ABC Refuses to Air RFK Jr. Comments About COVID-19 Vaccines

ABC News cut off a presidential candidate when he started talking about COVID-19 vaccines, raising concerns about censorship.

Robert Kennedy Jr., who recently announced his presidential run as a Democrat, sat down with ABC News for a lengthy interview released on April 27.

After airing clips of the interview, reporter Linsey Davis spoke to viewers.

“We should note that during our conversation, Kennedy made false claims about the COVID-19 vaccines,” she said. “We’ve used our editorial judgment in not including extended portions of that exchange in our interview,” Davis said.

The claims in question were not listed, and ABC did not return a request for comment.

Davis indicated that at least one dealt with the effectiveness of the vaccines.

“Data shows that the COVID-19 vaccine has prevented millions of hospitalizations and deaths from the disease,” Davis said. She did not provide any citations for the claim.

“He also made misleading claims about the relationship between vaccination and autism. Research shows that vaccines and the ingredients used in the vaccines do not cause autism, including multiple studies involving more than a million children and major medical associations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the advocacy group Autism Speaks,” she added.

Kennedy said that what happened violated the U.S. law that bars some media outlets from censoring candidates for public office.

“ABC showed its contempt for the law, democracy, and its audience by cutting most of the content of my interview with host Linsey Davis leaving only cherry-picked snippets and a defamatory disclaimer,” Kennedy said.

“Offering no evidence, ABC justified this act of censorship by falsely asserting that I made ‘false claims.’ In truth, Davis engaged me in a lively, informative, and mutually respectful debate on the government’s Covid countermeasures. I’m happy to supply citations to support every statement I made during that exchange. I’m certain that ABC’s decision to censor came as a shock to Linsey as well. Instead of journalism, the public saw a hatchet job,” he added.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/abc-refuses-to-air-rfk-jr-comments-about-covid-19-vaccines_5228674.html

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Attacks on free speech from the Israeli Left

Jewish Brownshirts objecting to possible  reform of the very Leftist Israel Supreme Court

By DAVID ELIEZRIE

For over five years, I have been honored to be a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency, and for some 15 years, I’ve participated in numerous General Assemblies put on by the Jewish Federations of North America. Historically, these events have been of vital importance in bringing together Jewish leaders of varied views for important decorous debate and dialogue.

This year, the culture of respect usually upheld at these events was shattered by a small group of disruptors trying to impose their views. Yelling, screaming, using bullhorns and worse were all tactics to try to shut down any kind of debate on crucial issues facing Israel and world Jewry.

The disruptions came from just one side of the political spectrum: the Left. It was spearheaded by leaders of the Reform movement, mostly from Israel and a few from overseas. Guards were deployed at the entrances and at the plenary of the Jewish Agency board meeting.

At the larger GA conference, numerous security guards were stationed at the session I attended on the Law of Return. In both cases, it was the presence of MK Simcha Rothman, an architect of the judicial overhaul legislation, that was being protested. At each conference, he spoke with patience, dignity and decency. The disruptors’ goal was to silence him and muzzle any debate.

For years, whenever a Liberal Jewish leader felt that an expressed view of an Orthodox rabbi, or right-wing leader was racist or incited violence, they spoke out with harsh criticism. This time, it was they who incited and tried to intimidate and forcibly silence those who have differing views from their own. Rothman was forced to slip in and out of sessions surrounded by guards.

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-741485

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http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

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http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

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Over 100 Harvard professors form council in fight for free speech amid ‘crisis’

More than 100 of the school’s faculty members have joined the new Council on Academic Freedom, banding together to protect free speech on the Ivy League campus.

“We are in a crisis time right now,” Janet Halley, a Harvard Law School professor and feminist legal theory scholar, told The Post. “Many, many people are being threatened with — and actually put through — disciplinary processes for their exercise of free speech and academic freedom.”

The initiative was announced earlier this month with a Boston Globe op-ed penned by the council’s co-founder, psychology professor Steven Pinker, who declared, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, and if we don’t defend academic freedom, we should not be surprised when … a disgusted citizenry writes us off.”

After that, the council nearly doubled in size over just four days, drawing faculty across all disciplines, according to council co-president Jeffrey Flier.

Janet Halley, who has been at Harvard since 2000, joined after seeing countless professors targeted and punished for their speech or viewpoints.

“Many people think that they’re entitled not to be offended [on campus], and they are willing to complain,” she said. “It’s very difficult for institutions to stop the disciplinary wheels from churning.”

According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), 145 professors were targeted for sanction nationwide in 2022 alone — something Halley said must stop: “An organization at Harvard, sponsored by faculty, is crucial for putting this issue on the agenda in a clear and consistent way in the Harvard environment.”

Despite consistently topping US News and World Report’s college rankings, Harvard ranked 170th out of 203 schools on FIRE’s 2022 Campus Free Speech rankings.

A 2023 survey conducted in collaboration with College Pulse found that only 27% of Harvard students thought shouting down a speaker on campus was never acceptable, while 26% said it’s at least occasionally permissible to use violence to stop speech on campus.

This change in attitude shocks some faculty members.

“During the great part of my career, I never really thought of there being a problem with free speech or academic freedom at Harvard,” medical school professor Jeffrey Flier, who has been at the school since 1978, told The Post. “I mean, that would have almost seemed like a non sequitur.”

But he began to notice a gradual degradation of free speech — and a lack of willingness to speak up — while serving as the Dean of Harvard Medical School from 2007 to 2016.

“There’s not enough of an advantage to someone on the faculty raising their hand, putting their head above the parapet, and saying, ‘I think this is wrong,’” Flier said. “There hasn’t been any network of people from across the spectrum that could be able to do this — but that’s what we now have in the council.”

Flier is co-president of the new group, which he hopes will help fortify free speech on campus — and preemptively prevent censorship: “When the next instance occurs … this group will spring into action both behind the scenes and publicly. And I think it will be a different ball game when that happens.”

One of his fellow co-presidents, philosophy professor Ned Hall, said the council is “resolutely non-partisan” and pulls members from across the political aisle.

