LIVE AT FIVE: 04.24.15

Posted on | April 24, 2015 | 1 Comment

TOP NEWS
EU Agrees To Send More Ships To Stem Migrant Crisis

Coffins carried during a memorial service for migrants in Malta

Belgium, Britain, France, Germany and Ireland commit ships to Med patrol; a reversal of previous budget-cutting moves
CBC manages To blame PM Harper for migrant deaths
Could increased patrols actually draw more migrants to sea?

Obama Blames “Fog Of War” For Hostage Deaths In Drone Strike
Weinstein’s widow lashes out on captive policy

Home Minister, Delhi Police Blame AAP For Farmer’s Suicide
While police tried to summon help, AAP workers egged the suicide on

POLITICS
Hillary Collected Millions While Approving Russian Uranium Deal

On the take, says NYT

Bill cashes in for $500M from Russians, too
Mitt Romney: “Every Appearance That Hillary Was Bribed”

Bobby Jindal Slams Arkansas, Indiana Leaders For Retreat On Religious Liberty Bills

Petraeus Gets Two Years, $100K Fine For Classified Leak

ACLU Sues To Force Catholic Charities To Fund Illegals’ Abortions

Baltimore Protests Over Freddie Gray Death Wind Down

56 Free-market Orgs Line Up Against Ex-Im Bank

Lynch Confirmed As AG To Iowa Senators’ Ire

THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Asian Crude Off 2015 Highs But Set For Weekly Gain As Yemen Bombing Continues: WTI $57.38, Brent $64.55
Google Shares Rise On Ad Sales
After 15 Years, NASDAQ Recoups Losses Of Dot-Com Crash
Southwest Airlines Profit Surges On Lower Fuel Prices, Love Field Expansion
Time Running Out For Greece, Says Eurozone’s Top Official
Amazon, Microsoft Profit From Cloud
Cablevision Offers TV Antennas As Part Of Cord-Cutter Packages
No Warranty Cover For Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Screen
Acer Unleashes A Pair Of Budget Tablets
Pro Hacker Chris Roberts Banned By United Airlines Over Tweet
Valve Now Allowing Devs To Charge For Steam Workshop Mods, Community Riots

SPORTS
Caps Whip Islanders 5-1, Take 3-2 Lead

Rookie Kuznetsov scores first playoff goal in rout

Washington wins despite lack of scoring from Ovechkin, Backstrom

Mets Go Up Against Yanks For Record 12th Straight Win

Canucks Edge Flames 2-1 To Stay Alive

LeBron Scores 31 As Cavs Beat Celtics For 3-0 Lead

Royals Top Pale Hose In Extras After Brawl

Warriors Rally From 20 Down To Beat Pelicans

Jays Hold Off Late Rally, Edge O’s 7-6

Wacha Outduels Scherzer, Nats Bats Limp As Cards Win 4-1

FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Taylor Swift Doesn’t Appreciate Having Her Love Life Mocked At Awards Shows

Comfortable with her single status

“What else is it when you have two boyfriends in one year and everyone’s calling you boy crazy, making jokes about you at awards shows? That’s public humiliation. And I don’t think it’s fair.”

“Everybody Loves Raymond” Child Star Sawyer Sweeten Kills Himself At 19

Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner Apologize For Black Widow Jokes

“Stairway To Heaven” Filmmaker Says Co$ Is Making A Movie About Him

WNBA’s Griner, Fiancee Arrested For Assault

Offended Native American Actors Walk Off Adam Sandler Movie

Kim Richards Walks Out Of Dr. Phil Interview After He Rips Her Parenting

Trent Reznor Selling Beverly Hills Mansion

China Says Please Stop Hiring Funeral Strippers

Mila Kunis Laughs Off Chicken Theft Lawsuit

Lea Michele Gets Dramatic Transformation For “Scream Queens”

FOREIGNERS
Armenia Marks Centenary Of Genocide By Ottoman Turks
Turkey, World Leaders Remember Gallipoli
Execution Countdown Starts For Foreigners In Indonesia
Vast Italian Police Operation Targets Al-Qaeda Wannabes
Israeli Armor Hits Hamas Post After Rocket Launched From Gaza
Congress, BJP Dismiss Kejiriwal’s Apology After Farmer’s Suicide
Biden Affirms US Support Of Israel, Promises F-35 Delivery
British Teen Arrested For Inciting Terrorism On ANZAC Day
KMT Chairman To Visit Mainland China
PM Abe: Japan No Free Rider On Defense, So Be There For Us

