The Genesis keyboardist discussed one of his favourites by the surf-rockers. The post The Beach Boys song Tony Banks has spent the most time deconstructing first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

At Monday’s Emmy Awards‚ LGBTQ issues commanded greater attention than did TV shows. The awards show featured a demand that TV spotlight more transgender characters‚ a defense of drag queen story hour‚ and a 10-second-long kiss between two men. “The world urgently needs culture-changing stories about transgender people‚” insisted Sarah Kate Ellis‚ president and CEO of GLAAD‚ upon her acceptance of the Governors Award. According to the Television Academy‚ the award “honors an individual‚ company or organization that has made a profound‚ transformational and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of TV.” GLAAD is certainly a worthy recipient of the award. The organization‚ which aggressively lobbies for LGBTQ representation in the media‚ has spearheaded a campaign for all movies and TV shows to feature characters who identify as gay‚ lesbian‚ nonbinary‚ or transgender. GLAAD has found incredible success in reaching its goal. According to the organization’s “Where We Are on TV” report‚ 596 LGBTQ individuals were featured on TV platforms in the 2022–2023 television season. In introducing Ellis during the Emmy Awards‚ actor Colman Domingo asserted that GLAAD has consulted “on nearly every TV series and TV movie with an LGBTQ character” over the past four decades to “mak[e] sure the realities we face offscreen are reflected onscreen.” Evidently‚ however‚ 596 LGBTQ characters in one year is not enough for GLAAD‚ as Ellis is upset that just 32 of those 596 LBGTQ characters identify as transgender. In an interview with Variety‚ Ellis explained her decision to beg the Television Academy to include more transgender characters: We have seen those watershed moments (for lesbian‚ gay and bisexual representation)‚ whether it was Ellen DeGeneres coming out or Will &; Grace.… What we don’t have yet is a watershed moment for the trans community. I see this opportunity as a chance to speak to the academy and all the creators in the room to say that we need that moment. We need you to create and write about trans people because there were over 500 anti-LGBTQ bills proposed this past year and most are against trans people and our trans youth. In her speech at the Emmy Awards‚ Ellis claimed that transgender “visibility” on TV is “lifesaving.” That claim seemed to echo the common (false) assertion that kids with gender dysphoria will commit suicide unless they immediately receive the full slate of “affirmative” transgender medical treatments and social affirmation of their “gender identity.” When Ellis made the claim that transgender visibility is “lifesaving‚” the cameras flashed to the actress Bella Ramsey‚ who uses “they” pronouns and identifies as non-binary. Ramsey recently played a 14-year-old in the TV show The Last of Us. Ellis concluded her remarks by claiming that LGBTQ people “are still being villainized with cruel and harmful lies.” In introducing Ellis‚ Domingo likewise asserted that LGBTQ characters can play a role in debates on LGBTQ issues. Such characters‚ he said‚ “are an incredibly important piece of showing the humanity of who we actually are‚ dispelling tropes and offering a rich‚ vibrant rainbow of the human experience.” On the politicized night‚ RuPaul Charles‚ whose show RuPaul’s Drag Race won an award‚ used his acceptance speech to push back against efforts to prevent drag performances for children. “If a drag queen wants to read you a story at a library‚ listen to her because knowledge is power‚ and if someone tries to restrict your access to power‚ they are trying to scare you‚” he said. He then declared‚ “So listen to a drag queen!” The night also featured a 10-second-long makeout session between two heterosexual men‚ Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Matty Matheson‚ that was likely to please Sarah Kate Ellis. Some concerns were prompted‚ however‚ over whether the kiss was consensual. “Ok… but like… that was assault. Ask for consent‚” someone commented on X. The centering of LGBT issues did not pay off in terms of viewership. The Emmys reached 4.3 million views‚ an all-time low and a 25 percent decrease over the previous all-time low‚ which the awards show recorded in 2022. The show’s awards were essentially irrelevant given that the big winners of the night‚ including Succession and The Bear‚ won awards just last week at both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards. The Emmy Awards were thus just another round of forgettable Hollywood backscratching.  ***** For the next Emmy Awards‚ we can expect even more than 596 LGBTQ characters. Sarah Kate Ellis told Variety that quite a few people question her on whether there will ever be enough LGBTQ representation for her to be happy. The “activist” inside her‚ she said‚ wants to respond “Never!” But‚ she explained‚ she will actually be “happy” when “we are in every story because we are in every family‚ we are in every workplace.”  “I don’t mean that we need to be the center of every story‚” said Ellis‚ “but I don’t know a family in America‚ or a workplace or a restaurant‚ or really anywhere in America‚ where there aren’t LGBTQ people.”  What can also be expected for the next Emmy Awards is even less viewers. READ MORE: Finnish Politician Goes Back to Court for 2019 Bible Tweet The Gayest Generation The post GLAAD’s Push for More Transgender Characters Takes Center Stage at Lowest-Rated Emmy Awards appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Prominent leaders all over the globe are starting to publicly acknowledge that World War III is coming.  In many cases they are expressing hope that it can still be avoided‚ but that becomes less likely with each passing day.  Multiple parties are escalating the conflict in the Middle East‚ the war in Ukraine has entered a dangerous new phase‚ and the election that just happened in Taiwan has made a Chinese invasion much more probable.  So what is going to happen if major powers start tangling with one another all over the planet?  We really are on the brink of the unthinkable‚ but most people in the general population have no idea how dire things have become. On Monday‚ British Defense Minister Grant Shapps warned that we are now in a “pre-war world” and that western powers could soon find themselves fighting Russia‚ China‚ Iran‚ and North Korea… …now is the time for all allies and democratic nations across the world to… make sure their defence spending is growing too. Because as discussed‚ the era of the peace dividend is over. In five years time we could be looking at multiple theatres including Russia‚ China‚ Iran‚ and North Korea. …we find ourselves at the dawn of this new era. [The] Berlin Wall a distant memory but we have come full circle‚ moving from a post-war to a pre-war world. An age of idealism has been replaced by a period of hard-headed realism. I was stunned that he was willing to give the public such an honest assessment. But of course he is right. Multiple wars are coming. U.S. officials are issuing similar warnings.  Here is one example… A source inside the Pentagon has warned Daily Express US that “we are on the brink of World War 3” amid surging conflict in the Middle East sparked largely by Iran. The source inside the Pentagon that issued this rather ominous warning is a man named Nicholas Drummond‚ and he claims that the current war in the Middle East could literally result in “the end of Iran”… Defence expert Nicholas Drummond echoed concerns that the conflict in the Middle East could potentially escalate but warned that if Tehran directly attacked Israel‚ the ensuing war would be “the end of Iran”. So exactly what sort of weapons would be required to bring about “the end of Iran”? You might want to reflect on that for a moment. There is also a lot of talk about World War III in Russia.  In fact‚ one of Russia’s most prominent news anchors named Vladimir Solovyov recently told his audience that our planet is “moving towards World War III”… “We are moving towards World War III. In my opinion‚ it’s already underway. By the way Trump thinks so too‚” the Russian presenter added‚ as he tried to cut to a soundbite of the former president condemning U.S. strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Yes‚ he was actually quite correct about Donald Trump. Not too long ago‚ Trump publicly warned a crowd in Iowa that “we’re very close to World War III”… “World War III‚ we’re very close. I don’t know if you feel it. I don’t know‚ madam attorney general‚ if you feel it‚ but we’re very close to World War III when you see these discussions taking place.” Personally‚ I am entirely convinced that World War III has already started‚ but what Trump and others are talking about is the hot phase when missiles start flying all over the place and millions of people die. And we are so close to that right now.  The following comes from a Daily Mail article entitled “The descent into World War 3: How Russia‚ Iran and China are simultaneously making moves that will drag us all into conflict”… Leaked German intelligence documents suggest Berlin expects Russia to launch another wave of attacks to overwhelm Ukraine‚ and is scrambling to come up with contingency plans in the event Russian troops march westward from Belarus. The Israel-Hamas conflict threatens to spread violence across the Middle East‚ with Iran’s so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’ – including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels – increasing their attacks on Israel and commercial shipping routes‚ prompting the UK and US to launch a series of devastating strikes by air and sea. Further East‚ Taiwan’s election of a new democracy-loving president has angered Beijing even further‚ with a Chinese invasion of the island nation in the coming years looking ever more likely. It is likely that the Middle East will be the