity to compete on a level playing field and offered them a fair chance to excel. The Biden administration’s pursuit of an extremist political agenda here will destroy these important gains. … The administration’s legal theories are novel‚ at best‚ and they cut legal corners to push them through‚ and we intend to defeat this rule in the courts. The second suit was brought by Alabama in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama‚ in conjunction with Florida‚ Georgia‚ South Carolina‚ and the organizations Independent Women’s Law Center‚ Parents Defending Education‚ and Speech First. “At the time of enactment‚ no one doubted that the law’s use of ‘sex’ referred to biological sex … all relevant indicators confirmed what everyone understood: ‘sex‚’ as used in Title IX‚ means biological sex and does not include ‘gender identity’ or sexual orientation‚” the parties argue in the suit‚ claiming that compliance with the new Title IX rule would be burdensome and costly as well as hamper the states’ ability to enforce their own laws. And‚ like those in the Defense of Freedom Institute’s lawsuit‚ the plaintiffs also claim the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act. Within hours‚ Texas also had filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education and various federal officials over the Title IX rule. Like the plaintiffs in the previous lawsuits‚ Texas claims the Department of Education had violated the Administrative Procedure Act‚ writing: “If Congress intends to impose a condition on the grant of federal funding under Title IX‚ it must do so with ‘a clear voice’ [and] ‘unambiguously.’” By drafting a significant statutory rewrite of Title IX—something that Texas argues the Department of Education lacks authority to do—the rule interfered with the state sovereignty of Texas and impeded the state’s ability to enforce its own laws. In a press release‚ Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton‚ a Republican‚ says: Texas will not allow Joe Biden to rewrite Title IX at whim‚ destroying legal protections for women in furtherance of his radical obsession with gender ideology. …This attempt to subvert federal law is plainly illegal‚ undemocratic‚ and divorced from reality. Texas will always take the lead to oppose Biden’s extremist‚ destructive policies that put women at risk. If the new Title IX rule is blocked by any of the federal judges who will hear these cases‚ it won’t be the first time the Biden administration’s interpretation of Title IX has been held up. After a coalition of 20 states led by Tennessee originally sued the Department of Education in 2022‚ a federal judge halted the earlier‚ informal Title IX guidance in those states.    Although the U.S. Supreme Court has appeared allergic to consideration of transgender “rights‚” it undoubtedly will be forced at some point to wrestle with the notion of whether the president has the authority to change longstanding federal civil rights law with a stroke of a pen. In 2022‚ the high court‚ in West Virginia v. EPA‚ struck down the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to create authority for itself out of thin air to regulate the electricity sector‚ and with it‚ a major component of the American economy’s bedrock based on a narrow portion of the Clean Air Act. The Supreme Court wrote: “Administrative agencies must be able to point to ‘clear congressional authorization’ when they claim the power to make decisions of vast ‘economic and political significance.’” The high court ruled that EPA lacked that authority in 2022. And now‚ the Department of Education lacks authority for its Title IX rule. The question that remains to be answered is when the Biden administration’s long-discussed Title IX rule finally will be struck down. In the meantime‚ school administrators across the country wait for a resolution of what “equality” in the 2024-25 school year will look like.   The post Well‚ That Was Fast: 3 Federal Lawsuits‚ Dropping Simultaneously‚ Challenge Education Department’s New Title IX Rule appeared first on The Daily Signal.