“Some people will read the expression of academic freedom as code for ‘right wing.’ But it’s simply not,” he told The Post.

Hall, who has taught epistemology at Harvard since 2005, said he’s concerned by an uptick in students eager to squash out speech they don’t like.

“Some students come in, guns blazing, saying certain topics are just off limits and that you’re a terrible person if you raise them,” he said. “It doesn’t take very many of them to spoil the mood.”

But, according to Hall, it’s merely a tyranny of a very vocal minority. He joined the council and stepped up as co-president after several pupils confided in him that they feel their speech is being stifled on campus.

“Most students come to Harvard actively interested in having robust conversations and in being guided by us professors,” he said. “Students have said to me before, ‘I want to have conversations about hot button topics, but I’m not so comfortable doing it.’”

And the statistics back him up.

According to FIRE’s survey, only 14% of students would feel very comfortable expressing controversial views with peers, and three-quarters of students are at least somewhat worried about reputation damage if they express an unpopular opinion.

https://nypost.com/2023/04/26/harvard-professors-band-to-fight-for-free-speech/

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http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

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http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Washington’s Effort to Censor (True) Pandemic Information

In July 2022, Twitter permanently suspended Rhode Island physician Andrew Bostom after awarding the epidemiologist and longtime researcher at Brown University a fifth strike for spreading “misinformation.”

A July 26 tweet alleging that there was no solid evidence Covid-19 vaccines had prevented any children from being hospitalized—”only RCT data we have from children reveals ZERO hospitalizations prevented by vaccination vs. placebo”—was apparently the final straw.

The funny thing was, it appeared Bostom’s tweet was true.

Dr. Anish Koka, a cardiologist and writer, said he was initially skeptical of Bostom’s claim. But after speaking with him for more than an hour, he realized Bostom was citing the government’s own data, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) briefing document that included randomized controlled trial (RCT) data on children.

“...Dr. Bostom’s tweet appears quite correct as per the FDA documents,” Koka wrote on Substack. “In the RCTs available, there does not appear to be evidence that the vaccine prevented hospitalizations.”

‘They Veered From CDC Guidance’

Bostom’s permanent suspension was one of many anecdotes shared by journalist David Zweig in a December Twitter Files thread viewed by more than 64 million people, which exposed how the government worked with Twitter to try to “rig the Covid debate.”

It turns out this was not the only one of Bostom’s tweets that was true but was nevertheless flagged for “misinformation.”

“A review of Twitter log files revealed that an internal audit, conducted after Bostom’s attorney contacted Twitter, found that only 1 of Bostom’s 5 violations were valid,” Zweig notes. “The one Bostom tweet found to still be in violation cited data that was legitimate but inconvenient to the public health establishment’s narrative about the risks of flu versus Covid in children.”

In other words, all five of Bostom’s tweets that had been flagged as “misinformation” were legitimate. At the very least, four-out-of-five were, and that’s according to Twitter’s own internal audit.

How this happened was partially explored by Zweig, who explained Twitter’s convoluted censorship process, which relied heavily on bots, contractors in foreign countries who lacked the expertise to make informed decisions, and Twitter brass who carried their own biases and incentives. This structure led to a predictable result.

“In my review of internal files,” writes Zweig, “I found countless instances of tweets labeled as ‘misleading’ or taken down entirely, sometimes triggering account suspensions, simply because they veered from CDC guidance or differed from establishment views.”

The CDC had effectively become the arbiter of truth.

This is alarming for at least two reasons. First, for anyone familiar with the government’s track record on truth, there’s reason to be skeptical of putting any government agency in charge of deciding what is true and false. Second, the CDC has been, to put it kindly, fallible throughout the pandemic. Indeed, the agency has been plagued with so much dysfunction and made so many crucial mistakes that its own director announced less than a year ago the organization needed an overhaul.

https://catalyst.independent.org/2023/04/25/censor-true-pandemic-information/?omhide=true

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http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

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http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Another social media giant caves to censorship

TikTok is about to become the propaganda outfit that so many worried it would be. Except it’s not going to be Chinese propaganda, this is to come from the United Nations instead.

As Engadget applauds, nothing that contradicts the UN’s “climate science” is to be allowed in TikTok videos. There free speech, scientific inquiry and even just plain good common sense.

“Last month, TikTok updated its community guidelines to add policies that prohibit videos with climate change misinformation on the app,” Engadget reported.

This idea of having censorship of “misinformation” sounds so lovely and cuddly. Why wouldn’t we want people not to be misinformed? Except all that does is push the definition of truth back into the background.

Instead of it being an open conversation bout what best describes the world we’ve now some group in the background determining what people can say in public. The dangers of this were exactly what the Founding Fathers insisted on the First Amendment. Yes, we know they said Congress shall make no…but what’s the UN if it isn’t a collection of the worst Congresses from elsewhere? You know, the UN that put Saudi Arabia in charge of the Human Rights committee once. These are the folks who get to determine what appears in a TikTok video?

Yeah, right.

This is even before we get to this:

“TikTok will no longer allow content that ‘undermines well-established scientific consensus’ regarding the climate crisis.”

The entire point of science is that it doesn’t need protection from misinformation. In fact, the scientific method is exactly the opposite. It’s the prizefighter in the ring at the County Fair insisting to all – bring it on. Bring what you’ve got and test it against me. Science will win against any such tests because that’s what a scientific result is. The thing that survives all the tests thrown at it. If it doesn’t survive the tests then it’s not true. That’s simply, no really, the way science does work. Any single fact can destroy a theory. A theory is an explanation that explains all the facts. If there are facts contrary to the theory then the facts win and the theory is wrong.

The absurdity is that people are trying to curb that free speech in the name of science. When the entire point of the whole scientific enterprise is to always, but always, be subjecting every single scientific idea to continual testing, even attempt to undermine it. Because, again, that’s what science is. Trying to prove the other ideas wrong. It’s the failure to prove the idea wrong that shows that it’s right.

https://aim.org/2023/04/21/another-social-media-giant-caves-to-censorship/

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http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

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http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Street preacher threatened with jail time after citing Bible verses against local Oklahoma LGBTQ organization

An outspoken street preacher is appealing to the Oklahoma Supreme Court after he was slapped with a five-year restraining order that threatened him with jail time if he speaks out in opposition against a local LGBTQ advocacy group.

