Twitter and sex confusion and dysphoria

Twitter will close your account if you correctly identify someone by his or her biological sex and call that hairy, muscle bound person with more red blood cells and testosterone on the girl's track team a "he." Whoever controls the language, controls the debate. Even in the day of scientific proof and enlightenment, the Left is in control of sex (just look how that worked out for the USSR and China). Before, "gender" was always a term of grammar; then they won that battle of the sexes, of which there are only two. Once they got us all using the word gender instead of sex (which indicates biology and not feelings or choice), they rushed in with all new behavioral rules for other people.

https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules

http://thefederalist.com/2018/06/19/said-transgenderism-mental-illness-twitter-blocked-account/

Anti-Semitism and the Liberals

Donald Trump was called an anti-Semite for calling out George Soros who supports all manner of leftist organizations and infiltrates Christian groups, but Marc Lamont Hill, a CNN employee, is allowed to advocate for the destruction of the country Israel and jihadism. He claims it wasn't MLK Jr. using peaceful protests to push the Democrats to give up Jim Crow in the South, but the slave revolts of the 19th century that set the stage. I wonder if he knows that today, November 29, 2018, black Africans are still being sold into slavery to the highest bidder by Muslims. https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-11-15/libyas-slave-auctions-and-african-genocide-what-hillary-knew

If Roseanne and Megan can be fired for far, far less, this man deserves to go. If Info Wars is a threat to the nation through social media, then this guy is a ticking time bomb. He used to (or maybe still does) preach his filth and hate on Fox News but I haven't seen him for awhile.  He’s chummy with Farrakhan.

https://www.thewrap.com/cnn-contributor-says-he-supports-violent-palestinian-resistance-to-israel/

https://www.newsweek.com/who-marc-lamont-hill-cnn-commentator-defends-comments-palestinian-state-after-1235759

He is a Professor of Media Studies and Urban Education at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

I can’t understand why American Jews support the Democrats and their hatred for Israel.  And this is not about Trump.  I remember this from 30 years ago, and mainstream Christians getting all weepy over poor little Palestine.  Have they even looked at a map of the Middle East in recent years?

Right of passage—a driver’s license

This is our great-nephew, a star in academics and sports.  And now he has a driver’s license, and here’s the list that makes it possible to drive, talk on his phone, and get his allowance.  I can remember posting this sort of thing on the refrigerator, but had very little success.  I guess it depends on the kid. (from his mother’s Facebook wall)

An update on Lily, Leukemia survivor, from her mother

Lily’s grandmother Carol posted today that she’s been accepted to 5 colleges, despite losing 4 years of formal schooling due to her illness and treatment. I’ve been following her story for 10 years, since Lily was 7 and I met her grandmother, aunts, and great grandmother as a blogger.
----------------------------------
“It’s been awhile since I have updated but Lily is doing great. Last week we went to her monthly clinic visit. Her blood counts looked good. She is also feeling much better. As Deb said being off therapy agrees with her!

Her back has improved dramatically since coming off chemo and starting acupuncture. Still not sure how it works but it does. She has weaned off all of her back pain meds and even most of her neuropathy medications. Thanks Libby! This has truly been a blessing and has allowed her to do more in her weekly PT sessions and be much more active and pain free.

They also checked this month her IGG levels. This is the body’s ability to fight getting infections with antibodies (in basic terms). She has had low levels for a while and was receiving infusions monthly however the last infusion she had she had a pretty severe allergic reaction. We had truly hoped the number would get better coming off chemo.

However her IGG level was just 125 last week. Normal I believe is around 800. There is also evidence to show that the Blincyto or immunotherapy drug she took can cause long term and most likely a permanent decrease in B cells thus IGG. This will most likely mean some type of infusion either weekly or monthly. There is supposedly a different infusion, she can get that is weekly that has less reactions. Probably for the rest of her life. It isn’t unexpected but kind of a tough one to think about long term. I know we / she will get use to it and adapt. I also know she generally feels better when she gets the infusions. However as a mom, I worry.