South Korea’s liberal opposition parties scored a decisive victory in the recent National Assembly elections‚ routing the ruling conservative party of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The election earlier this month was seen as a referendum on Yoon’s first two years in office and the results risk turning him into a lame duck for the rest of his single‚ five-year term. The opposition will be emboldened to impede Yoon’s domestic policies and reform plans. However‚ South Korea’s president likely will continue foreign and security policies that closely align with U.S. strategic interests. Yoon was elected in May 2022 after espousing principled security policies to strengthen South Korea’s alliance with the United States‚ overcome historic animosities with Japan to focus on current regional challenges‚ and push back against the rising threats from China and North Korea. He pledged to increase defense spending and improve South Korea’s military. Yoon delivered on his promises‚ enabling a resurgence in allied deterrence and defense capabilities against North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile arsenals. In 2022‚ the U.S. and South Korea resumed large-scale military exercises and Washington restarted rotational deployments of strategic assets (bombers‚ submarines‚ and aircraft carriers)‚ both after a four-year hiatus. Yoon’s courageous outreach to Japan was harshly criticized by the opposition party but invigorated bilateral relations and enabled resumption of trilateral military cooperation with the United States. Yoon’s April 2023 summit in Washington and the historic Camp David summit in August with the U.S. and Japan‚ were both resoundingly successful in affirming and expanding allied cooperation on wide-ranging security‚ diplomatic‚ and economic topics. Resounding Election Loss for Yoon South Korea’s unicameral National Assembly is elected every four years‚ but the one-term president is elected every five years. In the April 10 election‚ the progressive Democratic Party and affiliated Democratic United Party won 175 of a total of 300 seats‚ while the ruling People Power Party and affiliated People Future Party won 108 seats. (The Rebuilding Korea Party won 12 seats and could align itself with the progressive opposition.) The opposition gained enough seats to fast-track legislation and end filibusters‚ but fell short of the 200-seat supermajority that would have given it the power to override presidential vetoes‚ amend the Constitution‚ or impeach Yoon. Voter turnout‚ at 67% of the electorate‚ was the highest for a South Korean legislative election in 32 years. Major issues included the slowing national economy‚ rising prices‚ and various candidate scandals. Foreign and security issues did not seem to resonate with the electorate. Voters punished Yoon’s party for its perceived mismanagement of the economy and unwillingness to work with the opposition. Biggest Impact on Domestic‚ Not Security‚ Policies Yoon’s term has been marked by government gridlock‚ with legislative resistance to his policies as well as his frequent vetoes of National Assembly initiatives. This impasse will continue‚ with Yoon finding it difficult to implement his promised reforms to the country’s education‚ pension‚ and labor systems. Yoon isn’t a traditional politician‚ having spent his career as a prosecutor. He is less interested in polling data on policies or his personal popularity. He has set a firm course for aligning with the U.S. and Japan while raising South Korea’s international role as a “global pivotal state.” Yoon will be undeterred by his party’s loss at the polls and will maintain his foreign and security agenda. After narrowly winning election two years ago‚ he has faced a majority opposition party in the National Assembly and low popularity ratings throughout his tenure. Despite those factors‚ he implemented bold foreign policy changes. However‚ Yoon now may face greater challenges in implementing his policies due to an energized opposition party that is eager to obstruct his priorities‚ his own political party’s distancing itself from an unpopular president‚ and bureaucrats’ fear of being perceived as too closely aligned with Yoon lest it hurt their careers after a possible party change in the 2027 presidential election. The opposition party is expected to step up its criticism of Yoon’s foreign policies‚ since it favors a more accommodating stance toward Pyongyang and Beijing‚ resistance to improving relations with Japan‚ and greater independence from U.S. policies. But such policies have less public support due to the failed U.S. and South Korean summits with North Korea in 2018-19‚ Pyongyang’s rejection of all requests for dialogue‚ and escalating provocations. Pressing Ahead on Strengthening Alliances Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have been stalwart allies in Washington’s efforts to rally Indo-Pacific nations to enhance measures to combat the growing Chinese and North Korean threats. Both South Korea and Japan have made significant improvements to their militaries and have striven to assume larger security roles in the region. The U.S. should intensify ongoing initiatives to develop a latticework of multilateral security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific‚ as well as economic collaborations to reduce China’s ability to economically coerce or retaliate against nations that anger Beijing. The post Election Loss for South Korea’s Ruling Party Unlikely to Affect Pro-US Security Policies appeared first on The Daily Signal.