Category: Bob Small

She’s A Boy

She’s a Boy

By Bob Small

She’s a Boy is a video by Whistle the Band featuring Cat Cattinson, a detransitioned singer.

It’s one of those pop earworms that stays in your head.  This is about Lisa Thomas and other male to female transexuals who participate in women’s athletics.

How should we consider her and other transexual athletes, especially as Lia is listed as being pre-op.

So is Lia Thomas the Otto Pelzer or, less obscurely the Martina Navatrilova of trans sports.  Possibly it depends on whether you consider pre-op or post-op true transexuality — my vote is post-op — and whether you wonder whether there should be a handicap, like in golf.

My gut feeling is that the NCAA or the University of Pennsylvania should have noticed that Lia Thomas still had the equipment William Thomas was born with.  Of course, there’s no mid-way place for on-going transitioners to compete, no special league but would we feel the same if an actor named Lia Thomas had transitioned to William Thomas to get better roles because Hollyweird is still male-dominated and was rewarded with a Best Male Actor Oscar?

Now I’m looking at this from the outside having never wanted to be another sex but this option should be open to those who truly need to become someone else, as long as they are adults and aware of the travails that may happen.

Cat Cattinson is the detransitioned lead singer for Whistle the Band.  Whether her biology degree, her detransitioned status, her being a singer, her being a songwriter, is the most important of the adjectives to describe her is for her to decide.

Cat has said “I don’t think that people should have to be a man or a woman or non-binary to be able to express themselves or do what they want to do.”

Lastly, we’re talking about a very small part of the population.  How important is this, really?

A tip of the hat to Vermont Scott.

Here’s the video

She's a Boy

Canada’s Hidden History In The Revolution

Canada’s Hidden History In The Revolution (And Why It Wasn’t More)

By Bob Small

You have probably never heard of Jonathan Eddy and his campaign, known as Eddy’s Rebellion. He led a group of Nova Scotians who planned to conquer Nova Scotia in order to make it the 14th colony. In 1776, he led a force of 72 people (including some Americans) in an effort to take over Fort Cumberland.

Their slogan was “let’s add another stripe to the American flag.”

However, the first attack on Nov. 11, 1776 because the Indian who was supposed to open the fort door from inside was struck down before he could get the door open. A subsequent attack also failed. Fairly soon after that, an English warship containing 400 men arrived. Failing as a military hero, Eddy later became a U.S. politician.

There was also a Nova Scotian act of insurrection when “a large consigment of hay, bound for Boston, where it would be used as forage for the British army occupying the city, was burned in Halifax before it could be loaded onto transport ships. A Canadian Hay Party, if you will.”

In 1784 the mainland of Nova Scotia became New Brunswick, a refuge for the Tory loyalists fleeing New England.

Meanwhile, in another, slightly more successful invasion, U.S. forces occupied Montreal in 1775 and attacked Fort Chambly. The Americans then left Montreal on May 9, 1776.

As to why Canadians chose the British, it possibly came down to “better the devil you know than the one you don’t know”.

Another article to ponder: We Could Have Been Canada | The New Yorker

Lastly, there was the “New Light Movement, which came up in the 1770’s and took some people’s thoughts off revolution.

Canada's Hidden History In The Revolution

Canada’s Hidden History In The Revolution

The Mayor Who Would Be President

The Mayor Who Would Be President

By Bob Small

Though there has never been a president who from being mayor to president, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez believes he could be the first one.  The son of a former mayor, the Cuban-American is the only Hispanic among the major party candidates.

Suarez, who’s trying to channel Ronald Reagan, saying he tries “to be Reaganesque” in terms of being inclusive.  He has criticized his governor, Ron Desantis, for what he sees as his “personal vendetta” against Disney, a major employer in the state

Meanwhile, Suarez, who started as a lawyer, is being investigated by both the FBI and the SEC for $10,000 monthly payments he received from a South Florida developer for “consulting services” regarding a stalled real estate project in Coconut Grove.  This investigation is on-going.

The Mayor Who Would Be President

Suarez supports sex education and feels that limiting discussion about sex and gender in all grades is “excessive”.  He supports a national 15 week Abortion Ban.

