News, Entertainment, Enlightenment
There really is such a thing called Blue Christmas. It is an Advent season church service held on Dec. 21 as it is more often than not the Winter Solstice which is the longest night of the year. It honors people who have lost loved ones in that year.
Using GAB, Where Twitter Refugees Go — Twitter permanently banned accounts, Dec. 18, of those it deemed to be practicing hate speech. Nobody likes bigots but Twitter’s action looked suspiciously like a purge of those dissenting from the politics and aesthetics of those of the Twitter bosses.
While our account as of this writing is in good standing we have been spending our time on GAB, a website dedicated to open discourse and free speech.
Powerful forces are calling GAB a hate site because of this principle.
Oh yes, there is hate on that site. We have found full-blown Nazis, and misogynists. We have found Christian-hating atheists and other assorted bigots.
On the other hand, we have also found out-spoken Zionists and Muslims. We have found fans of notorious homosexual Milo Yiannopoulos’ Dangerous.com; along with just generally nice people posting Bible verses and wishing all a Merry Christmas.
The only prohibitions on GAB concern posting private information, threats including terrorism, and illegal pornography.
Free-speech sites don’t have a great track record. They invariably seem to fall to trolling and devolve to petty bickering. GAB has wrinkles, though, that give us hope for its success. It is very easy to “mute” posters — i.e. personally ban them — along with words one might find offensive. It is ad free and hopes to make a profit by charging those wishing options like identity verification or access to the looming service of GABTV, a $5.99 monthly subscription.
We wish it well and encourage all to check it out. It can be found here.
Winter 2017 Starts Now — Today, Dec. 21, is 2016’s winter solstice which is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight during the whole year.
If this website’s clock is properly synched it is 11:28 a.m.. EST. and that means winter has started.
The word solstice comes from the Latin words for “sun” and “to stand still.” As per the Old Farmer’s Almanac: In the Northern Hemisphere, as summer advances to winter, the points on the horizon where the Sun rises and sets advance southward each day; the high point in the Sun’s daily path across the sky, which occurs at local noon, also moves southward each day.
At the winter solstice, the Sun’s path has reached its southernmost position. The next day, the path will advance northward. However, a few days before and after the winter solstice, the change is so slight that the Sun’s path seems to stay the same, or stand still. The Sun is directly overhead at “high-noon” on Winter Solstice at the latitude called the Tropic of Capricorn.
Paycheck Protection Vote Advanced Cause
By Jennifer Stefano
Last week’s paycheck protection vote was not disappointing or a defeat. It was a victory! And a significant one at that!
Let me explain, lest you think a government union leader hijacked Commonwealth Foundation’s email.
The government unions paid 82 lobbyists to live in the Capitol for the last three weeks—and the vote on paycheck protection not only got out of committee but got to a full floor vote AND came within 12 (12!!!!) votes of ending this immoral, unethical and unfair privilege.
Another thing: House Leadership lived up to its name. It is no easy feat to bring up a vote when your party is in power and you could lose. It takes a strong leader to have the willingness to advance a reform as significant as paycheck protection. Good for them!
Paycheck protection is ON THE AGENDA. The House is not a “safe space” for the unions. It’s territory we can advance essential policies and it’s thanks to your work.
We must always remember who and what we fight for—the people who need our voices the most—we cannot spend a moment feeling bad!
To paraphrase one of my greatest heroes, General George S. Patton: It’s not about how high we climb, it’s about how high we bounce back.
#BOOM
P.S. Want to hear something else exciting that happened this month? CF President & CEO Charles Mitchell was named as one of City & State PA’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars. You can read his profile here. What an honor! We are so happy that readers around the state can see what we already know to be true about our fearless leader. Congratulations, Charles!
Ms. Stefano is vice president of Commonwealth Foundation.
The Mexican-Indian wars, which started in 1519 did not end until 1933.