BLOGS & STUFF
EBL: This Is The Clintons’ Best Case?
Doug Powers: Doomsday Is Nye
Twitchy: Jewel Staite Politely Asks Preachy Vegetarians “Kindly Can It With That”
Shark Tank: Wasserman-Schultz Calls Rubio, Jeb bush “Circus Performers” [The punchline just writes itself. -WS]
American Power: “Many human beings apparently never quite get over an innate totalitarian impulse.”
American Thinker: America’s Soft Police State
BLACKFIVE: Adam Gadahn Dead?
Conservatives4Palin: Lynch-ing Our 2014 Electoral Mandate
Don Surber: Every One Of These People Is Wrong
Jammie Wearing Fools: Amazing Coincidence! Multiple Clinton Charity Donors Got State Department Awards Under Hillary
Joe For America: Michael Brown’s “Parents” Sue Ferguson
JustOneMinute: The Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy
Pamela Geller: Denmark – Muslims Who Whipped Woman In Face With Iron Chains Laugh In Court
Protein Wisdom: Friday Fiction – 100 Word Challenge
Shot In The Dark: Let’s Try Some Free Association
STUMP: Obamacare Tax Watch – News You Can Use – Avoiding The Tax
The Gateway Pundit: Brooklyn College Students Praise The Rise Of ISIS
The Jawa Report: The Real Reason Behind The Mediterranean Refugee Crisis
The Lonely Conservative: If It Isn’t America First, What Is It?
This Ain’t Hell: VA’s Fudged Numbers Continue
Weasel Zippers: NBC Nightly News Says The Younger The Better for Transgender Kids
Megan McArdle: When Deadbeat Dads Can’t Catch A Break
Mark Steyn: St. George And A New Dragon

Shop Amazon Fashion – 25% Off Mother’s Day Jewelry Gifts

Category: Live at Five

Lesbian Teacher Pleads Guilty to Criminal Sexual Conduct With Teenage Girl

Posted on | April 23, 2015 | 43 Comments

WZZM-TV, Grand Rapids, Michigan:

A former Grant High School science teacher has pleaded guilty to having inappropriate sexual contact with a female student with whom she exchanged about 14,000 text messages during a four-week period last fall.
Erin Katharine MacDonald, 26, pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct with the female student. In exchange for the plea, four additional charges were dismissed. . . . MacDonald faces up to two years in prison when she is sentenced in Newaygo County Circuit Court on May 4. . . .
According to court documents, the girl told her parents she was going to the movies with a friend the week before Thanksgiving. That evening, the girl’s parents unexpectedly came across their daughter’s car at a park and ride lot near the junction of M-37 and M-46. The father waited for his daughter to return to the car and watched as MacDonald dropped the girl off . . .
Once home, the father took his daughter’s cell phone and car keys. He then gave the cell phone to Grant High School Principal Dan Simon, signing a release that allowed the district to examine the cell phone.
“It was discovered there were approximately 14,000 texts between Erin MacDonald and (the victim) from Oct. 25 until Nov. 21,” Newaygo County Sheriff’s Deputy Phillip Green wrote in a search warrant affidavit. . . .
On Nov. 26, Green interviewed the girl about the relationship. She disclosed there was “an emotional and intimate relationship between the two which included sexual conduct in nature,” the search warrant affidavit states. . . .

Let’s see: 14,000 messages in 28 days? That’s 500 messages a day or — subtracting 8 hours a night for sleep, leaving 16 hours for daily texting — about 31 messages per hour. One wonders how either of them ever found time to do anything else except, you know, the “anything else” called criminal sexual misconduct. (Hat-tip: Kirby McCain on Twitter.)

TEACH WOMEN NOT TO RAPE!

UPDATE: It’s not like there’s a trend here, right?

Meghan Colleen Dougherty

Meghan Colleen Daugherty, 36, was charged last month with criminal sexual conduct with a minor in South Carolina. The arrest warrant said the Hillcrest Middle School physical education teacher committed sexual battery on a 14-year-old girl.