He receives his mayoral salary in Bitcoin and is a big supporter of crypto-currency.

Suarez is not a “Trumper” and he has distanced himself from Desantis, both fellow Floridians.

He is billing himself as a “next generation leader.” He’s 45 and has a history of working with Democrats which ,as they say,  “may be a blessing and a curse”. He is also a big advocate for tech, as evidenced by his mayoral career.

He was quoted as saying “I think I can grow the tent-not for an election, but for a generation”.

Most recently, he shared his lack of knowledge in international affairs.  During an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, responding to a question about the persecuted Uyghur people in China by responding “What’s a Uyghur?”

Swarthmore Getting LGBTQ Rainbow Crosswalk

Swarthmore Getting LGBTQ Rainbow Crosswalk

By Bob Small

Swarthmore Borough (population 6,523 as of 2023) will have its very own LGBTQ rainbow crosswalk, probably the smallest municipality by population to attain this distinction.

During the public safety segment of the June 12 Council meeting — at about hour 135.30 — it was announced that    $1,000 will be donated by the Borough for paint. All the work is volunteer. (

For what it’s worth, this we believe this is the first Borough Council we missed in 20203.

While we agree with the sentiments behind this project, we wondered what  local other towns have done this.

The June 12  notes will not be voted on until July 10th, then to be entered online.

In Phoenixville (population 19,354) the painting party became a community lovefest. 

“Together, we ensure every person is safe, loved and celebrated,” said Mayor Peter Ueschel

In Doylestown (population 8,532) there was opposition to the painting decision.

“What about Chinese Flags? What about the hammer and sickle?” asked Resident Art Larson.

“If we’re looking to have a better understanding of each other, there are probably things that work better than painting,” said business owner Jona Franklin.

It was noted that “installation and ongoing maintenance costs will be covered by the Doylestown Pride Festival”.

In Canada, Leithbridge has a “permanent transgender pride flag crosswalk and a permanent rainbow crosswalk”. 

We can also add Toronto and Vancouver to this list of cities with pride designations. Besides Philadelphia, we have Key West, Long Beach, Miami Beach, San Francisco, West Hollywood, and many others.

Swarthmore Getting LGBTQ Rainbow Crosswalk

British Movies About The American Revolution

British Movies About The American Revolution

By Bob Small

I have been thinking about how British movies have treated The American Revolution, with July 4 approaching. Well, there are only three such movies that come to mind, and that’s partially because the Revolutionary War is barely taught in Britain.

Many British considered Britain and the colonies to be like a mother and her whining teenager, as this article makes clear.

“The Madness of King George” (1994), a joint British-American production, speaks of George III, who was the king during the war. The film takes place in 1788. “When King George III goes mad, his lieutenants try to adjust the rules to run the country without his participation.”

Note: all plot summaries are from IMDB.

To add to this, the British Prime Minister at the time was Lord Frederick North.

Briefly, there are only three British or British-American films dealing with the war. “The Devil’s Disciple” from 1959 is one of multiple versions of the George Bernard Shaw play, and it has the best cast — i.e., Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, and Lawrence Olivier.

The plot summary is ”the black sheep of a family and the local minister discover their true vocations during the Revolutionary War.”

Next, we have 1985’s “Revolution”, starring Al Pacino. This plot is “a trapper and his young son get pulled into the American Revolution early as unwilling participants and remain involved through to the end.” It’s actually a British-Norwegian production, and it was widely criticized for having been made in England. Though it tanked at the box office and critically, it’s now being re-appraised.

There’s also 1929’s early Brit talkie “The American Prisoner”, whose plot summary is “an American prisoner of war escapes and saves a squire’s daughter.” I did not find any online reviews.

Lastly, there’s a BBC TV series entitled “Rebels and Redcoats” (2003).

There are also a few more films that were made as joint US-Canadian ventures. To be continued.

British Movies About The American Revolution

First Serious Presidential Candidate From North Dakota

First Serious Presidential Candidate From North Dakota

By Bob Small

Doug Burgum, second-term millionaire governor of North Dakota, has declared himself a GOP Candidate for President.