Rich Penkoski, a pastor who heads up the online organization Warriors for Christ and has protested drag shows for children nationwide, told Fox News Digital that he believes the restraining order is unconstitutional and could herald a legal precedent that could chill the speech of Christians and others.

"I've been preaching against this kind of stuff for years when it first started in libraries," he said of drag queen story time for children. "We've been telling people it's going to get worse if we don't do anything, and that's where we are."

Penkoski said he was invited by a church in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to preach outside a local Pride event last fall after other local churches failed to speak out against it.

Penkoski also posted a public photo of the same-sex wedding of Sheena Hayes and Morgan Lawrence-Hayes, who is the executive board president of the Bartlesville chapter of Oklahomans for Equality, according to the Christian Post.

In his post, Penkoski referenced Bible verses condemning homosexuality, including Romans 1:32 – "and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same but also give hearty approval to those who practice them."

The pastor also cited Matthew 18:6, which quotes Jesus saying that "whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."

In a police report filed by an officer with ties to Oklahomans for Equality in Bartlesville, the couple felt threatened and harassed by Penkoski's social media posts, according to local outlet V1SUT. The report claimed he made references to bestiality during a sermon at the Pride event, which he denies.

In February, Washington County District Court Judge Linda Thomas granted the couple a five-year protective order against Penkoski after they claimed they felt unsafe in Bartlesville because of the pastor, according to the Rutherford Institute.

Penkoski made two additional posts in which he expressed his disapproval of several Pride events in Bartlesville. In one post, he criticized local Disciples Christian Church for sharing photos of children celebrating Pride Month last June.

In the other post, he aimed to disprove a statement made by Lawrence-Hayes claiming during a City Council meeting that no adult-oriented entertainment, obscenity or sexually suggestive performances took place at the Pride event, which Penkoski maintained to be false.

Penkoski, who has a sizable social media following, said he posted a video of the leader's statement intercut with footage of a drag queen near children during the Pride event. The video, which showed "a drag queen grabbing his crotch and gyrating it in front of children," was pulled from both Facebook and YouTube for being obscene, he said.

Penkoski, who has children ranging from 3 years old to 20, said he "felt moved by God" to oppose drag events involving children. He said he has received multiple death threats and that his property has been vandalized during his legal battle with the LGBTQ group.

John Whitehead, a constitutional attorney and president of the Charlottesville, Virginia-based Rutherford Institute that is representing Penkoski, told Fox News Digital that the pastor's case "is definitely about free speech." They argue that the restraining order against Penkoski is "vague and overly broad."

Whitehead said the Rutherford Institute, which represented Paula Jones in her sexual harassment claim against former President Bill Clinton, took on Penkoski's case because they believe it could set a dangerous precedent that could chill the speech of Christians or anyone else who publicly opposes LGBTQ ideology.

"I think what we're saying is that citing a Bible verse could be a crime at a certain point in the United States," the attorney said.

Both Penkoski and Whitehead told Fox News Digital that his case is likely the first of its kind.

"Other Christians have messaged me, and they said as far as we can tell, you are the first Christian in America to be threatened with jail for posting Bible verses critical of same-sex marriage or drag shows," Penkoski said.

Rutherford Institute President John Whitehead warned that Penkoski's case could set a dangerous legal precedent that "would open [the] door for persecution, obviously." (iStock)

Whitehead, who founded the Rutherford Institute in 1982, said Penkoski never threatened violence against his accusers and that Penkoski's case is symptomatic of eroding freedoms in the U.S.

"The First Amendment is the sole savior of America, and what I'm seeing in America today with all the wokeness and political correctness is that people are afraid to speak," Whitehead said.

"Free speech is so important. It raises critical thinking and makes people think and maybe reconsider some of the things they're doing, so I think people like Richard Penkoski are very, very important in our society," he added.

Whitehead said that if Penkoski fails in his appeal, the First Amendment is "dead," which he believes "would open [the] door for persecution, obviously."

"He quotes what Jesus Christ says, OK? If that's a crime, then we're in a bad state in this country," he added.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/street-preacher-rich-penkoski-threatened-jail-time-citing-bible-verses-oklahoma-lgbtq-organization

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http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

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http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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The Time They Canceled Syrup: The classic breakfast staple brand Aunt Jemima.

Finding out the impacts on sales of this branding switch is not easy. Common sense would dictate that considering all of the advanced hype of the decision, some follow-up details would be at the ready. There is little in the way of media interest in the results. Also, the company is not very forthcoming with the numbers. It has taken a bit of digging to come up with ballpark estimates.

We need to understand the timeline of the rebranding was stretched out. First, the Aunt Jemima image was removed in December 2020, but the name remained in place. The Pearl Milling Company name for the line of items was not applied until the summer of 2021, and there would be a lag time as the products were graduated off store shelves. So to get a read on the sales results means looking through the financials from then through 2022 – when the full change had taken place and sales were reflected in the reports.

And even this is an opaque presentation. In PepsiCo's quarterly reports, the company only details the performance of the subsidiaries in percentile changes in the various sectors without providing hard sales figures. So more sleuthing was needed. In one interview with Fortune Magazine, I found Kristin Kroepfl, chief marketing officer for Quaker Foods North America, stating that in the year 2020, the Aunt Jemima brand had $350 million in sales. Okay, this gives us something of a baseline.

Throughout 2021, the Quaker Foods division saw the pancake mix and syrup sales plunge. The period following the introduction of the name switch that summer reported "a double-digit decline in pancake syrup and mix." This was matched in the final quarter of that year – when the name change had gone into full effect – with "double-digit declines in pancake syrups and mixes."

This downward trend continued through last year. Quarter 1 delivered another "double-digit decline." In Q-2, Quaker saw unit volume grow 2% across all of its products but was weighed down by another "double-digit decline in pancake syrups and mixes," something also seen in the Q-3 reports. The only glimmer of positivity is that the former Aunt Jemima brand saw its bleeding slowing in Q-4, as that line only saw "a high-single-digit decline in pancake syrups and mixes."