Geraldine Alcorn

Geraldine Alcorn, 28, was arrested last month in Pittsburgh after police say she became obsessed with an 11-year-old student at Beechwood Elementary School, where Alcorn was a pre-kindergarten teacher. Alcorn took the student ice skating and later lured the 11-year-old girl to her house. Police say Alcorn and the girl exchanged more than 2,000 text messages and had discussed running away together.

Shakyla Wislon

Shakyla Wilson, 22, was charged with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse after police in Naperville, Illinois, say she had sexual contact in February with a 14-year-old girl from Hill Middle School, where Wilson was volunteering as a girls basketball coach.
An unnamed math teacher resigned from New Braunfels Christian Academy in February amid a police investigation after allegations surfaced that she had ongoing inappropriate sexual relations with a former female student.
Dione Thompson, 45, was charged in February for having sex with a teenage girl she met while serving as a school resource officer in Bothell, Washington.

Michelle Smith White

High school dance teacher Michelle Smith White, 37, of Durham, N.C., was charged in October with having sex with a 16-year-old female student. Police said White had the student’s name and initials tattooed on her body.

Sabrina Epps.

Dance teacher Sabrina Epps, 19, was arrested in October after police say she admitted having lesbian sex with a 14-year-old girl who was a student at the Tennessee studio where Epps taught.

Gaile Christine Supp

Gaile Supp, 25, pleaded guilty in September to sexual battery, a third-degree felony. A former teacher at Clearfield High School in Utah, Supp had originally been charged with object rape, a first-degree felony, in April 2013 for allegedly committing a sexual act on an unwilling 17-year-old female student at her West Haven home.

Rebecca Diebolt

California teacher Rebecca Eileen Diebolt, 35, was arrested in June after a woman told police that she and Diebolt had a four-year sexual relationship that began in 2004, when the victim was 15 and Diebolt was her language arts teacher and swim/water polo coach.

Nichol Marie Phelps

Dance teacher Nichol Marie Phelps, 30, was sentenced to prison in June after she pleaded guilty to having lesbian sex with a 15-year-old student at the Florida academy where Phelps taught.

Pattern? What pattern? I don’t see a pattern.

UPDATE II: Welcome, Instapundit readers! You may want to read a story about the kind of violence against women the liberal media would rather ignore. Also,your contributions via PayPal are deeply appreciated. The Five Most Important Words in the English Language:

HIT THE FREAKING TIP JAR!

Category: Crime, Education, Sex

#MichFest: Trannies Win, Lesbians Lose

Posted on | April 23, 2015 | 135 Comments

Lesbians mourned Wednesday when it was announced they had lost what was, to them, an important tradition:

The 40th Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, to be held this August, will be the last, its founder announced today.
The storied women-only event, first held in 1976, has been the subject of controversy in recent years because of its exclusion of transgender women, with many artists and organizations deciding to boycott. . . .
[Founder and organizer Lisa Vogel] acknowledged, “There have been struggles; there is no doubt about that. This is part of our truth, but it is not — and never has been — our defining story. The Festival has been the crucible for nearly every critical cultural and political issue the lesbian feminist community has grappled with for four decades. Those struggles have been a beautiful part of our collective strength; they have never been a weakness.” . . .
The exclusion of transgender women from the fest has led performers such as the Indigo Girls, Antigone Rising, and Lea DeLaria to withdraw from the event, and last year several national LGBT organizations signed on to a petition from statewide LGBT group Equality Michigan calling on the festival to change its rule limiting attendance to “womyn-born-womyn.” . . .

You can read the rest. The aggression of transgender activists toward lesbians was one of the little-noticed aspects of feminist politics that caught my attention in January 2014 when I began researching radical feminism. At first, it appeared to me that lesbians like Cathy Brennan were the villains in that conflict. The more I researched the issue, however, the more it seemed that Brennan and her fellow radicals were actually the victims of a deliberate hate campaign perpetrated by some seriously disturbed individuals who have zero — I repeat, zero — respect for women.

“The transgender activists are trying to silence their critics. If they can silence a feminist like Cathy Brennan, guess what? Conservative critics of feminism will be next in line for this suppression of freedom.”
— Robert Stacy McCain, Aug. 26, 2014

No one could accuse me of sympathizing with lesbian feminists, but on this issue, they were certainly right: Defining “woman” is a matter of science, not politics. Furthermore, as numerous examples have made clear, “transwomen” (i.e., males who pursue “transition” to female) very often have histories of violence toward actual women. More than that, however, there is the matter of whether women who with to join all-female organizations or attend all-female events have the right to insist that the institutions are only for women — you know, the kind of people who have XX chromosomes and vaginas?