The Marty Robbins song El Paso was the song most requested of the Grateful Dead to play in concert. It doesn’t mean that you had to be a hippie to like it. A German version recorded by Lolita was a major hit in Europe.
Gender Policy Change Pitch Made In Penn Delco
By John Haenn
Advocates of fluid definitions of gender found themselves stymied and flustered by simple questions from the audience and school board at last night’s (Dec. 18) Penn Delco (Pa) School Board meeting.
They were on hand to support a proposed new policy that would add “gender identity” to a student’s accepted identity even if it differs from the birth certificate.
This would effectively give by-right access to traditionally gender-segregated places and athletic teams to all desiring such access regardless of biology.
Testifying for a policy change were Samantha King, who directs the sex and gender clinic at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP); counselor Erica Smith; and Quinton Cruise of the Pennsylvania Youth Conference, an LGBTQ advocacy group.
School Superintendent George Steinhoff noted that the district now handles such matters of confusion on a case-by-case basis with the emphasis on protecting the child. He questioned their claim that failing to adopt a general policy would violate federal law as an Obama-era directive had been rescinded. Ms. King said court battles were occurring but conceded that he was correct. School Board Solicitor Mike Puppio would also point out that there are no laws binding on this.
School Director Lisa Esler noted that CHOP’s website suggested that single-room bathrooms as an option for children having difficulty. She said that the school district has those including one in the nurse’s office.
“Single use bathrooms might not be close,” Ms. King responded. “Also kids might get sick using the nurse’s bathroom.”
Mrs. Esler asked Cruise if any research had occurred regarding the impact and emotional distress on the 99.9 percent of the student population in currently segregated areas. He became noticeably flustered and removed himself from the podium. Ms. King stepped in to rescue him.
“Someone not trans can also use single-use bathrooms,” she said which didn’t really answer the question.
Mrs. Esler asked if the policy would extend to adult visitors at the school.
“It doesn’t matter because adults use faculty facilities anyway,” said Ms. King.
Then the audience took over.
“How do you handle mean kids, bullies?” one person asked.
“Bathrooms are just unsafe,” Ms. King answered. “Adding gender identity to the polices helps address bullies.”
“Should there be a security guard in the bathroom now?” one person asked.
“Students can handle this,” said Ms. King. “Friends and going into the bathroom with a buddy. The non-bullies and trans students can use the special bathrooms.”
“We’re already complying, this is a waste of time,” said one person.
“You don’t comply because you have no policy,” said Ms. King. “You don’t comply because you can’t use any bathroom you want.”
The board discussed the matter. Director Georgia Stone pointed out that the district is not in the best position to help students decide who they are.
“This impacts too much, lives, families and friends, future,” she said. “This should be left to the courts on a case-by-case basis.” She noted that the district would of course comply with a court order.
Several residents made public comments. One said “This is a far reach” as there are already unisex bathrooms, the district is accommodating and that there already are bullying policies. One said “getting changed in a locker room is already stressful,” and a new policy should be enacted before it gets worse. Another said “all students need to be given equal rights”. Another who moved into the district a year ago from Chester County said “I know students are bullied and some decide to be home schooled. Students are mean.”
A California condor can weigh over 30 pounds.
Daylin Leach Sexual Harassment Claims — Daylin Leach, the 17th District Pennsylvania senator who is — or had been anyway — the likely Democrat taking on incumbent Republican Pat Meehan in next year’s 7th District congressional race, is facing accusations of sexual harassment.
Multiple ex-staffers — male and female — are accusing Leach of “highly sexualized jokes and comments” and touching women in a way they deemed inappropriate.
Leach is a piece of work. He is the kind of guy you vote for if you are a masochist who wants life harder, poorer and generally more miserable.
Here is our own little run-in with him.
Here is some more background.
Fartes of Portingale was a great delicacy of the Middle Ages. No, it didn’t involve beans. Fartes means “force meat” which is a meat stuffing. This one was made of lamb. Here is the recipe.