Considering the vagueness of these reports (since "double-digit" can range anywhere from 10 to 99%), even applying the rosiest measurement, by only counting a ten percent decline in each of those six quarters, the former Aunt Jemima brand declined by at least -50% since the name change. It is very likely much worse.

This should serve as yet another object lesson for companies looking to enter the woke, DEI-ESG social awareness waters. As seen with Disney last year, and as Bud Light is experiencing now, appeasing and appealing to the woke mobs does not deliver market results. These are not reliable customer bases you are trying to curry favor with, and you are more likely to injure your brand than benefit from your virtue-signaling moves.

Look at how PepsiCo killed off a 130-year-old brand and, in the process, lost a huge amount of market share. Thinking about making good with activists? That is simply not good business.

https://townhall.com/columnists/bradslager/2023/04/20/a-lesson-in-corporate-wokeness-the-disaster-after-making-aunt-jemima-a-pariah-n2622208

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http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

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http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Must not call a government funded organization a government funded organization

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. is the latest to receive a Twitter tag calling it a “government-funded” outlet, and, boy, is it mad.

Earlier this month, Elon Musk’s social media platform labeled NPR and PBS — two American broadcasters supported by tax dollars — as “state-affiliated media,” later changing that to “government-funded media.”

Now Twitter has turned its attention to the government-funded “news” outlets of foreign nations, including Canada and the United Kingdom.

On Sunday, the “government-funded media” label appeared on the CBC’s Twitter account.

The outlet immediately rose up in anger, with spokesman Leon Mar claiming the broadcaster was being “falsely described.”

The new tag prompted the CBC to stop using Twitter in a huff, just as NPR and PBS did after their fealty to the U.S. government was highlighted.

The Canadian broadcaster claimed it is “impartial and independent” as it announced it was pausing its use of the platform. The CBC also demonstrated cowardice by turning off commenting on the tweet.

https://thefederalistpapers.org/us/cbc-cries-called-government-funded-media-elon-musk-gives-even-worse-label

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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TikTok Begins Massive Climate Censorship Campaign Ahead Of ‘Earth Day’

The popular China-based social media app TikTok will revise its misinformation policy to include climate change denial ahead of Earth Day, according to its website.

The policy update, which was first announced in March, will remove videos from the platform that “undermines well-established scientific consensus” or denies the existence of or factors to climate change, TikTok confirmed. It will take effect on April 21 — one day before Earth Day.

“Trust and authenticity fuel the creativity of TikTok—and we believe we have an important role to play in empowering informed climate discussions on our platform,” the app’s website reads. “This week, we are introducing several initiatives that will help reduce harmful climate change misinformation while elevating authoritative information year-round.”

The app will permit videos to circulate that debate various topics involving climate change including the “benefits” or “disadvantages” of politics or a user’s own opinion about “specific weather events,” according to TechCrunch. Users will breach the threshold into alleged denial if they “undermine scientific consensus.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/tiktok-begins-massive-climate-censorship-campaign-ahead-of-earth-day/ar-AA1a4avL

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http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Why teachers now have to call students by TWO different names if they change their gender or pronouns

Teachers in Queensland are being forced to call their students two different names if they change their gender or pronouns, a leaked email has revealed.

The Sunshine State email said that, under the Human Rights Act, teachers are required to use a child's preferred pronouns and names in the classroom.

However, they are expected to use their birth name in official communication with their parents.

This has led to concerns teachers could have to keep secrets from the parents of children who don't want their identities to be known.   

School staff and parents across the state are said to be concerned over the issue.

'Staff are now expected to talk to the parents and not mention it and they must use the name on the child's birth certificate, but otherwise they should use the child's preferred name and pronoun in the classroom,' One anonymous teacher told the Courier Mail.

'At parent-teacher interviews, are we expected to not bring it up with a student's mother even if the child is sitting there next to their mother?'

The teacher also questioned why changing a name is so easy for a student. 'If a child wants to change a subject in their senior year, there are significant protocols to make sure it is the right decision and three or four signatures are required. 'But if they want to change their name or pronoun, it is a case of speaking to the guidance officer.'

The Department of Education said it advises schools and principals to assess each case individually.

It said that it may be best for a school to keep a child's wishes secret in some cases, particularly if the child's family has certain religious beliefs.

A Department of Education spokesman said: 'A student may request that the school uses a preferred name or pronouns. Schools consider these requests based on a case-by-case basis considering the best interests of the student.

'This information acknowledges that circumstances for individual students will be different and decisions about how best to support students should be made on an individual basis.

'As a matter of course, schools communicate regularly with parents and carers on matters at school that affect their children.

'A student's preferred pronouns/gender may also be used on student academic reports if requested by their parent or carer.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11985519/Queensland-teachers-call-students-TWO-different-names-change-pronouns.html

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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NIH Releases New "Pronoun Guide," Claims Intentional Misgendering is a Civil Rights Violation

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) just published a guideline outlining how professionals should use gender pronouns to “affirm gender identity” for themselves and colleagues.

The guideline, issued by the NIH Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office, warns that intentionally using the wrong pronouns is “equivalent to harassment.”

Fox News Digital reviewed the “Gender Pronouns & Their Use in Workplace Communications” guide, which provides more than 40 different pronoun examples and offers guidance on avoiding pronoun “mistakes” in the workplace.

To create inclusive, affirming, and welcoming workplaces, the guide lists several “mistakes” to avoid when using pronouns.

For example, the guide claims professionals should not describe pronouns as “preferred” or “chosen,” as doing so allegedly implies that gender identity is a preference or choice, which the NIH claims it is not.

The guide also discourages “performative allyship,” wherein people superficially demonstrate devotion to a cause. This includes a hypothetical scenario in which an employer requires all employees to publicly share their pronouns.

However, the guide acknowledges that some employees may not want to disclose their pronouns, as they are not ready to “come out” and reveal their gender identity.

Requiring all employees to use pronouns could be perceived as performative allyship, particularly if employees are uncertain or unable to articulate the importance of correct pronoun usage.

