No one forced them to get vaccinated. They chose fear over their career. They chose fear over their own health. Their job was to protect others. They chose fear over that essential part of their job.

NYPD Bomb Squad members sue NYC for $75M, claim COVID vax mandate ended careers — New York Post

The officers said they've lost out on a "full pension, with annual interest, and health benefits" after they were fired in 2022 for refusing to get...

(Footnote: vaccine mandates for essential workers like police & fire fighters were important early on. Now that most everyone is vaccinated and there’s clearly herd immunity it’s right that they’ve been lifted. They were a tool in a critical moment. The moment has passed.)

Woke up early, so went to the gym… #gymstr https://www.strava.com/activities/10024505012

Two contrasting articles from this morning’s news… The judge who heard the case when we sued the landlord of the building next door did a summary judgement saying #Trump committed #fraud and dissolving all his #NewYork businesses…

Five key takeaways from Donald Trump’s financial fraud case ruling — Guardian US

New York judge ruled the ex-president had inflated the value of his assets and ordered a cancellation of business certificates

Compare and contrast that with this article where a Mormon newspaper reports that more #Republicans think Trump is “a man of faith” than any of his rivals…

Poll: Republicans see Trump as a ‘person of faith’ ... more so than Mitt Romney, Mike Pence and others — Deseret News

Sen. Mitt Romney tops the list for independents, while more Democrats say President Biden is a man of faith

What does that say about the #GOP, #religion and #BusinessEthics in the US?

Here's a curious "freedom" / "government intrusion" issue. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it… As I understand it, when the FBI takes down malicious botnets they sometimes get control of the botnet and use the botnet to stop all the computers in the botnet from being part of the botnet. That can include everything from just telling the infected computer to stop "calling home" to "botnet central" for instructions to using the botnet to install software on the infected computer that will delete the malware and better secure the computer from future attacks - ALL WITHOUT ANY NOTIFICATION TO THE USER. Needless to say that means they could do some pretty bad stuff to you without you ever knowing. According to the article they're using the power of the botnet for good - and they do get a judge to sign off on it. But it's one warrant for thousands of computers and again - no notification to the user. There's very little actual oversight to ensure they aren't doing stuff like snooping on the users. I usually give law enforcement a pretty long leash, but this whole thing makes me a bit uncomfortable. What's the likelihood an anti-porn administration might snoop on the porn viewing habits of people, or an anti-abortion administration might look for evidence of a woman having an abortion? 

FBI, Federal Judge Agree Fighting Botnets Means Allowing The FBI To Remotely Install Software On People’s Computers — Techdirt

The ends aren’t always supposed to justify the means. And a federal agency that already raised the hackles of defense lawyers around the nation d...

#FBI #GovernmentSurveillance #botnets #malware #ethics #LawEnforcement

This article made me think twice about the #ElectoralCollege - it's a good read… The TL;DR summary is that the Electoral College is a major obstacle to parties #StealingElections and should be kept for that reason. Without the Electoral College if a candidate thought they needed say 100,000 votes to win a national election they could add those votes in places where their party dominates and the other party would have to first, find the source of the fraud, and second, be powerful enough to fight it in that jurisdiction. If #Democrats engaged in fraud in say NYC or #Republicans in West Virginia - they'd probably get away with it. In contrast, with the Electoral College the loser would have to engage in fraud in one or more battleground states. That makes the fraud easier to find and the loser in battlegrounds is nearly as strong as the winner - so much more capable to fight the fraud. So yeah, the Electoral College means the winner may not have won the popular vote, but that's a small price to pay for free and fair elections…

Worried about election fraud? Protect the Electoral College. — The Hill

It is no accident that the Electoral College is the only presidential elections system worldwide that has been working for almost 250 years.

#ElectionFraud #elections

So many #Christian #conservatives are criminals. How exactly is that being “Christ-like”?

Christian website writer threatened to slaughter LGBTQ+ people. He just pled guilty. — LGBTQ Nation

Adam Michael Nettina admitted to targeting the Human Rights Campaign because it is an LGBTQ+ organization.

#ChristianValues #homophobia #lgbt #lgbtq

#China is literally paying people to be #heterosexual.

China region offers cash ‘rewards’ for newlyweds if bride is under 25 — Guardian US

China’s eastern county of Changshan has made the offer in an effort to promote ‘age-appropriate marriage and childbearing’

#heteronormative #overpopulation #BirthRate #demography

If it’s unsung, how can everyone be talking about it? #GranmarPolice #AdvertisingFAILs #contradictory

Right on schedule #Putin has killed #Prigozhin. (When the coup happened I said one of them will be dead within 90 days)…

Wagner Mercenary Chief Prigozhin Dies in Russia Plane Crash — The Wall Street Journal

