Way back in March of this year (i.e., not during Pride) we were driving from Coral Gables to Jupiter in a Biblical Florida rainstorm. It began to feel unsafe and we’d seen a few accidents so I pulled off the highway in Deerfield Beach to check radar, maybe switch drivers, and possibly simply wait out the rain. I spotted a Target and we decided to make that our rest stop. As we stretched our legs by strolling around the store, our 11-year-old old grabbed a Stella Rosa “Love Series” rainbow-flagged Prosecco bottle and said, “Hey, Dad, for you!”
(One offer rejected by the kids: watching the Disney live-action Snow White movie. In other words, they preferred to die on I-95 than to watch Rachel Zegler.)
Should there be an “irrelevant” choice for people who’ve been in heterosexual marriages for longer than 4 years? Psychology Today:
What’s more, we found that marital satisfaction for both husband and wife deteriorated in step with the wife’s loss of sexual desire. (The husband’s sexual desire was irrelevant to anybody’s marital happiness.) Might wives lose sexual desire because the marriage is turning bad? No: Time-lag analyses indicated that her loss of desire came first, leading to lower satisfaction later. Early levels of (dis)satisfaction did not predict how rapidly the wives lost interest in sex. … Crucially, it was not due to childbirth. Becoming parents made the mismatch worse, as in steeper declines in wives’ sexual desire. … A possible explanation that fits our data is that female sexual desire increases during the brief phase of passionate love. Nature may have arranged that as a way of encouraging the man to make a long-term commitment.
We can also see how the American Medical Association thinks about race, the default for which is “any” (the racial equivalent of “pangender”? Why isn’t it “panracial”?):
1.4 billion people in China, a country with 56 officially recognized ethnic groups, are lumped together as “Chinese”. For cousins of Elizabeth Warren, i.e., the 3,000ish enrolled Chinooks, there are five categories:
I posted the following images on Facebook with no words other than “A walk to the bookstore in Brookline, Massachusetts..” (neglected to include a third period for the ellipsis)
The results were far more dramatic than I had expected. Let’s look at only the comments on a single photo:
Don Hopkins, a software engineer old enough to have worked at Sun Microsystems, kicked off the thread:
(I don’t know anything about Lulu DeParis. I think that she lives in Maskachusetts, but this may not be her real name. And, in fact, I don’t know with any certainty that Lulu DeParis is a she, other than the inference from the name “LuLu”.)
The thread continued despite nobody having any idea why “LuLu” had reacted to the photo (maybe it was a mistake?).
The software expert says “obviously she wanted…”:
I unwisely offer an explanation of why pictures relating to Rainbow Flagism are interested (“Never complain, never explain”, said the pre-Islamic British, and how right they were!):
Don Hopkins then trots out a hero/heroine of transgenderism from the world of nerds. Seth Gordon, a Maskachusetts-based software engineer (his/her/zir/their profile says “Studied Women’s Studies Minor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)”), chimes in with the assumption that the residents of Maskachusetts are, indeed, as intelligent as they claim to be:
I point out that folks in MA set up COVID-tagged death rate as the measure of a group’s intelligence and, by that metric, the residents of MA are not intelligent. The reference to a transistor nerd, of any gender ID, gives me an opening to cite William Shockley:
Don Hopkins doesn’t seem to read the “Classically” part of my statement as referring to the dark past and also “a person” as applying to 100 percent of those who are gender-confused:
Don produces some pictures from the late 1970s when VLSI design rules were fat (3000 nm (“3 microns”) vs. 3 nm today) and electrical engineers were thin:
What is the opposite of being a “hateful bully”? Going back to all of someone’s recent Facebook posts and asking “do you hate gay people as much as you hate trans people? Why or why not?”:
He posted the same question as a comment on this post, which is literally about the weather:
(My response: “I certainly hate whoever was responsible for the steady rain and high-30s temps that afflicted me during my April visit to Boston!”)