It also throws a small wrinkle into college plans for her. Wrinkle maybe wrong word, but it adds another element to consider since we need to figure out how she will do this if she moves away. I’m sure it is possible just another thing to consider.

She has been accepted to 5 colleges and all of their nursing programs! I’m so proud of her and while it is scary at times I want her to be able spread her wings. Some of the colleges are relatively close but some others are quite a ways away. I don’t want this to be a major consideration in her decision so I know we need to get a plan in place soon.

Anyway she has an appt on Monday with the immunologist to discuss in way more detail.
Lastly she is getting her port out on Friday morning! It’s exciting to get this out. She will also be having her prior scar revised since it hasn’t healed well. It is a pretty easy surgery but still surgery and I’m sure she will be down a few days.

She has a bunch of appts over the next few weeks. The port removal. Immunologist. Ortho follow up. Endocrinology follow up. And another monthly clinic visit to the oncologist. I will try to update on the important things.

Thanks for all the support. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Love
Larisa

Michael Smith on Murphy Brown

“Murphy Brown was cancelled. I'm not surprised. I watched about 5 minutes of the first show out of morbid curiosity and found it to be completely unwatchable. The plot was tedious and the dialog sounded like an episode of The View with Rachel Maddow of MSNBC and Don Lemon and Jim Acosta of CNN as guest panelists.

When it was popular back in the late 80's it had little competition in bashing Republicans - now there is so much from CNN, MSNBC and the Alphabet broadcast networks that their Trump bashing jokes fell flat.

Another fail was that a sitcom relies on likable characters even if we don't like their dialog. Even though many of us of a certain age remember the characters, the reincarnation of them seemed bitchy and bitter...unlikable.

A good political joke or satire includes a lot of fact - say true representations of an action or words of an actual official - combined with a ridiculous situation or conclusion. That's why the Onion and the Babylon Bee are funny...and successful. Good satire happens when everything sounds real until you get to the punchline.

The problem with the Murphy Brown revival was that the premises for the jokes weren't as ridiculous as the "news" reported by the cable outlets, broadcast news and the leftist print media.

Trump may have broken Kathy Griffin but CNN broke Murphy.”

Dan Quail was right.

Legal marijuana in Massachusetts

I was watching on TV that traffic jam in Massachusetts for legal marijuana. What a stupid group--from the state lusting for taxes, to entrepreneurs raking in the bucks, to the deluded buyers. We've got massive health and expense with drugs, alcohol and obesity, marching with those who rant against GMO, chemtrails, vaccines and gluten. We have the deluded who put hormones regularly in their bodies, who think building fake vaginas and adding penises are a civil right, and they've now talked themselves into adding another toxic chemical to their already damaged bodies. Good luck on hanging on to those brain cells--they seem to be in short supply already.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marijuana-store-leicester-massachusetts-causes-headaches-residents/

The High Cost of Good Intentions by John Cogan

“Entitlements grow over time because of a force called “the equally worthy claim,” where eligibility for benefits continually expands until programs no longer resemble their initial, honorable intentions.”

Entitlements don’t go just to the poor. The word doesn’t mean the same thing to all. Some think it’s a handout, unearned.  Others see it as a benefit than can’t be taken away because it is their right. It is a benefit under the law to anyone who qualifies.
https://www.policyed.org/perspectives-policy/high-cost-good-intentions/video
I’m trying to get a copy of Cogan’s book from my public library, but I found a YouTube of Cogan explaining this thesis that any entitlement expands and usually during an election year. Shocked!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqthAe5-4Zg
Cogan reports that the very first entitlement was a pension for men who had fought in the Continental Army during the War for Independence, but by 1830 (when most would have been dead) it had already expanded to many others, such as state militia, because they were also worthy to a claim.  Didn’t they bleed? I’d have to go through my genealogy files, but I found a copy (in an on-line data base) of the claim of a widow in my family tree who was claiming a Revolutionary War pension well into the 1800s. Then after the Civil War there were originally about 200,000 pensioners, and that grew to over a million by the 1890s.  There is still a woman getting a pension from that war who was born in 1930, and her mother had married a Civil War veteran when she was young.
The federal government spends $7,500 for every man woman and child on entitlements.  However, it was not until the New Deal that Americans began receiving assistance for not having provided any service. Now, about 55% of Americans receive some form of entitlement.  Cogan’s point is that these forms of assistance create a disincentive to work. The intentions of these programs were good, but can provide negative outcomes. The break up of the family is far worse today due to welfare than it was in 1965 when the alarm was first sounded.
The most successful reform of entitlements was in 1996 and the welfare reform when the money was pushed to the states to dispense. They will continue to grow, but will need a healthy growth of the economy to balance out. If Trump can get the growth he wants, perhaps he will turn to entitlement reform.