All the liberal rhetoric about “diversity” and “inclusion” fails here. Beyond the obvious issue of civility — it’s rude to barge in where you are unwanted and begin yelling about your “right” to be there — whatever happened to the vaunted “right to privacy”? Have feminists forgotten their own principles? Or is this just further proof that liberals don’t actually have any principles? Behold the gloating headline at the liberal feminist site Jezebel:

Trans-Excluding Michigan Womyn’s
Music Festival to End This Year

Rub some salt in your enemy’s wound. “Sister is powerful,” eh? Liberal advocates of “inclusion” have won this battle, but if they expect radical lesbians to stop fighting the war, I’ll bet they’ve got another think coming.

Hell hath no fury, etc.

Conservatives ought to pay attention to this conflict, because there are important issues and principles involved. Much like the Indiana pizza parlor that was targeted by a hate-storm, the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival fallen victim to a dubious idea of “rights” that, in reality, involves the negation of liberty. The strange concept I have called the “Compulsory Approval Doctrine” is a dangerous ideological weapon. If a small-town pizza parlor can’t choose which weddings it will cater, why should an all-woman event be allowed to exclude men in dresses?

Sure, we can enjoy our conservative schadenfreude at the expense of a lesbian music festival, laughing to see feminists suffer the consequences of their own theoretical dogma. If “the personal is political,” after all, everything becomes political. So the question of whether people with penises must be accepted as “women” is to be decided by a plebiscite or (in reality) imposed upon us by a consensus of cultural elites.

Whatever Justice Anthony Kennedy says is a “marriage,” we will be compelled to accept as such, and who knows what the “Emerging Awareness” will next require? Democracy in the 21st century begins more and more to resemble dictatorship, except for the occasional eruptions of lawless anarchy. The Rule of Law is trampled under foot and our constitutional republic is but a fading memory.

“The fantastical project of yesterday, which was mentioned
only to be ridiculed, is today the audacious reform, and
will be tomorrow the accomplished fact.”

They call it “progress,” but you may notice an aroma of burning brimstone, as we near the destination of this road paved with good intentions.

"Let's 'mainstream' insane perversity," the liberals told us, "because what could possibly go wrong?" http://t.co/mxu86bXNz5 #tcot

— Robert Stacy McCain (@rsmccain) April 23, 2015

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Category: Feminism, Gays, Sex Trouble

LIVE AT FIVE: 04.23.15

Posted on | April 23, 2015 | 20 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho

TOP NEWS
Saudis Launch New Airstrikes As US Concerns Grow About Yemen War

Saudi bombers pound Sanaa and Aden

Bombing intended to stop Houthis from taking Aden
Iranian warships arrive off Yemen coast
State Department leaves Americans stranded in Yemen, so CAIR steps in

Stacy’s Crazy Cousin John Rips Rand Paul
“Worst Republican candidate running for President”

Benghazi Continues To Haunt Hillary Clinton
Congressional probe likely to extend into 2016

POLITICS
Obama Catches Flak For Air Force One’s Huge Carbon Footprint On Earth Day

Even CBS isn’t buying his BS on this one

Mark Knoller spars with Josh Earnest, posts critical tweet

Scott Walker: There Should be Limits On Legal Immigration

Sheriff Joe Responds to Court Query Over Migrant Patrols

Congressional Report Shows IRS Deliberately Cut Customer Service

Pentagon Seeks Silicon Valley’s Help In Fighting Cyberattacks

Rand Paul On NSA: “Our Founding Fathers Would Be Mortified”

“Rosie The Riveter” Model Dies At 92

THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Asian Crude Steady As Yemen Bombing Resumes: WTI $56.29, Brent $62.71
FCC Calls For Hearing On Comcast/Time-Warner Merger
Strong Dollar Hurts Facebook Revenue Growth
You’re Still Not Eating At McDonald’s, And The New CEO Wants To Change That
Novartis Q1 Profit Up Despite Dollar Drag
Toyota Keeps Global Sales Lead Over VW On US SUV Demand
Google Launches Wireless Service Project Fi In US
You Can’t Buy The Apple Watch At The Apple Store
Intel Compute Stick Now Available For Windows And Linux
Google Rolls Out Box Integration, Improved Videoconferencing
Mad Catz To Co-Publish “Rock Band 4”