The paramilitary group leader was on jet that went down northwest of Moscow

#Russia #dictator #totalitarianism

From one of the most #homophobic countries on the planet comes this unintentional compliment…  >> "Military theorists and historians know which army in Greece was the strongest, remember? The Spartans! They were united by a #homosexual brotherhood. They were all #homos. These were the politics of [The West's] leadership. I think they are planning the same for Ukraine's Armed Forces," Sergei Markov, a former adviser to Putin, said while appearing on Russian TV, Newsweek reported. >> >> Markov said the U.S. and Ukraine will use "neuro-linguistic programming" and other brainwashing techniques to turn Ukrainian soldiers #gay against their will.  Is that going to be their excuse when they finally accept defeat? "Of course they won - they're all homos - and we're no homos!" https://c.apple.news/AgEXQTJnak9qMmVYU2ktX294ZHVuOGNkVmcAMA #homophobia #LGBT #LGBTQ #GaysInTheMilitary #GaySoldiers

Of all the ways & places to die… Please not this one…

8 dead after Moscow sewers flood during tour that may have been illegal — CBS News

Several tour operators offer trips into the vast tunnels of the capital's sewer system, some of which were built in the 19th century.

#death #misfortune #ick

The #GOP just seems cruel these days…

‘The cruelty Olympics’: Texas workers condemn elimination of water breaks — Guardian US

Outdoor workers express anger and fear of potential repercussions after governor rescinds mandatory breaks amid extreme heat

#ConstructionIndustry #cruelty #WorkersRights #evil

There are allies, and then there are allies… RIP Colin…

Hero stabbed to death while protecting his trans coworker — LGBTQ Nation

A man was harassing a trans coworker and Colin stood up for her.

#trans #lgbt #HateCrime #transphobia #bigot #murder

This is too funny… “The Republican party was embarrassed when a tweet from its official account celebrating Independence Day featured the wrong flag.” (The Liberian flag, not the US flag).

Republican party tweets Independence Day well-wishes with flag of Liberia — Guardian US

Official GOP account deletes tweet featuring Liberian flag, which has single white star where Stars and Stripes has 50

Happy 4th of July! 💥🎉🍾💥

Big win for LGBT students > On Tuesday, June 13, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit handed down a major victory for LGBTQ+ youth. > > In Grabowski v. Arizona Board of Regents, the unanimous court held that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in schools. And its logic equally protects transgender students. Title IX’s protections may prove crucial at a time when LGBTQ+ youth are under increasing attacks. > > The appeal stems from a lawsuit by a former University of Arizona student-athlete. In a complaint filed in federal court, Michael Grabowski detailed how, after joining the school’s cross-country team, his teammates called him antigay slurs “almost daily.” (Michael isn’t gay, the complaint explains, but his teammates thought he was.) Michael and his parents reported the harassment to his coaches, who failed to take action to stop the harassment, instead urging Michael to “adjust.” Eventually, the complaint alleges, the coaches kicked Michael off the team in retaliation for his complaints.

The Ninth Circuit's Monumental Ruling on LGBTQ+ Rights — Advocate

Grabowski v. Arizona Board of Regents will have huge ramifications for gender-nonconforming student-athletes.

#lgbt #lgbtq #gay #homophobia #gayrights #titleix

Back on my bike 6 weeks to the day after my stroke… https://strava.app.link/kUlk6x8uOAb #StrokeRecovery #cycling #BikeNYC #stroke

People are so ignorant. I doubt this guy has ever used an all-gender bathroom. There made up of private stalls and a common wash area. Sometimes there’s a separate small room with urinals. There’s nothing racy about them.

Ill. lawmaker: All-gender bathrooms will ‘cause violence from dads like me’ — The Washington Post

Illinois politicians and activist groups have criticized a comment from state Sen. Neil Anderson (R) about violence brewing in an all-gender bathroom.

> On the Senate floor that day, state Sen. Neil Anderson claimed that mixed-gender, multiple-occupancy restrooms would inspire physical altercations, saying that he himself could be driven to violence if “a guy” walked into the same bathroom as his 10-year-old daughter. > > “I’m telling you right now, if a guy walks in there, I’m going to beat the living piss out of him,” Anderson said as his supporters cheered. “So this is going to cause violence, and it’s going to cause violence from dads like me.” Basically he just admitted on the public record that he’s the menace, not trans folks just going about their lives. #LoveNotHate #TransLivesMatter #trans #gender #GenderEquality

I LOVE this song…

Apple Music - Web Player

Over the Rainbow by Aretha Franklin on Apple Music

Song · 1961 · Duration 2:41

#ArethaFranklin

To me the proper response to the Dodgers excluding The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from a Pride 🏳️‍🌈 Event is for all the other gay folk to come dressed as The Sister of Perpetual Indulgence. The message is respect ALL of our community, not just the bits that are convenient. I mean, The Sisters have proven themselves year after year for decades. They’ve earned the respect.

Los Angeles Times

Today's Headlines: Dodgers face backlash after removing drag group from Pride event

The move has ignited a cultural and political maelstrom over the team's annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.