The importance of exercise

“The experts call physical activity the “best buy” in public health. And the guidelines are based on evidence from thousands of studies. Based on this evidence, an expert panel concluded that exercise increases our lifespans, prevents that sneaky annual weight gain and reduces the risk of almost every chronic disease: cardiovascular disease, diabetes and many cancers. No other single behavior can do as much good for your health. By investing some time into exercise now, you get to cash in later. Think of it as the 401K for a long, healthy and happy life. “
I go to Lifetime Fitness 6 times a week, so that’s about 300 minutes of planned exercise, plus I may do another 10-15 at home on my exercycle.  I’m not seeing a big pay off, but then I’ve pretty much been a slug my whole life.  I don’t really enjoy exercise, but I can do 3 miles on a cycle if I take a magazine with me. or turn on Fox News. However, being a researcher from way back, the number of articles on exercise as the new life extender pill is stunning.
This article suggests move more, sit less, but since I’ve battled weight gain from all this exercise (I’m more hungry), I still hold to my old motto, “Move More, East Less,” or MMEL.  The author is exactly right, though, in saying it’s not difficult to add 5 minutes a day to your routine, and then when that’s settled, add another five.
As I’ve said before, I’ve seen some stunning role models at the gym—usually men who come in on walkers, or are using canes. One woman has an artificial below the knee prosthesis.  When I think the treadmill is too boring, I look at them and decide I don’t have it so bad.
https://theconversation.com/move-more-sit-less-great-advice-but-how-can-we-make-time-for-exercise-106741
I looked up the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report linked in the first  paragraph thinking I’d print it, but it turned out to be over 700 pages, so I just printed the Executive Summary, pp. 18-25.
https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/report/pdf/PAG_Advisory_Committee_Report.pdf

Guess which party the splitting partner or friend or family member belonged to. Exactly.

“Many people with divergent perspectives from their partners have not been able to make it work in the Trump era. A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed in early 2017 found that in the months following Trump’s election win, 13 percent of 6,426 participants had cut ties with a friend or family member over political differences. This past summer, another survey of 1,000 people found that a third declared the same.”

New York Magazine, November 27. http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/11/donald-trump-is-destroying-my-marriage.html?

I warn you, this article sounds like something out of “The Onion,” and you almost can’t believe women can be this stupid over political differences, or in the one case, because her husband had less enthusiasm for being so ridiculous (neither liked Trump, but he didn’t go crazy).  But then you remember the 1970s when we discovered consciousness raising, and the late 80s when we discovered menopause, and it all starts to sound like just a bad movie that’s been re-made too many times.  One woman admitted she was obsessing, posting on social media, not speaking civilly to her husband and after counseling remembered she’d been date-raped and this was a way to take back power.  Oh puleeze!

The most interesting couple (using their real names, perhaps because of their professions) was a life coach and couples therapist. The woman was a Republican and the man a Democrat, but until the 2016 election it never came up.  Then the sparks when she decided to vote for Trump. I’m just saying, she was the far more reasonable and respectful of the two about their differences.