SPORTS
Ducks Await Next Opponent After Finishing Sweep Of Jets

Goalie Andersen and teammate Kesler congratulate each other after Anaheim’s Game 4 win

Winnipeg falls 5-2

Barry Bonds Cleared By Appeals Court

Hawks, Grizzlies Go Up 2-0 As Spurs Get Even

Guthrie’s Early Wildness Dooms Royals

Blues Blow Out Wild 6-1 To Tie Series

M’s Edge Astros 3-2

Judge Approves Billion-Dollar NFL Concussion Settlement

Cards Rally Late, Top Nats 7-5

FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Zooey Reminds Us The Character Is Not The Actress

Not feeling adorkable.

“I know that sounds crazy because you’re supposed to care about what people think of you, I guess, as an actor, but I really don’t.”

The Olsen Twins Talk “Full House” Spinoff

Hillary Duff Child Custody Battle: Round 1 – Fight!

Robert Downey Jr. Walks Out On Interviewer After Drug Questions

E.L. James’ Husband Writing “Fifty Shades Of Grey” Sequel

MPAA Rejects Nude Taylor Schilling Poster

Lindsay Lohan Commits Instagram Gaffe In Arabic

CAIR Whines About Alleged Discrimination On “The Real”

FOREIGNERS
PM Valls: France Foils Five Terror Attack Plots Since Charlie Hebdo Massacre
Chinese Believe Norks May Have As Many As 20 Nukes
Pak PM, Army Chief In Riyadh To Push For Peace Talks In Yemen
EU Leaders Meets For Emergency Summit On Med Migrant Crisis
SNP’s Salmond Caught Boasting He’ll Call The Shots After UK Election
Indian Farmer Commits Suicide At Kejiriwal Rally
Japanese Visit Yasukuni Shrine Hours After Abe Meets With Xi
Chicoms Release “100 Most Wanted” List Of Fugitive Corrupt Officials
State Dept. Accuses Putin Of Bolstering Forces In East Ukraine
Kiwi Minister For Women Slammed After Supporting Ponytail-Pulling PM

BLOGS & STUFF
EBL: Political Kissing Cousins
Doug Powers: When Obama “Success Stories” Intersect
Twitchy: Islamic Extremist In Paris Accidentally Shoots Himself On Way To Planned Church Massacre
Shark Tank: Who Will The Fizzling Tea Party Support In 2016?
Fausta: Alinsky Wears High Heels
American Power: Earth Day Overload
American Thinker: Are Jews Finally Finding A New Home In The GOP?
Conservatives4Palin: MSNBC Tax Delinquents Lecture Audience On Taxes
Don Surber: Scoreboard For Lenin’s Birthday
Jammie Wearing Fools: Liberal Darling Letterman Advises “Treat A Lady Like A Whore, And A Whore Like A Lady”
Joe For America: Tebow Is Getting Some Brotherly Love
Pamela Geller: Pentagon Map Hides ISIS Gains
Protein Wisdom: Let’s Celebrate Modernity And Fossil Fuels!
Shot In The Dark: Trulbert! The Final Installment (Version 3.0)
STUMP: Obamacare Tax Watch – Will Be Playing Out Until October (And Beyond)
The Gateway Pundit: Change – Obama Delivers Climate Change Speech To Empty Seats
The Jawa Report: Sandcrawler PSA – Can We Panic Now?
The Lonely Conservative: Congress Didn’t Cut Funding For IRS Customer Service, The IRS Did
This Ain’t Hell: SGT Daniel Knapp – Denied Re-Up Because Of Tattoo
Weasel Zippers: WV VA Hospital Switched Antipsychotic Meds With Older Drugs To Cut Costs
Megan McArdle: The Village Turns Against Free-Range Parents
Mark Steyn: The Science Is Settled!

Shop Amazon – Mother’s Day Gifts

Category: Live at Five

With The Master Of The Hounds:
The Hugo Nominees

Posted on | April 22, 2015 | 44 Comments

— by Wombat-socho

It’s been highly amusing reading Brad Torgersen’s blog lately, what with the recent public meltdown of Sasquan GoH David Gerrold, Arthur Chu “helping” NPR with a hamfisted report on the goings-on, and other hilarity. Looming in the background, of course, is the steady increase in supporting memberships resulting from #GamerGate taking notice of WorldCon, the Hugos, and (from their point of view) another arena in which to beat the Social Justice Wankers like a rented mule. But hey – if you want to delve into the history of SF fandom as it’s being made, check out Brad’s blog and (of course) Larry Correia‘s.