Established under former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015, the Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office coordinates sexual and gender minority (SGM)–related research and activities by working directly with NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices.

The NIH told Fox News Digital that the guide was developed in part to integrate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) principles across the agency and the broader biomedical and health science research enterprise.

The agency hopes that this resource will foster inclusive and respectful workplaces for sexual and gender minority employees.

According to the guide, gender pronouns are a way for individuals to identify themselves beyond using their names.

Pronouns are important not only for everyday communication but also for conveying and affirming gender identity, especially for SGM communities.

The NIH is encouraging professionals to disclose their pronouns in the workplace by adding them to email signatures or initiating conversations with personal pronouns to make colleagues more comfortable disclosing their own and preventing so called misgendering.

https://thefederalistpapers.org/opinion/nih-releases-new-pronoun-guide-claims-intentional-misgendering-civil-rights-violation

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Morgan Freeman slammed the terms “Black History Month” and “African American” on Saturday claiming that both terms were an “insult.”

The 85-year-old actor told The Sunday Times the annual observance — which takes place every February and recognizes the cultural achievement of black people — has a negative connotation to him and that it “relegates” his culture to just 4 weeks.

“Two things I can say publicly that I do not like,” said the “Million Dollar Baby” star. “Black History Month is an insult. You’re going to relegate my history to a month?”

“Also ‘African-American’ is an insult. I don’t subscribe to that title,” continued Freeman. “Black people have had different titles all the way back to the n-word and I do not know how these things get such a grip, but everyone uses ‘African-American.’ What does it really mean?”

https://nypost.com/2023/04/16/morgan-freeman-calls-black-history-month-and-african-american-terms-an-insult/

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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UK: Prime Minister’s bold ‘penis’ declaration

What was once automatic truth is now "bold"

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declared that women do not have penises amid an ongoing debate over transgender issues.

Mr Sunak was speaking with the ConservativeHome website on Thursday when he was asked to weigh in on Labour leader Keir Starmer’s recent statement that “99.9 per cent of women of course haven’t got a penis”.

Mr Starmer had been facing questions over transgender self-identification when he made the comment to The Sunday Times earlier this month, insisting that there would be “no rolling back” of women’s rights if he were elected PM.

“Sir Keir said recently that ‘99 per cent of women of course haven’t got a penis’. What percentage would you put it at?” ConservativeHome editor Paul Goodman asked Mr Sunak.

The PM laughed and said he had a “slightly different point of view to him on this”.  “I’ve been very clear that when it comes … on this topic, I think the first—” Mr Sunak began to respond.

“Do you think it’s 100 per cent?” Goodman interrupted.

“Yeah, of course,” Mr Sunak said.

“But I think the first thing to say is we should always have compassion and understanding and tolerance for those who are thinking about their gender. Of course we should, right? We’re a compassionate and understanding society and we’ll always remember that.”

Mr Sunak continued that “when it comes to these issues of protecting women’s rights, women’s spaces, I think the issue of biological sex is fundamentally important when we think about those questions, I’ve said that repeatedly”.

https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/uk-prime-minister-rishi-sunak-comments-on-transgender-debate-saying-no-women-have-penises/news-story/c831c0495fd0dceda9104713fe99a741

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Goldman Sachs hands out ‘pronoun’ pamphlets as it fights sex harass suits

Rainbow-colored pamphlets advising “bring your authentic self” have lately appeared over cubicles at Goldman Sachs, coaching employees on the proper use of gender pronouns — and some bankers are reeling over the hypocrisy.

The pamphlet advises in addition to “she/her/hers/herself,” “he/him/his/himself” and the gender-neutral “they/them/their/themself” that another set of gender neutral pronouns is “ze/zir (zem) / zirs (zes) / zirself (zemself).”

Examples in a column to the right: “Ze went to the store. I spoke with zir / zem. The apple was zirs / zes.”

But some insiders say the posturing of Goldman — whose offices at 200 West. St. have long been run by old-school, testosterone-fueled, steak-eating males — embracing “woke” values is too much to stomach.

Goldman’s new message of acceptance and support looks especially phony given the mega-bank’s efforts to hush up accusations from thousands of women that sexism is rampant at the firm, employees gripe.

“I think Goldman has a lot of other problems to worry about besides pronouns,” one source who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Post. “Perhaps start by getting rid of … those who harass women and then maybe the women here will take their diversity and inclusivity issues seriously.”

The pamphlet — which was first introduced in 2019 — set high standards for the workplace, both inside and out.

“Proactively share your pronouns to foster a sense of respect and awareness (e.g., “Hi, I’m Karen! My pronouns are she/hers. Welcome to the team!”),” the pamphlet advises.

“Replace gendered language with gender-inclusive language wherever possible in every day conversation (e.g., “Hi All,” v. “Hi guys.”).

The pamphlet also notes that “practice makes perfect,” advising workers to “practice using gender-neutral pronouns on your own time. Feeling comfortable with these terms does not happen immediately and can require concerted effort.”

https://nypost.com/2023/04/13/goldman-sachs-hands-out-pronoun-pamphlets-as-it-fights-sex-harassment-suits/

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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The RESTRICT Act could be used to shut down Truth Social and Rumble, or any app that challenges the ‘reported result’ of an election

Unlikely to get past the House once its implicatins are known. SCOTUS could block it too, fortunately

By Robert Romano

S.686, the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology Act (RESTRICT Act), contains language that could be used to shut down any website or app with more than 1 million users that challenges the “reported result of a Federal election” — threatening websites and apps that allow free speech on their platforms including Truth Social and Rumble, not just TikTok, the supposed reason for the legislation.

Specifically, Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the proposed legislation states, “The Secretary [of Commerce], in consultation with the relevant executive department and agency heads, is authorized to and shall take action to identify, deter, disrupt, prevent, prohibit, investigate, or otherwise mitigate, including by negotiating, entering into, or imposing, and enforcing any mitigation measure to address any risk arising from any covered transaction by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States that the Secretary determines… poses an undue or unacceptable risk of… interfering in, or altering the result or reported result of a Federal election, as determined in coordination with the Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Treasury, and the Federal Election Commission…”

The key words there are “interfering in, or altering the…reported result of a Federal election…” How does one “interfere” or “alter” the “reported result” of an election? By saying somebody else won the election and that it was rigged or corrupt.