My letter to a grant recipient at OSU

Today I noticed in OnCampusToday you’ve received a handsome grant of $2.27 million from NIH for “patient engagement.” Congratulations.  I’ve read through your publications, and you have had an impressive career. Although I don’t know what “concept map to define capacity for engagement” means, I would like to comment on patient portals as a means to engage patients in their own care.

I hate them.

My husband has 2 doctors, 3 if you count the cancer specialist whom he rarely sees, and I have 3, family, ophthalmologist and cardiologist. We share the family doctor. Each practice uses a different portal system for finding our lab results, asking questions, tracking meds, etc.  But the worst feature is their sending us advertisements! I don’t know until I’ve made the effort to get in—not easy—why I’m being contacted. What a mess! Fortunately, I don’t think my ophthalmologist uses one, because he’s the one I see most frequently. When I ask him to send a record to my family doctor, he uses a fax.

Recently we received a notice from our financial advisor suggesting we have our own “portal” for his financial services, and I fired back, Absolutely Not. Face to face is always better. I’ve not had eye-contact with a doctor since Obama imposed the horribly expensive EMR system, which had never been tested for improved care or cost reduction. One of the Emanuel brothers just thought the tech industry needed a pay off. My medical records could be transported faster by carrier pigeons from Riverside Hospital to Dr. Jennifer Bush, 2 miles away. And I hold no hope that patient portals will improve my care, at least not the ones in use by any of our doctors.

And by the way, how secure are these portals? Who designs them to be unworkable? Are they more secure than large medical practice records? Two years ago my husband’s urologist’s practice was hacked, and thousands of records exposed with all the personal data that goes along with that.

I have 9 blogs, I’m on at least 4 e-mail discussion lists, I’m on Facebook, I read a lot of medical, political, technology and religious information web sites, and I’m a retired librarian (veterinary medicine) who formerly taught classes in data base searching and information skills.  I used to teach “older learners,” which is anyone over 25.   You need a system that is easy for 80 year olds or admit this technology does not have the capacity to engage.

Norma J. Bruce

OSU Libraries faculty, retired

What If Men Are Smarter?

             
Lots of people, millions and millions, are smarter than I am. Is that so awful?  And my math intelligence is probably below that of a 5th grader.   The majority of brilliant mathematicians are men—some are women—but a small percentage.  The women’s movement, the current one that developed in the early 1970s, has perhaps resulted in unfulfilled rising expectations, according to this Fiamengo File.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9FPe3U8mj8

Janice Fiamengo’s reports (files) are available on YouTube.  She’s Canadian and an anti-feminist, not anti-woman. She’s anti-Marxism,  anti-PC, and anti-woman-as-victim, all of which encompasses today’s feminism.  She’s goes deep, and she’s not an animated speaker—sort of a Joe Friday style.  However, her logic and research are compelling.  Even so, I’m sure at some point the truth and facts will cause her to be bumped off YouTube.

Here she comments on Christine Blasey Ford, the accuser of Judge Brett Kavanaugh brought forward at the last minute by Senator Feinstein when it looked like nothing could derail the nomination.  It has had over 2 million views and well over 14,000 comments (as of November 27, 2018).  And the comments bring up things I never thought of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFL6k5yOAFM 
“YouTube is demonetizing videos that are critical of the Left. This makes it nearly impossible for critics of feminism to survive off of their work. A viral video like this one [about Dr. Blasey] would normally gather $2,000 per day in ad revenue, but because it criticizes a feminist position this revenue is denied. This is part of the bias that we are fighting .  https://www.youtube.com/user/StudioBrule

Giving Tuesday is out of control—at least in my e-mail

It’s about 1:00 p.m.  (updated at 4:30) on Tuesday and so far I’ve received e-mail requests to donate for “Giving Tuesday” from these entities/organizations. At some point during the year, I probably get a news notice or information from most of them, but to hear from all in one day is a bit overwhelming. There are maybe 3 or 4 I’ve never heard of so there must be a “sucker” list going around.

This one from Stop Predatory Gambling was interesting.