#GamerGate mascot Vivian James discovers the Hugo kerfluffle. (h/t @Daddy_Warpig on Twitter)

Anyway, I am somewhat late to the party in observing that the main reason the CHORFs are in a white-hot fury is that the nominees from the Sad Puppies (collated by Brad Torgerson) and Rabid Puppies (suggested by Vox Day) slates pretty much swept the Hugo nominations this year. Here’s the list of nominees; the ones I’m probably going to vote for are in bold, but you should read them all yourself before you vote.

BEST NOVEL

Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
The Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson (Tor Books)
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (Sarah Monette) (Tor Books)
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu (Tor)
Skin Game by Jim Butcher (Roc Books) (Not yet read; I have it on loan from the library)

BEST NOVELLA

Big Boys Don’t Cry by Tom Kratman (Castalia House)
“Flow” by Arlan Andrews, Sr. (Analog, Nov 2014)
One Bright Star to Guide Them by John C. Wright (Castalia House)*
“Pale Realms of Shade” by John C. Wright (The Book of Feasts & Seasons, Castalia House)
“The Plural of Helen of Troy” by John C. Wright (City Beyond Time: Tales of the Fall of Metachronopolis, Castalia House)

*Castalia House is offering Wright’s nominated fiction for free here.

BEST NOVELETTE

“Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Earth to Alluvium” by Gray Rinehart (Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show, May 2014)
“Championship B’tok” by Edward M. Lerner (Analog, Sept 2014)
“The Day the World Turned Upside Down” by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Lia Belt Translator (Lightspeed Magazine, April 2014)
“The Journeyman: In the Stone House” by Michael F. Flynn (Analog, June 2014) (available here in PDF format)
“The Triple Sun: A Golden Age Tale” by Rajnar Vajra (Analog, Jul/Aug 2014)

BEST SHORT STORY

“On A Spiritual Plain” by Lou Antonelli (Sci Phi Journal #2, Nov 2014)
“The Parliament of Beasts and Birds” by John C. Wright (The Book of Feasts & Seasons, Castalia House)
“A Single Samurai” by Steven Diamond (The Baen Big Book of Monsters, Baen)
“Totaled” by Kary English (Galaxy’s Edge Magazine, July 2014)
“Turncoat” by Steve Rzasa (Riding the Red Horse, Castalia House)

BEST RELATED WORK

“The Hot Equations: Thermodynamics and Military SF” by Ken Burnside (Riding the Red Horse, Castalia House)
Letters From Gardner by Lou Antonelli (The Merry Blacksmith Press)
Transhuman and Subhuman: Essays on Science Fiction and Awful Truth by John C. Wright (Castalia House)
“Why Science is Never Settled” by Tedd Roberts (Baen.com)
Wisdom From My Internet by Michael Z. Williamson (Patriarchy Press)

DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (LONG)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, concept and story by Ed Brubaker, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (Marvel Entertainment, Perception, Sony Pictures Imageworks)
Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth, directed by Doug Liman (Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment; Viz Productions)
Guardians of the Galaxy written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman, directed by James Gunn (Marvel Studios, Moving Picture Company)
Interstellar screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, directed by Christopher Nolan (Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Lynda Obst Productions, Syncopy)
The Lego Movie; written by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, story by Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, LEGO Systems A/S Vertigo Entertainment, Lin Pictures, Warner Bros. Animation (as Warner Animation Group))

DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (SHORT)

Doctor Who: “Listen” written by Steven Moffat, directed by Douglas Mackinnon (BBC Television)
The Flash: “Pilot” teleplay by Andrew Kreisberg & Geoff Johns, story by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg & Geoff Johns, directed by David Nutter (The CW) (Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television)
Game of Thrones: “The Mountain and the Viper” written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, directed by Alex Graves (HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360; Startling Television and Generator Productions)
Grimm: “Once We Were Gods”, written by Alan DiFiore, directed by Steven DePaul (NBC) (GK Productions, Hazy Mills Productions, Universal TV)
Orphan Black: “By Means Which Have Never Yet Been Tried” written by Graham Manson, directed by John Fawcett (Temple Street Productions; Space/BBC America)

The rest of the nominees are here; I deliberately left off all the fan, semiprozine, etc, nominees, but we can kick them around in the comments if you like. Marko Kloos declined his nomination for Lines of Departure in the Best Novel category apparently because he didn’t want to get Vox Day cooties on him. SMH.
Want to buy a membership and get in on the fun? It’s not too late. Remember that membership in Sasquan gets you not only a vote for this year’s Hugos, but the right to nominate for next year.