first flashpoint to fully erupt. The region has become so unstable over the past couple of months‚ and the entire world was stunned this week when Iran decided to launch missiles and drones into Iraq‚ Syria and Pakistan… Within 24 hours‚ Iran launched missile and drone strikes on targets in three countries — Iraq‚ Syria and Pakistan — and took the extraordinary step of announcing its responsibility for the attacks‚ triggering anger from its neighbors. So why did Iran do this? The Iranians claim that the strike in Iraq targeted “an Israeli spy hub”… Baghdad recalled its ambassador to Iran after the Monday night attack on its northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region killed four civilians and injured at least six. Tehran said the strike targeted an Israeli spy hub near the U.S. consulate in Erbil‚ the Kurdistan regional capital city. Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani rejected the Iranian claim‚ describing the attack as a “crime against the Kurdish people.” Iraq’s Foreign Ministry‚ meanwhile‚ called the attacks a “violation of international law” and said it would file a complaint with the U.N. Security Council. France’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Iran was “contributing to the escalation of regional tensions — and it must stop.” As for the strikes in Syria and Pakistan‚ the Iranians claim that they were trying to hit Sunni groups that commit acts of terrorism… Tehran also hit what it said were Islamic State targets in northern Syria in tandem with its strikes on Iraq. It then went on to target the headquarters of a Sunni armed group in Pakistan’s western Balochistan province near the Iranian border. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it “strongly condemns the unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran” which it said killed two children and injured three more. It added that “it is even more concerning that this illegal act has taken place despite the existence of several channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran.” This could potentially draw Pakistan into the war in the Middle East. And let us not forget that Pakistan has nuclear weapons. It is very unusual for Iran to be this aggressive. And Iran’s Defense Minister is promising that his nation will not hesitate to conduct similar missile strikes in the future… The morning after Iranian attacks on neighboring Pakistan and Iraq‚ Iran’s defense minister vowed Wednesday that his country would “not set any limits” on using its missile capabilities against enemies whenever necessary. “We are a missile power in the world‚” the minister‚ Mohammad Reza Ashtiani‚ told reporters at a Cabinet meeting‚ according to state media. “Wherever they want to threaten the Islamic Republic of Iran‚ we will react‚ and this reaction will definitely be proportionate‚ tough and decisive.” Meanwhile‚ the IDF and Hezbollah continue to pummel one another along Israel’s northern border… The Israeli armed forces carried out a massive wave of airstrikes and artillery fire against targets in the Saluki valley in southern Lebanon on Tuesday‚ following repeated attacks against Israeli targets by the Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah. According to Israel Defense Forces‚ the terror group “makes extensive use” of the valley for its activities‚ hiding its weapons and infrastructures in the valley’s forested areas. According to Lebanese reports‚ the Israeli airstrike was among the largest of the war so far‚ hitting 15 different targets in at least 30 launched strikes. And on Tuesday the U.S. military actually hit the Houthis in Yemen with a “pre-emptive attack” because the Houthis were apparently getting ready to launch more anti-ship ballistic missiles… On Tuesday US forces carried out another round of strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen‚ but this time the operation is being dubbed a “pre-emptive” attack that came in response to militants preparing missile launches on the ground in real time. “US forces struck and destroyed four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles‚” a Central Command (CENTCOM) statement saud. “These missiles were prepared to launch from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and presented an imminent threat to both merchant and US Navy ships in the region.” War is here. In fact‚ 2024 is going to be a year of war‚ and wherever conflict happens the U.S. is almost certainly going to be involved. So how will the American people respond as the world erupts in flames? In recent weeks‚ we have seen crazed protesters do some very alarming things in Washington‚ New York‚ Los Angeles and elsewhere. But the truth is that World War III is still only in the very early stages.  So what is going to happen once global events spiral completely out of control? Unfortunately‚ I believe that it won’t be too long before we find out. Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com‚ and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here. About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “Chaos” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written seven other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”‚ “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”‚ “The Beginning Of The End”‚ and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing‚ and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short‚ and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter‚ and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of my articles.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog‚ End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News‚ and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites‚ but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only‚ and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal‚ business‚ financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter‚ and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times‚ and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world‚ that he gave his only begotten Son‚ that whosoever believeth in him should not perish‚ but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so‚ I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today. The post All Of A Sudden‚ Leaders All Over The World Are Warning That World War III Is Very Close appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

Photo: Alamy The Trump campaign wasted no time in responding to a ruling from Maine’s Superior Court on Wednesday that put a temporary stay on Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’… The post Trump campaign responds to Maine Superior Court’s 14th Amendment decision first appeared on Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN).

The countdown has begun—only six months until the 2024 Olympic Games. And already we can anticipate the serious challenges that female athletes will face in their quest for success—most critically‚ including male athletes who identify as women in women’s competitions. Women competed for the first time in the Olympics at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris. Now‚ 124 years later‚ with the Summer Games being held in Paris again‚ it would be a disastrous backslide if male athletes who identify as women are allowed to compete in female-only categories. Yet recent international pushes for so-called inclusion make this an all too real scenario for the upcoming Olympics. Among those standing in the gap is Reem Alsalem‚ U.N. special rapporteur on violence against women and girls‚ who on Dec. 27‚  issued an official communication to the U.S. government warning that rule changes in women’s and girls’ sports at the national level would breach “human rights obligations.” The special rapporteur’s letter makes clear that the Biden administration’s proposed changes to federal Title IX law requiring schools to permit males to compete in female-only sports would not only disadvantage female athletes but also seriously undermine the safety of women and girls. As the special rapporteur states‚ changes to Title IX “would lead to the loss of privacy‚ an increased risk of physical injury‚ heightened exposure to sexual harassment and voyeurism‚ as well as a more frequent and accumulated psychological distress due to the loss of privacy and fair and equal sporting and academic opportunities.” The result would be to “contravene the United States’ international human rights obligations and commitments concerning the prevention of all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls on the basis of sex.” This commonsense approach to protecting women runs contrary to that favored by the International Olympic Committee. In November 2021‚ the IOC introduced a new framework for the participation of transgender individuals in sports. It established that eligibility criteria should not exclude athletes from competition based on their gender identity and should not be based on an “unverified‚ alleged or perceived unfair competitive advantage” resulting from transgender status. Under the false presumption that there exists no de facto performance advantage for biological males who self-identify as females‚ the Olympic framework further holds that any restrictions to eligibility criteria should have to prove a disproportionate competitive advantage. This is the grim reality confronting the women who train‚ work‚ and sacrifice so much to compete in sports at the highest levels. Mirroring this approach‚ a group of former and current experts belonging to the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council released an October 2023 policy paper with the claim that attempts to “use” the male-female categorization in sports is exclusionary to men identifying as transgender women. The policy position holds that‚ “categoric exclusions of trans[gender] and intersex women from women’s sports is a prima facie violation of human rights obligations.” Never mind the obvious human rights violations that ensue when women are