That’s exactly what anybody, including former President Donald Trump in 2020 or former 2016 Green Party nominee Jill Stein or Al Gore in 2000 did by challenging the “reported result” of the presidential elections of 2020, 2016 and 2000, respectively, whether through lawsuits, television and print media or more recently, via social media.

https://dailytorch.com/2023/04/the-restrict-act-could-be-used-to-shut-down-truth-social-and-rumble-or-any-app-that-challenges-the-reported-result-of-an-election/

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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'Gender-neutral' pronouns will be introduced in South Australian state parliament for MPs and dignitaries... even His Majesty King Charles gets a 'woke' new title

South Australia's parliament is doing away with 'gender-specific' terms including 'he', 'she', 'him' and 'her' and will introduce 'gender-neutral' pronouns.

The Lower House will adopt the changes as part of its standing orders with even 'His Majesty' King Charles to now be referred to as 'the sovereign'.

Instead of saying His or Her Excellency for state Governors such as Frances Adamson, she and all subsequent titleholders will be called 'the governor'.

'They', 'their' and 'them' and will replace all gendered pronouns in the rules of procedure while parliamentary committees will no longer have a 'chairman' but be presided over by 'the chair'.

The state's Labor government and the Coalition opposition jointly supported the amendments.

A spokesperson for the government led by Premier Peter Malinauskas said the change would 'modernise the parliamentary workplace'.

'With record numbers of Labor women elected to the parliament, it makes no sense for them to be called 'chairman' when overseeing a committee,' they said.

Opposition spokeswoman Michelle Lensink said the changes reflect 'community expectations' while simplifying and updating references 'in line with other jurisdictions across the country'.

The modified language comes with a raft of other measures to allow electronic attendance at committee meetings, changes to maternity leave, changes to questions on notice deadlines and removal of redundant standing orders.

Despite the changes only applying to the Lower House some of South Australia's Upper House MPs were far from impressed.

'Wokeism has even penetrated the workings of parliament,' SA-Best MLC Frank Pangallo said.

'I don't think (gendered pronouns) caused any harm or offence in our community. I think this is sort of the left elements in politics that are exerting themselves.'

Mr Pangallo argued parliament should be focused on issues such as the crises in health and the child protection system.

One Nation MLC Sarah Game said 'at the first instance, I feel that to remove him/her/he/she is ridiculous'.

Greens MLC Robert Simms supported the changes and said they were in line with modern workplace standards.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11956561/South-Australia-Parliament-introduce-gender-neutral-language-King-Charles.html

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Perth: OnlyFans star defends massive billboard advertisement

She makes some pretty good points about freedom below

In what is understood to be an Australian first, Savannah – also known as WC Savage – currently has herself displayed across a super-sized billboard near an intersection in the Perth suburb of Osborne Park.

The advertisement, which shows her posed in a bikini at Coogee Beach, includes links and a QR code to her OnlyFans, which hosts her adult content.

The billboard has reportedly irritated businesses and parents, with local media reporting the council, the City of Stirling, and Savannah herself were coping with the brunt of their complaints.

Despite this, Savannah says the billboard stays unless she is ordered otherwise.

“Obviously, people are concerned about children seeing this picture of me in a bikini at the beach, which I think is a little far-fetched,” she told Perth’s 6PR.

“But each to their own. Obviously, the fact that OnlyFans is an adult content-creating website that caters to adult entertainment.”

According to reports in Western Australian media, the majority of complaints stemmed from children following the links or the QR code on the billboard. One went as far as to label the ploy, “insane”.

But Savannah rubbished any suggestion children would be able to “stumble” upon her explicit content.

“OnlyFans actually have layers of protection to stop underage people from accessing the site,” she explained. “You need to have your licence. You need to have a credit card even just to access the free site.”

Savannah also said what other’s children do online is not her responsibility.

“If young teenagers are scanning this QR code, then there should be parental blocks in place placed by their parents on their iPhones, tablets and computers and things like that, to stop them from being able to access sites like this and other sites that do create explicit content,” she argued.

“That’s what my parents did when I was younger. I know that schools do that their computer access and things like that. “I really do believe that that’s the responsibility of the parents.”

Local mayor Mark Irwin told 7NEWS it was out of the council’s hands, with its fate ultimately in the hands of the billboard’s owner. “Content and editorial control of what is displayed on the billboard is a decision made by a private entity,” he said.

As for a windfall from the billboard? Savannah said the approach, believed the be the first in Australia, is “doing really well”. “I obviously, have tried all different types of marketing over the years of being in the adult entertainment industry,” she said.

“I’ve tried all different types of marketing. This is something that has never been done before in Australia by an OnlyFans content creator, and very few people around the world have actually done this.”

Savannah offered some food for thought in her parting words.

“Honestly, if a picture of a young woman in a bikini is the worst thing that your children are going to see today, I really feel like we should be kind of grateful and have some perspective,” she said.

“There are so many worse things out there that the children could be seeing and experiencing than a young woman in a bikini at the beach.”

“Everyone has their right to feel how they feel, and have the opinion that they have, and if people want to complain, then I can’t stop them.”

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/teens/perth-onlyfans-star-defends-massive-billboard-advertisement/news-story/4e522c656a0cdc80aa8e3af3da59dd69

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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More excitement about the past

Google have just deleted one of my posts from 25 February, 2003.  Yes 2003, not 2023.  It was about that  dreaded topic: IQ.  You can still read a copy of the  post at

http://jonjayray.com/feb03.html  

Just scroll down to 25th.  One of the references in it is still online here:

http://www.douance.org/qi/brandtgf.html

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Bakery removes hot cross from ‘Easter Time buns’

Sherlock was aghast when he found a local bakery in Brisbane’s inner west had decided to remove the ‘hot cross’ from its buns and label them ‘Easter Time buns’. “This is just another case of woke madness removing the name hot cross buns,” he says.