In his campaign website, he touts how he inherited a $1.7 billion state budget shortfall which he balanced by cutting spending.  He’s a self-made millionaire who worked his way through college as a chimney sweep, etc.

The Stanford Graduate, from North Dakota State, (the same college as former Eagles QB Carson Wentz), sold his company, Eagle Great Plains Software, to Microsoft for a cool $1.1 billion.  He began the software company by mortgaging $250,00 of inherited farmland.

He became Governor in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020, despite his ex-wife Karen Stoker campaigning for his opponent, Shelley Lenz

He grew up in Arthur, North Dakota, population  323, 

Why Doug Burgum Could Surprise In The 2024 Republican Primary

 He is among the top six candidates financially.

A New York Times article quotes conservative North Dakota commentator Dustin Gawrylow as saying Burgum “is genuinely thinking this is a vehicle for promoting North Dakota.”

Another New York Times article mentions he has signed eight pieces of anti-trans Legislation, though there was a great deal of protest around this as per this Inform article.

For all of that, there is a great deal of hope for his candidacy.

He signed a bill requiring physicians to inform women that it may be possible to reverse a drug-induced abortion.  For his other views, see these two websites.

According to https://ontheissues.org “he would not back a nationwide ban on abortions and that the issue is best left to the states”.

First Serious Presidential Candidate From North Dakota

Oz Woman Has Plan To Fight Global Tyranny

Oz Woman Has Plan To Fight Global Tyranny

By Bob Small

Australian Monica Smit has organized Global Walkout.

“We are walking out from the Globalist Society they are trying to enslave us into,” she says.

The group says that the tyrant’s agenda includes phasing out cash and bringing in digital currency.

They noted how Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau froze bank accounts just for donations to the protesting truck drivers. 

Their plans include growing one’s own vegetables, sharing skills and using bartering. This is similar to the Transition Town movement.

There is still an active Transition Town in Media Borough, Pa.. I was part of Transition Town Swarthmore until it detransitioned.

Global Walkout differs from Transition Town in that it advocates using cash as much as possible and deleting payment methods from your electronic devices.

Every Second Sunday at 8 p.m. Oz time which is 3 p.m. ESDT a new step will be announced which can be found on its website

“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you,” as Joeph Heller said. 

Ms Smit, by the way, was named by Inside the Vatican as one of their Top Ten of 2021 for her work as a founder of Reignite Democracy and her time in jail for “incitement”.  I

“Yet, one thing that has remained constant is the determination of individual’s to follow the Spirit’s call,” says the article.

“From age 18 to about 26, I tried the world instead of the Faith to see if it was better than being a Catholic,” Ms. Smits says. “Turns out it wasn’t.”

Further information can be found about her at these links:

BREAKING: Monica Smit ARRESTED for incitement – Rebel News

Monica Smit: Melbourne anti-vaxxer was once a reality TV wannabe | n

Activists Monica Smit and Avi Yemini back in court – The Age

How an anti-mask firebrand fans the right’s flames against Dan Andre

Thanks to Scott from Vermont who sent me the initial article about the Global Walkout.

The group says that the tyrant's agenda includes phasing out cash and bringing in digital currency.

Woke Or Worth It Movie Guide

Woke Or Worth It Movie Guide

By Bob Small

Deciding that the mass of us needed a guide as to whether or not a movie is “woke” or not, James Carrick has created a needed guide for those of us worried about “wokeness”.

He gives his opinion on whether a film is “worth it or woke.”

His ratings are:

woke

woke-ish

non-woke

in the ways he defines woke, including “A woke rating indicates a strong emphasis on activism over narrative”.  It’s possible he means only “left ” activism  over narrative, but that remains to be seen.

To be fair, there were two movies he reviewed which I then compared with IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes;

Sounds of Freedom received an overall score of 97% and an approval under role models.  Surprisingly, IMDB, which usually has both negative and positive reviews, was almost exclusively positive.

Rotten Tomatoes which usually has various opinions also had only positive reviews.  Sounds like a movie to see.