"Americans are expected to lose $118 billion of their personal wealth to commercialized gambling in 2018. Many of these citizens, some of whom are your family, neighbors and co-workers, suffered life-changing financial losses.

When you look at the bigger picture, the American people are on a collision course to lose more than $1 trillion of wealth to government-sanctioned gambling over the next eight years.

This is happening at the same time that around 50 percent of the US population has zero or negative net wealth, meaning their debts equal or exceed their assets."

I think Ohioans voted down casinos many times, but we have them anyway. Was supposed to help the schools. Ha!

So far, I’ve had about 50 appeals, counting the double and triple appeals:

McConnel Arts Center

National Police Foundation

CBN (twice)

Wycliffe Bible Translators

The Catholic Thing

Greater Columbus Right to Life

Word on Fire

Wounded Warrior

Hillsdale College

Center for Education Reform (3 times)

Stand with Us (twice)

Prager University

University of Illinois

PDHC—Pregnancy Decision Health Center

Presidential Prayer Team

Lakeside (4 notices)

Black Swamp Bird Observatory

Media Research Center

Human Coalition Center (twice)

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Ohio Right to Life

First Things

Ohio History Connection

Columbus Museum of Art

My Jewish Learning

Genetic Literacy Project (twice)

Hymn Society

Judicial Watch

Pope Paul VI Institute (twice)

Patriot Post

EWTN

Mercy Ships

Charity Navigator (4 requests)

Lifetime [Fitness] Foundation

Washington Post—ProLiteracy

Stop Predatory Gambling

American Spectator

Living Water International

Worldwatch Institute

Ohio History Connection

Sister Accord Foundation

Today is Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday was established in 2012 to "counter the cultural trend of overspending and commercialism by focusing instead on a cause that you believe in." I suppose because it follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday the two most commercialized gift orgies on the planet. But does it? Or does it just rearrange the gifts that generous people would give anyway, and expose us to less worthy organizations? Is it one more layer of bureaucracy between us and the non-profit, charity or parachurch organizations we've been supporting?

"Giving Tuesday" creates a flood in my e-mail, and I can delete most since I know which agencies and organizations deserve my support. But when one comes through with one Christian group dissing another, I do sigh and pay attention. This is not the usual baptism--dunk, pour or sprinkle--or whether one must speak in tongues, or which Bible translation is authoritative, but did World Vision knowingly fund a terrorist organization with our tax money. This one required some research (although I didn't do much) and it's very messy with charges and counter charges.

Forty years ago we supported World Vision regularly, but then it was a much smaller organization (now works in 100 countries) and I don't think it distributed money from US government for foreign aid. Now it's a mega NGO and the bad guys really know how to manipulate large NGOs. Like many Christian relief groups it depends heavily on various governments--not just the U.S.--for its funding. And it's my belief that you "dance with the one who brung ya," and it's awfully hard to preach the gospel with the government overseeing your funding and hiring. Foreign relief is a tiny fraction of our U.S. budget, but it's a major source of funding for some NGOs who do the on the ground, down and dirty work of cleaning up and health care after hurricanes, floods and famine.

This is an update for November 2018 for a misuse of funding that started I think in 2014 or 2016. https://www.christianpost.com/voice/lost-in-sudan-world-vision-worked-with-and-for-terrorist-funding-organizations.html?

This story is about terrorists in Sudan, but before that it was about Hamas and an employee within World Vision reported by an Australian Christian site. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-faqs-the-world-vision-gaza-scandal/?

Nothing ruins a relationship like politics

On Facebook, Christopher Buckley writes:

“It has long been my dour and sour view that you don't get to make good friends later in life because they don't have the same background or share the same experiences as the ones you've had with old friends... Well, my best friends died. (From living large. We should all be so lucky.)

Other friends, shockingly, have unfriended me because I believe in reason and they, passionately, in unthinking madness.

But I will tell you now that I was very wrong about what the length of a friendship means.

I am very glad to know everyone I have met here on this platform along the way and on my life's journey...