“This wouldn’t have happened in my time at Brumby’s. You can’t have Easter without hot cross buns. They’ve been synonymous with Easter celebrations since the 12th century in England.”

Sherlock, Sentinel’s chief experience officer, says the Group’s CEO Warren Ebert and the Sentinel staff will be celebrating their Easter morning tea in the Brisbane CBD office on Thursday with many hot cross buns

https://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/brisbane-bakery-removes-hot-cross-from-easter-time-buns/news-story/47ffe40af0dcc51d3d933f73d7562674

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Disney fans BLAST 'woke-sensitive' Little Mermaid song rewrites

Disney fans are not happy that the company is changing the lyrics to some classic Little Mermaid songs for its upcoming live-action remake.

The new version of the animated classic, which is set to hit theaters on May 26 and will star Halle Bailey as the iconic mermaid, is going to feature different lines for the tracks Kiss the Girl and Poor Unfortunate Souls, composer Alan Menken revealed earlier this week.

He explained to Vanity Fair that they made 'some lyric' changes to Kiss the Girl after people became upset over the 'idea that Prince Eric would force himself on Ariel,' and that they 'revised' the parts of Poor Unfortunate Souls 'that might make young girls somehow feel that they shouldn’t speak out of turn.'

During the latter song, the evil sea witch Ursula is trying to convince Ariel to trade her voice for human legs. She sings: 'The men up there don't like a lot of blabber. 'They think a girl who gossips is a bore. Yet, on land it's much preferred for ladies not to say a word.'

She also says that 'she who holds her tongue get's a man' and that 'true gentlemen avoid conversation when they can.'

However, people on the web are outraged over the changes, with some pointing out that Ursula's statements are a very important part of the plotline.

'The whole point of that section of Poor Unfortunate Souls was for Ursula to lower Ariel's self esteem and manipulate her into giving her voice, without that part of the song Ariel will just accept giving up her voice with less manipulation from Ursula?' asked one person.

Someone else wrote: 'It makes sense that the villain say those things. Maybe instead of changing the lyrics, teach kids to think and reflect about those topic so they can develop critical thinking.'

'Ursula was trying to convince and manipulate Ariel into thinking the solution she is offering is the best,' another user pointed out.

'It's supposed to be awful and wrong. I watched this movie 100 times as a kid and it never made me feel like I couldn't speak up or express myself around a man.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11947433/Disney-fans-slam-woke-sensitive-Little-Mermaid-song-lyric-rewrites.html

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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When "petrochemicals" is a naughty word

When the federal government confirmed a $1.5 billion funding commitment for a new industrial hub near Darwin Harbour late last year, it was hailed as a "pathway towards decarbonisation".

But the promise of renewable hydrogen, critical minerals and carbon capture and storage also included another industry — petrochemicals.

So after green groups mounted a campaign against the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct, the NT government hatched its own strategic response.

It removed the term "petrochemicals" from official websites about the project, as reported by the ABC last year.

At the time, it was not known which department was involved in the decision to scrub out the term, nor what was being said internally about the deletion.

But emails obtained by the ABC have confirmed staff in the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet were tasked with removing the references from more than a dozen government websites.

This was despite the fact the government continues to seek approval from the NT Environment Protection Authority (NTEPA) for "low emission petrochemicals" to be among the mix of industries at Middle Arm.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-06/middle-arm-nt-petrochemicals-term-deletion-chief-minister-staff/102157920

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Google censorship again

Once aqain it is a very old post, from 2012

They have deleted The post:

http://awesternheart.blogspot.com/2012/02/breivik-salute.html.

Which appeared under the heading 'The Breivik salute'

It still appears in a couple of other places.  Try  this one

http://jonjayray.com/short/salute.html

It does tell some pesky truths.  Google call it "hate speech"

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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TikTok bans

A gross invasion of free speech. Even banning it on government devices is dubious and and a wider ban would undoubtedly fall foul of SCOTUS. The fact that is is Chinese-owned seems to be the problem for legislators. Sounds racist to me. Racism and paranoia generally go together. For once, AOC speaks sense

TikTok can't seem to catch a break. For years, the app has operated under the distant threat of a nationwide ban or forced sale. Now, mounting security and privacy concerns are prompting lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to debate its future.

Last week, the short-form video platform with 150 million active users in the U.S. made headlines amid a highly publicized congressional hearing that brought TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew face to face with some of his toughest critics. Five palpably tense hours of questioning illuminated very little about what, if anything, Chew can do to quell lawmakers' fears. Earlier this month, the Biden administration reportedly delivered an ultimatum to the app's Chinese parent company, ByteDance: Sell their shares in TikTok to an American company or accept the ban as punishment. Multiple pieces of legislation empowering Biden to enact such a ban have been introduced.

The implication, of course, is that Chinese ownership poses an existential threat to American democracy by putting our personal data and our recommendations algorithms within the Chinese government's grasp. ByteDance has been credibly accused of surveilling at least two American journalists last year. But having an American tech company handle your data doesn't inherently make it safer. Facebook brought one of the biggest tech scandals of the 2010s stateside by allowing a British political consulting firm to intercede in the 2016 presidential election.

TikTok is in the regulatory hot seat right now. The app is already banned from all government-issued devices, as well as state-owned devices in more than half of the country. Several universities have gone so far as to block TikTok from campus Wifi networks and a host of other countries are enforcing partial or total bans of their own.

But the platform has the tide of public favor to buoy it. As Congress grilled and interrupted Chew throughout his testimony, the internet mocked lawmakers for being out of touch. Tweets confessing to feeling thirsty for the embattled CEO went viral. Dozens of creators gathered on Capitol Hill in a show of support for the platform. And Janette Ok, the lifestyle influencer behind @inmyseams, was among them.

“Each of these platforms have magic to them," Ok tells Glamour. "And the magic of TikTok is the ability to create community and to feel seen and heard by those that you don't even know. More than any other social media platform, TikTok gives the user the opportunity to become the creator. No other app allows the creator to film a video, chop it up, add music, make transitions, but do all that stuff within the single app. That revolutionized social media as a whole landscape.”