And one more review: billlawrenceonline.com › sound-of-freedom-gettingSound Of Freedom Getting Released – BillLawrenceOnline

Another review was on Spider-Man; Across the Spiderverse.  He finds a problem with a “2.5 second flash of  a “Protect the Trans Kids sign” in Gwen’s room” but otherwise seems to like the film.

Again, IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes seem to agree.

One can understand that there is are well-made movies with bad intentions like the silent Birth of A Nation as opposed to  poorly made movies with good intentions like Guess who’s Coming to Dinner.  We all have our belief systems but we should also be open to any art that questions it and hopefully he has that capacity.

Two “left” critiques of his website are:

https://www.rollingstone.com › culture › culture-features › worth-it-or-woke-film-critic-red-pilled-review-1234740605

https://bgr.com › entertainment › worth-it-or-woke-is-a-rotten-tomatoes-alternative-for-conservatives

In short, though I won’t agree with all of their reviews, it seems an interesting addition to IMDB, which has been my main source, which is why I signed up with Worth it or Woke. At least, this gives me someone else to argue with in future posts, now that I’m receiving them on a regular basis.

Follow-up;  One of the first reviews received indicated Padre Pio was a poorly made movie with good intentions, and IMDB generally agreed.

Work Or Worth It Movie Guide

Will Marianne Williams Spoil Kennedy Bid?

Will Marianne Williams Spoil Kennedy Bid?

By Bob Small

Democrats are fond of the term “spoiler” in reference to candidates they consider “fringe” candidates, with no realistic chance of winning, but possibly siphoning votes away from the :machine” candidates.

During my active time with the Green Party, both Jill Stein and Ralph Nader were dubbed “spoilers” who might cause their candidates to lose.  If the best candidate you can choose is Hillary Clinton rather than Bernie Sanders, say, you’ve probably already spoiled your chances for victory.

In her second run at the Presidency, Marianne’s website lists some illuminating ideas.  However, she may only be spoiling the chances of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, the  other major Democratic candidate.

On her website, one could wade through her eight page “Economic Bill of Rights” and discover some quality ideas such as the right for universal quality healthcare and the right  to an equitable and fair justice system.  Other sections are equally verbose. Health is nine pages; Climate Action, 8 pages, and Why I’m Running is seven pages.

Some of the alternative parties that I used to run with insisted on handing out double-sided flyers and I would want to scream “Who are you trying to reach?”  Less is always more in these instances.

One place where Marianne will do well is Fairfield, Iowa but they are in a highly spiritual universe that probably doesn’t exist in over one-tenth, if that, of our country.

And like many others, she may lack the “people skills” required for a lengthy campaign.

Her decision-making may also be called into question.

If Marianne Williamson is not a “spoiler”, she is, at best, a “vanity Candidate”, like Chris Christie or Francis Suarez.  Hopefully, she gets what she wants from her campaign.

Will Marianne Williams Spoil Kennedy Bid?

Juneteenth Our Most Recent Holiday

Juneteenth Our Most Recent Holiday

By Bob Small

Today, June 19, is Juneteenth, the most recent of our 11 Federal Holidays, having been signed into law on June 17, 2021.

It  commemorates  June 14, 1865 when the Juneteenth Order (General Order #3), co-written by General Gordon Granger and his subordinate Major Frederick Emery, was posted throughout Galveston, TX.

Pennsylvania deems the day an “official annual observance”,  first recognized as an observance in 2019.

Texas was the first state to recognize Juneteenth as a permanent state holiday, it does not recognize the day as an observance.?!

Opal Lee is called “the grandmother of Juneteenth”. She began a walking campaign at the the age of 89 (2016) which eventually led to the creation of the Juneteenth holiday. She has written a Juneteenth children’s book. She is raising funds for a National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, the same city where, as a child, she watched her house being burnt down by a white mob. She is quite an extraordinary woman.

Not all Afro-Americans see Juneteenth in the same way;  Professor Robert A.. Brown of Morehouse notes “Lawmakers have been more willing to engage in performative symbolism than passing laws to make substantive change”.

He cites police reform and reparations as two roads not yet taken. Others add voting rights to this list.

Though others still celebrate.

Juneteenth Our Most Recent Holiday