We expire... That's the deal.

So fill your barrels as you sail on... Life is a continuum... (funny if you know me IRL) and we will be cruising these waters until the end! XOXO

Phone etiquette

‘Tis the season of scams

Think before you donate. It's the season of scams.

"Some nonprofits with benevolent-sounding names actually have agendas that undermine American freedom. The Southern Poverty Law Center positions itself as a watchdog on racist and hate-filled organizations. The American Civil Liberties Union is billed as the nonprofit law firm that defends civil liberties. But both these groups follow a left-wing partisan agenda that vilifies political speech and undercuts due process." Capital Research Center

“Indeed, groups like the ACLU and the SPLC really do pose a direct threat to the very fabric of America, and, in many respects, are contributing to the decay of our constitutional republic. Earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union in Oregon filed a lawsuit against the federal government following a February 2 directive from the head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to target criminal illegal aliens appears in courthouses. In this way, the ACLU stood not for, but against, the rule of law in order to protect individuals that have no right to be in the country in the first place. America’s justice system was sabotaged, just as it had been dozens – if not hundreds – of times before. (Related: The ACLU has sued a small town into submission over a cross on top of a Christmas tree.)

As for the Southern Poverty Law Center, this is an organization that disguises itself as a reputable, bipartisan group that seeks to preserve civil rights, when in reality it’s nothing more than a far-left, anti-conservative organization. They have developed something of a habit of labeling certain groups (mostly conservative and rarely liberal) as “hate groups” as a means of discrediting them and damaging their reputation. Ironically, when it comes to radical left-wing groups like Antifa that are staunchly opposed to republicans and President Trump, the Southern Poverty Law Center won’t even come close to using the term “hate group.” They are rabble-rousers, intentionally trying to stir up trouble and creating nothing but chaos in the process. (Related: The SPLC is a hate group pretending to be an anti-hate group.)” https://www.naturalnews.com/2018-06-08-aclu-slpc-must-be-prosecuted-for-sabotaging-a-constitutional-republic-warns-author.html

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/splc-adl-aclu-expand-focus-leftism/

What has happened to church weddings?

A Catholic priest called the Dennis Prager (who is Jewish) Show today to respond to a question about “marriage is a sacrament” in the Catholic church.  He said he’d been at his parish of about 400 families for 20 years, and weddings in the church had gone down by two thirds! Some people are not getting married, and some are choosing other venues.  Prager expressed his shock, but the priest continued, that the young people he counseled over 20 years had changed.  Whereas, 20 years ago they were “cultural Catholics,” and now they were “choice Catholics.”  And he mentioned 3 couples in his parish—one he married a few weeks ago, one right after Thanksgiving, and one whose wedding was coming up.  He said all three couples were in mass this past Sunday.  Prager agreed with the concept.  He said formerly there were cultural Jews, and now they are Jews by choice if they attend services.

The class reunion blog has ended

It was time.  It was supposed to be just our 50th reunion blog for the Mt. Morris High School class of 1957.  Now we’re past 60 years since we graduated!  I really appreciate those who contributed stories and photos—Mike Balluff the class president is a great story teller--but recently it was being referred to as “Norma’s blog.” I figured it was time to close the diary (which I actually did in 2010, but I kept updating it so often, I finally went back to occasional posting as there was news).  Before I closed it, I pulled out the updates from 2010 and made them separate entries, mostly obituaries, making them easier to find. 

Facebook really made blogs obsolete, and Twitter is eating Facebook’s lunch, that said, I think Mt. Morris has at least 4 FB pages plus a webpage. Not bad for a small town of less than 3,000 with no high school or elementary school.  At this blog I write on approximately 15 topics, of which Mt. Morris, education, business, medicine, retirement, church, books, films, fashion, food, family, health, etc. are in there with what’s going on in the world.  There’s really a lot of variety also in the 1957 class blog, some funny posts and some sad.  And all the women were beautiful and the men all had hair!