Game on, CHORFs.

Category: Books, Movies, Progressivism

LIVE AT FIVE: 04.22.15

Posted on | April 22, 2015 | 17 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho

TOP NEWS
Saudi Coalition Ends Yemen Air Strikes

Iranian convoy “one of the factors” in moving carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt closer to Yemen

US urges talks
Anti-Houthi militia say they’ll continue the fight
Navy warships deployed to Yemen could block Iranian weapons

After Protesting Land Bill, Rahul Gandhi Takes Up Net Neutrality
Congress VP coming on hard

Jurors See Defiant Bomber In Photo
Federal prosecutors call for death penalty

POLITICS
DEA Chief To Resign After Sex Party Scandal

Michelle Leonhart testifies before Congress

“Trailblazer for equality” under fire since IG report

DOJ Opening Civil Rights Probe Of Baltimore Police

Obama Frustrated By Fauxcahonta’s Hard Line On Trade

Ted Cruz: Soldiers Should Be Allowed Arms On Post

Senate Set To Vote Thursday On Lynch Confirmation

Deputy Blames Sheriff Joe For Disobeying Judge On Immigration Sweeps

House Panel To Hear Of Whistleblower Retaliation Within VA

THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Asian Crude Falls As Saudis End Yemen Airstrikes: WTI $56.09, Brent $61.66
Amgen Reports 51% Rise In Profit
Media Giants Balk At New Verizon TV Bundles
Yahoo Revenue Drops In Disappointing 1Q
IBM Shares Mostly Flat As Q1 Profits Beat Estimates
Kraft Mac & Cheese Goes Natural
Twitter Makes Tweaks To Limit Abuse And Abusers
White House Seeks Silicon Valley Help On Strong, Yet Breakable Encryption
Adobe Gives Lightroom A Power Boost In Latest Update
HP’s New Transformer Laptops Rocking Bang & Olufsen Audio
Google Change May Hurt Small Businesses

SPORTS
Backstrom’s OT Shot Brings Caps Even With Islanders

Capitals celebrate after Backstrom’s winning goal

Series now even 2-2 after 2-1 Washington win

Wall Leads Wizards To 2-0 Lead Over Raptors

Canucks Facing Hard Questions After Falling Behind 3-1 To Flames

Seven Homers, Three Grand Slams As Reds Win Slugfest Against Brewers 16-10

Jets Face Elimination In Game 4 Against Ducks

Astros Rally Past M’s For 6-3 Win, Best Start Since 2007

Yunel Escobar’s Sayonara Homer Gives Nats 2-1 Edge Over Cards In Extras

FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Charlize Theron: Mad Beautiful

“Mad Max: Fury Road” star takes it to the limit

The W interview: dogs, kids, and depressing movies

“Full House” Reboot: Will The Olsen Twins Appear?

Stanley Tucci Rounds Out “Beauty And The Beast” Cast

“Diva ” Dempsey All But Gone From “Gray’s Anatomy”

“Galaxy Quest” TV Series In The Works

Inside The Posh Boot Camp For Clueless Maids & Nannies

Andrew Garfield “In A Dark Place” Before Emma Stone Split

Letterman Cracks Sexist Joke, Audience Stunned

Jennifer Garner Talks Her Family’s Home Garden, Cooking For Her Kids

Sandra Lee Clams Up On Marriage During Wendy Williams Show

Bobbi Christina Breathing On Her Own?