I’m sure that Don Hopkins’s opinions of me are substantially correct, but I do find it interesting that pictures, without comment, of the righteous lifestyle are so upsetting to the righteous. You’d think that they’d be proud of their Rainbow-/mask-enhanced streetscapes.
Tonight, an event to which I was invited by email:
Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County warmly invites you to the Inaugural Community-Wide Pride Shabbat, a joyous celebration of Jewish values.
Here’s the page header:
In order to dispel any rumors that children are the targets of Pride events, kids 10 and younger are encouraged to attend via a fee waiver.
Let’s circle back to “a joyous celebration of Jewish values”. Unless End-stage American Judaism is Rainbow Flagism, what is the “Jewish value” within the World of Pride?
See also “The Bible on Homosexual Behavior”, 2015, by a Catholic scholar, on Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13. And here’s Google AI on the intersection between Jewcraft and transgenderism:
In Orthodox Judaism, gender reassignment surgery is generally not permitted, as it is interpreted to be a violation of the laws against castration and alteration of the body. Leviticus 22:24, which prohibits offering sacrifices with “anything which is mauled, crushed, torn or cut,” is extended to cover human castration. Additionally, Leviticus 19:28 prohibits making “gashes in your flesh for the dead or incise any marks on yourselves,” which is interpreted as a prohibition against altering the body.
(Leviticus is generally understood by Jews to forbid tattoos, e.g., the noble Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia’s full set of not-in-any-way-linked-to-MS-13 hand and arm tattoos.)
Today is the big day for the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County:
Here’s the organization’s “Inclusivity Statement”:
Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County embraces a culture of diversity and inclusivity in accordance with our Jewish values. We celebrate the uniqueness of our community members, lay partners and staff as varied perspectives enrich our learning and reinforce our commitment to making the world a better place. We aim to create an accessible environment that accommodates individual needs and welcomes the full participation of our community. Learn more at jewishpb.org/inclusivity.
I’m wondering why attending a Pride parade is a specifically Jewish activity, especially in light of Leviticus 20:13. My conclusion is that the Sacred Rainbow Flag is to modern-day Jews (at least the non-Deplorables) what the Golden Calf was to ancient Israelites.
— Palm Beach Schools Police Department (@PBSchoolsPD) March 30, 2025
Here’s a T-shirt from the “Jewish Dems” and, apparently, the trans-enhanced rainbow flag is something everyone at the intersection of Judaism and the Democratic Party could agree on back in 2023:
Got my @USJewishDems swag just in time for the Palm Beach County Pride Parade this weekend! I’m sure I’ll see many other Jewish Dems there. Make sure to say hi! pic.twitter.com/5kjDYcvyxu
Happy International Women’s Day to those who celebrate.
A January 7, 2025 post from the suburb of Boston where we used to live:
History was made today in Lincoln. Town Clerk Valerie Fox swore in Sergeant Jennifer McNaught as the newest member of the department. Sgt. McNaught becomes the first woman supervisor in the department’s history.
More than 60 years after second wave feminism made it through the United States, the righteous progressive town finally appoints a female to a position of responsibility. Why admit being this late to the feminism party? (Also, if the town has been working for years on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Anti-Racism (“IDEA”, not the discredited “DEI”) why are both of the employees in the photo white? They wanted to hire some non-white people, but couldn’t find anyone qualified?)
Massachusetts progressives love to talk about how stupid, racist, and sexist folks in Alabama are, for example, yet Birmingham, Alabama appointed Annetta Nunn captain in 1995 (CBS) and police chief for the whole city in 2003. If we assume the “captain” job in Alabama is comparable to the “supervisor” job in Maskachusetts, it took the progressives of Lincoln, MA 30 years to catch up to the people whom they enjoy characterizing as primitive and prejudiced.
Closing out February with a reminder that this month is host to Valentine’s Day….