displaced or systemically disadvantaged on their own playing field by the participation of biological men. As recognized by the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group‚ a group of former athletes and sports administrators‚ “If sports were not segregated by sex‚ female athletes would rarely be seen in finals or on victory podiums.” Biological differences between men and women matter‚ most evidently in athletics. And contrary to what the U.N. experts suggest‚ “gender identity” is not a protected category under international human rights law. Rather‚ sex is. Let there be no doubt: this is not about preventing transgender individuals from partaking in sports; it is about ensuring fair play and safety for all‚ especially women. Female athletes have the right to compete in a protected category‚ with a fair chance to win and with full consideration for their safety both on and off the field. The toll of “inclusion” at the cost of fairness and safety for women in sports is mounting worldwide. This approach fails to adequately consider the clear scientific evidence that the two sexes are not equivalently situated in sports because of males’ physiological advantages over women. Thankfully‚ science has well-documented men’s performance advantages over women in almost all athletic competitions. We need only look to the studies conducted by eminent gender experts such as Gregory Brown‚ Emma Hilton‚ David Handelsman‚ and Taryn Knox‚ among others‚ to understand the objective nature of these differences. Men and women are equal‚ but not interchangeable. Only by shutting one’s eyes and ignoring the insurmountable scientific evidence can one claim that excluding male athletes from female categories is discriminatory. On the contrary‚ if biological men are allowed to invade female-only spaces‚ it will be women and girls who will pay the price of exclusion. The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.  Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post 2024 Olympics: Science Supports Excluding Male Athletes From Female Categories appeared first on The Daily Signal.

According to POLITICO‚ Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) may face a primary challenge from Dan Hanlon‚ who served as her chief of staff until late last month. Hanlon is reportedly meeting with potential donors and possible members for his team. “Rep. Nancy Mace’s former chief is weighing a primary challenge ag. her‚ setting up what could be one of the campaign season’s most bitter clashes‚” POLITICO’s Olivia Beavers writes. SCOOP: Rep. Nancy Mace’s former chief is weighing a primary challenge ag. her‚ setting up what could be one of the campaign season's most bitter clashes. Dan Hanlon‚ who departed her office last month‚ is meeting w/ potential donors/team as he weighs bidhttps://t.co/TgdlajAhH2 — Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) January 17‚ 2024 From POLITICO: Hanlon became Mace’s chief in 2022‚ rising quickly to the top spot in her Hill office after serving in the Trump administration for four years. Hanlon has until South Carolina’s March 30 filing deadline to decide on a run‚ though candidates usually need to get their operations up and running early if they want to be competitive‚ particularly against incumbents. Any primary challenge to Mace could get serious attention from the upper ranks of the House GOP‚ where some feelings are still bruised by her surprising vote to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) back in October. “Hanlon has been pleased with how well the idea has been received and how many people are looking for a Mace alternative‚ both money people in D.C. and movers and shakers in S.C.‚” one of the Republicans familiar with his decision-making said. While primary challenges are nothing new on the Hill‚ it’s rare to see a member face a direct challenge from a top aide who departed weeks earlier. Hanlon is well-positioned to expose Mace’s weak points during a primary battle‚ given his high-level knowledge of her office. But if he runs‚ he’d also leave himself open to counter-attacks from her backers that he’s motivated by a grudge against his former employer. Nancy Mace’s former chief of staff is weighing a primary challenge against her‚ setting up what could be one of the campaign season's most bitter intra-party clashes.https://t.co/sfUJSuLdpz — POLITICO (@politico) January 17‚ 2024 From Mediaite: Mace has made a name for herself as a rabble-rouser on Capitol Hill‚ frustrating both conservative hardliners and moderate Republicans alike. She attracted quite a bit of attention last fall when she joined a group of rebels led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) in an ultimately successful effort to eject former Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position. While Mace explained her decision by arguing that McCarthy had broken promises to her‚ McCarthy told members of the press that Hanlon told him that he had kept his word and had said as much to Mace herself.