FOREIGNERS
Yemen President Hadi: Country To Exit Crisis Soon
Drone Lands On Roof Of Japan PM Abe’s Office
Three Dead As Powerful Storm Lashes Australia’s East Coast
Hong Kong Unveils Beijing-approved “Reform” Plan
Eleven Held In South Africa In Crackdown On Anti-Foreigner Violence
Taliban Annouces Spring Offensive In Afghanistan
Seoul Leaning Toward Letting Steinem, Other Crazies Walk Across DMZ
Nepal Bus Crash Kills 17 Indian Tourists, Injures Dozens
Former Egyptian President Morsi Sentenced To 20 Years For Role In Protesters’ Deaths
Obama Again Avoids Calling 1915 Armenian Killings Genocide

BLOGS & STUFF
Curmudgeonly & Skeptical: 3 Things About This Gubmint
Louder With Crowder: Liberal Media LIED About U.Mich. “American Sniper” Controversy
EBL: Mr. Earth Day 2015
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Category: Live at Five

Mansplaining and Femsplaining

Posted on | April 21, 2015 | 52 Comments

An indirect mode of discourse is sometimes best when dealing with highly intelligent people. Don’t tell smart people what to think. Drop a few hints. Arouse their curiosity and leave them some work to do.

You don’t have to connect all the dots. Just show them the dots. Smart people can figure out the pattern.

While commenting on a Megan McArdle essay, I made a series of self-deprecating “mansplaining” jokes because (a) I really do feel bad about my know-it-all tendencies, (b) I hate when friends do that kind of semi-praise/semi-criticism riff on anything of mine, and (c) the feminist “mansplaining” meme has been burning a hole in my brain for months. If you haven’t read Rebecca Solnit’s Men Explain Things to Me, be warned that she is one of those deceptively persuasive writers whose skillful prose can make you almost believe she’s right. Proving her wrong would be a tremendous task, simply because Solnit is so clever in her sophistry.

Try this: Examine the motives feminists attribute to men for "mansplaining." Then ask yourself whether those motives also explain feminism.

— Robert Stacy McCain (@rsmccain) April 21, 2015

If men and women are equal, why do feminists insist it is always "misogyny" to question a woman's moral character or impugn her motives?

— Robert Stacy McCain (@rsmccain) April 21, 2015

Feminists habitually attribute men's behavior to selfish and malign motives. Yet if you do the same to feminists, that's "misogyny." Why?

— Robert Stacy McCain (@rsmccain) April 21, 2015

1. Those who speak truth do not fear contradiction. 2. Feminists seem terrified that people are allowed to disagree with them. 3. Why?

— Robert Stacy McCain (@rsmccain) April 21, 2015

Look: I’m a blogger and a professional journalist. Explaining things is what I get paid for. What feminists are doing — what the “mansplaining” meme is about — is an attempt to advance their own career interests by convincing women that feminists possess a monopoly on intelligence, knowledge, wisdom and virtue.

What Feminism's 'Mansplaining' Discourse Means: MEN KNOW NOTHING. ALL MEN ARE LIARS AND BULLIES. NEVER TRUST A MAN. ALWAYS TRUST FEMINISTS.

— Robert Stacy McCain (@rsmccain) April 21, 2015

Feminism's "mansplaining" discourse is a demand for blind faith in feminism, based on the premise of universal male ignorance and perfidy.

— Robert Stacy McCain (@rsmccain) April 21, 2015

The consequences of accepting this worldview should disturb us.

The self-serving motive — i.e., feminists inoculating themselves against hostile criticism by pre-emptively disqualifying men from the discussion — is obvious enough. For a feminist writer whose stock in trade is All Men Are Swine, it is crucially important to persuade her female readership never to trust men’s protestations against this calumny. If a woman ever begins to doubt that men deserve to be hated, her blind faith in feminism might suddenly unravel and this would undermine the market value of commodities produced by the Man-Hating Industry.

Beyond this, however, we must recognize how feminism’s insistence that all men are untrustworthy creates a climate of suspicion that undermines the possibility of cooperation between men and women.

Mutual trust and respect are necessary to effective teamwork, and feminist discourse is calculated to destroy women’s ability to trust or respect men. Feminists relentlessly derogate males, per se, while celebrating the virtue of females, per se. To any woman who accepts feminist ideology, every male-female conflict becomes self-explanatory: He is the wrongful oppressor, and she is his victim. Because feminists believe this dynamic of male oppression and female victimization is ubiquitous under the system of male supremacy, there can never be a reason for a woman to consider any man trustworthy. She must view men with suspicion, hostility and contempt.

Call feminist rhetoric what it is: Totalitarian hate propaganda.

Now think about where this might lead.

You’re smart. You can figure it out.