 

September 22, 2018 class breakfast

Yesterday I cleaned out several boxes of negatives from our collective photo albums and found a bunch from the 1950s.  If I find anything pertinent (and someone who still develops b & w), I’ll back date them and add to the class blog.

Comments on quotas and gender bias in hiring

This is a comment which appeared under the YouTube talk on attacks on a physicist who actually did research on gender hiring differences and found a bias against men. Less qualified women were hired. The Fiamengo File Episode 90 on the shaming of Alessandro Strumia. She’s a great commentator on current problems in society with feminists, genderists, racists, intellectual quality and quantity, etc. University of Ottawa. Like Jordan Peterson and Gad Saad she’s a Canadian with a great series on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOCIke7zLMo

“I am a retired electrical engineer, raised in a feminist dominated household. I worked for FAA. About 1995, there was a policy announced from DC. By 2000, 50% of all technicians were to be female. We had some female technicians already. From what I saw, they were well accepted and fully competent. There were some instances of sexual harassment and policies were instituted to protect them and raise awareness of the need to not offend females. These were rational and well administered, for the most part. I recall one female technician with a sign above her desk that read, "Sexual harassment will not be tolerated, but it will be graded." She loved the attention she got for being female, and it was a happy and highly functional workplace. The female technician and engineer numbers were steadily growing, but once this 1995 policy was introduced, the path to promotion for managers was to select women technicians over men, if at all possible. I could write a book about the results of this forcing a change onto a workforce responsible for maintaining the safety of the air traffic control system.

At first, I welcomed the policy, thinking that disparity in gender diversity was due to bigotry. Primarily, it wasn't. There were very few capable female candidates. Secretaries and other technically incompetent women were encouraged to apply for positions that formerly required deep technical backgrounds. After a few classes at the FAA Academy, they were led to believe they were technicians, though some really were incapable of using a screwdriver. In my limited experience, I saw several such cases where they were sidelined because they were too dangerous to be allowed near the equipment. They drew full pay, but managers did not know what to do with them. Their careers were ruined by believing what they were told, so a misguided policy could be made to appear successful. They were then led to believe that their failure was due to the patriarchy.

On the other hand, the competent female technicians suffered by association. When I was assigned to work on some project with a female before the policy was initiated, I was glad for it. I like women. Having them in the workforce improves the general conditions. I never had problems with incompetence or corruption before this 1995 policy. Afterwards, I was often nervous to be working with women, despite my long favorable history of association with many feminist minds. Male technicians would tell me of their dread to be working with incompetent women technicians, which was never the case prior to the policy. The chances of being called before the Accountability Board for non-malicious comments or jokes were strong, and could have severe consequences. What was a funny joke, which make women technicians laugh, suddenly was a matter of utmost offensiveness. Where was the middle ground of telling the guy to cool it? Times change. Those with more than 3 neurons to rub together want to avoid trouble. Electronics technicians were smart people, mostly ex-military and knew how to get along under authority. Elimination of overt sexism had been happening. Then, the PC police started busting heads, figuratively. Now, hostility proliferates, and it all gets blamed on men, particularly old white men, like me.”

Jordan Peterson always win these battles with feminists, as does Fiamengo and Saad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkMq-R6BfmA



New academic rock star, Gad Saad

Professor Gad Saad is another academic who's become some what a popular rock star of PC and crazy feminism like Jordan Peterson through YouTube and podcasts. He's a Lebanese-Canadian Jewish immigrant whose family first fled to Syria from Lebanon. That should get him points. His field is evolutionary behavior and he's even been bold enough to research how hormones affect consumer decisions. Interview is with one of my favorites, Greg Gutfeld .
https://radio.foxnews.com/2018/10/10/dr-gad-saad-on-idea-pathogens/
 
His YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLH7qUqM0PLieCVaHA7RegA/featured
A non-political chat about his problems with weight management after having been an athlete as a young man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zxzBrqSDsQ  You should read the comments and advice on this one!  Probably a good one to watch after 4 days of feasting and left-overs!