That doesn't mean TikTok is irreplaceable, Ok says. At the end of the day, she's not a TikTok creator—she's a content creator. But TikTok, with its built-in editing software and extensive audio library, had a special way of convincing regular people to experiment with and participate in creator culture.

“What we're going to lose is the opportunity to be curious," Ok says. "When I started on TikTok, I felt like I was following a formula for my Instagram feed. I was literally planning my grid. I was planning a neutral aesthetic. I was using the same filters. I was really trying to gain a following by copying somebody else's aesthetics. On TikTok, it really challenged me to figure out what it meant to be myself.”

V Spehar, the TikTok creator behind “Under the Desk News,” says that after attending the hearing they feel “more confident now than ever that a ban is not on the table.” But the bill Biden is “very in favor” of passing—also known as the Restrict Act—could set a dangerous precedent for government overreach and censorship. (Which are, ironically, the very threats to national security lawmakers hope to mitigate with this measure.)

“Congress is trying to use fear of a potential for an adversary to convince the American public to hand over a huge amount of control of all of their privacy to the government,” Spehar says. “They're going to give themselves the power to ban any technology or any potential threat that they deem vaguely unsafe…They're using this TikTok ban and xenophobia as a Trojan horse to get this bill across the line here, which just gives them incredible power. They don't care about TikTok because they don't understand it.”

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez is one of a scant number lawmakers who have chosen to support TikTok. In a post, the progressive Democrat warned against taking drastic measures before without evidence that they're necessary. Members of Congress, she says, have not been briefed on any national security threats stemming from the platform.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/how-the-tiktok-ban-is-forcing-creators-to-pivot-or-not/ar-AA19q9Cg

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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IRS political intimidation of journalist Matt Taibbi ‘a direct attack on the First Amendment rights of all citizens’

Americans for Limited Government president Richard Manning comments on the IRS making a visit to Twitter files journalist Matt Taibbi’s home on March 9th, the day he testified before Congress on the weaponization of social media platforms:

“The attempts at political intimidation by the Biden administration continues to astound in its brazenness.  Twitter Files journalist Matt Taibbi found himself looking at one of the most direct weapons in the federal government’s war chest when an IRS agent showed up at this home unannounced the very day he testified to the House Judiciary Committee about social media platform weaponization.

“While the IRS abuses of the early 2010s seemed to be in the rearview mirror, this visit by the IRS shows that the agency is not chastened at all due to Congress’ admonitions and civil court settlements over its previous abuses.  After all, the Pelosi-Schumer Congress rewarded the IRS with 87000 new armed employees and they have to do something. Visiting citizens who have the audacity to exercise their first amendments rights of speech, the press, and to petition Congress seems like a logical action by an administration that aggressively sought to compel social media platforms to censor their political adversaries in a direct attack on the First Amendment rights of all citizens.

“It is clear that the Biden administration is no longer even trying to hide their gross abuses of power. The partisan American intelligence apparatus is clearly emboldened by the lack of any accountability for their conducting a three year partisan Russian collusion witch hunt designed to take down a president of the United States. The minute the perpetrators of the Russian collusion lie faced no consequences, opened the door for other abuses and intimidation.

“It is time for Congress to say enough is enough. When the House votes on the IRS budget, the 87000 new positions created should be eliminated immediately, and the FBI’s planned new building should be scrapped.  The Taibbi incident should be the last straw for members of Congress on both sides of the aisle who wish to restore the concept of ‘equal justice under the law.’ Congress must hit these rogue agencies in the wallet to send a message that continued abuses will not be tolerated.”

https://getliberty.org/2023/03/irs-political-intimidation-of-journalist-matt-taibbi-a-direct-attack-on-the-first-amendment-rights-of-all-citizens/

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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No free speech in Ukraine

A Ukrainian court has ordered a leading Orthodox priest who is accused by authorities of condoning Russia's invasion to be put under house arrest.

Metropolitan Pavel, the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, Ukraine's most revered Orthodox site, has denied the charges.

After the court's ruling, a monitoring bracelet was placed around his ankle, despite his objections that he has diabetes and should not wear it. The house arrest was to last two months.

"I am accepting this," he said shortly before the bracelet was attached. "Christ was crucified on the cross, so why shouldn't I accept this?"

In the latest move in a bitter dispute over a famed Orthodox monastery, Ukraine's top security agency notified Father Pavel that he was suspected of justifying Russia's aggression, a criminal offence.

Father Pavel has resisted the authorities' order to vacate the complex. Earlier in the week, he cursed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, threatening him with damnation.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-02/orthodox-priest-ukraine-house-arrest/102176766

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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Google censorship continues

I reproduce below the latest message from them.  It is again from way back and about a long forgotten issue.  The post was an excerpt from an article by Pat Buchanan, which is still online



Your post entitled 'The motives of "Deep Throat": Mark Felt' has been put behind a warning for readers

     As you may know, our community guidelines
(https://blogger.com/go/contentpolicy) describe the boundaries for what we allow – and don't allow – on Blogger. Your post titled 'The motives of "Deep Throat": Mark Felt' was flagged to us for review. This post was put behind a warning for readers because it contains sensitive content; the
post is visible at
http://awesternheart.blogspot.com/2012/04/motives-of-deep-throat-mark-felt.html.

Your blog readers must acknowledge the warning before being able to read the post/blog.

     We apply warning messages to posts that contain sensitive content. If you are interested in having the status reviewed, please update the content to adhere to Blogger's community guidelines. Once the content has been updated, you may republish it at
https://www.blogger.com/go/appeal-post?blogId=9487055&postId=5205298487309435458.

This will trigger a review of the post.      For more information, please review the following resources:

     Terms of Service: https://www.blogger.com/go/terms

     Blogger community guidelines: https://blogger.com/go/contentpolicy

     Yours sincerely,

     The Blogger Team

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UPDATE: They have just put another old post behind a warning -- A post under the heading "Capital punishment, free healthcare and Vermin of all sorts". It is here:

http://awesternheart.blogspot.com/2008/08/capital-punishment-free-healthcare-and.html

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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