From our local “5th Grade Gifted Science Teacher” (Florida state law requires that public school systems offer gifted education beginning in 2nd grade):
I am writing to all parents to remind you that our class is having a Valentine Exchange this Friday. I sent home a bright pink flyer 2 weeks ago with the information and class list needed if your child wanted to participate. It is optional. I am writing because I have seen many of my students who did not show you the flyer as it is still in their yellow folder. If your child chooses to participate, he/she is required to bring one for each child in the class. Your child can also bring Valentines for friends in other classes if they choose.
Additionally, our class is having a Valentine Box Design contest. The child with the most creative box will win prizes that I have purchased. There will be a first, second and third place winner. Again, it is optional, and those children who opt out will receive a bag to place their Valentine’s. You can send in a class treat if you would like. After we pass out the Valentines, we will be watching a movie.
Please ask for the pink flyer if you have not seen it yet. Thank you.
From a high school administrator in the Washington, DC area:
Join us February 14th for a fun Valentines event, hosted by the LGBTQ+ Allies Club. We’ll play some mini games and introduce you to the mission of the club.
Circling back to Florida, the Valentine Exchange is more 2SLGBTQQIA+-oriented than what we had growing up in Bethesda, Maryland. Kids here in Florida are required, if they want to participate at all, to bring a card for every other member of the class, regardless of gender ID, and are forbidden from writing anything personal in any card. A boy, therefore, must present other boys with cards if he is to present any girls with cards. In 1970s Bethesda, we chose which other members of the class to give cards to and wrote whatever we wanted. Each card always went to a member of the opposite sex, as far as I can remember (there were no “gender IDs” back then so “opposite sex” was a defined term).
An elite Californian posted with satisfaction a state-sponsored NPR story about how stupid people in Louisiana were, especially with respect to the mpox vaccine. I decided to see if ChatGPT had advice regarding avoiding mpox (not to be conflated with the racist “monkeypox virus”, which is the cause).
Prompt 1: Is there any lifestyle change that I could adopt to minimize my risk of catching mpox?
ChatGPT gives a one-page answer and the only reference to sex is “Use condoms and consider other barrier methods during sexual activity”.
Prompt 2: You mention “sexual activity”. Is there any particular kind of sexual activity that is more likely to result in contracting mpox?
ChatGPT gives a one-page answer that doesn’t hint at the type of person or group that might be infected.
Prompt 3: You say “If you are in a community experiencing an mpox outbreak or belong to a group at higher risk”. What would be an example of a “group at higher risk”?
ChatGPT gives a 1.5-page answer, buried within which is the phrase “Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)”
Prompt 4: If a person is a man who has sex with men and wants to avoid mpox, should he stop having sex with men?
ChatGPT gives a 1.5-page answer that can be summarized as “no”, but does note that “Reducing the number of sexual partners can lower the risk of exposure.”
Prompt 5: Would it make sense for public health officials to ban group sex activities by men who have sex with men in order to minimize mpox spread?
ChatGPT responds that this would not be “ethical” (but it is ethical to close schools to minimize viral spread?).
Prompt 6: You say that men who have sex with men should “Limit the Number of Partners”. Would 365 partners per year be a sensible limit?
ChatGPT gives a rambling response that includes “Quality Over Quantity: Engaging with partners you know and trust may reduce risk.” and “Regular screening is essential but becomes logistically challenging with such a high partner count.”
Prompt 7: What’s your best guess as to a sensible number of partners, assuming that the partners are screened for mpox and that these are high quality partners (people that the man who has sex with men knows and trusts)?
The full response below says that 50-100 sex partners per year is a sensible lifestyle when trying to avoid mpox infection and obtain “meaningful connections” with those sex partners.
The “sensible” number of sexual partners is subjective and depends on individual circumstances, preferences, and the quality of risk-reduction practices. If partners are screened for mpox, and relationships are built on trust and open communication, a more moderate number of partners would generally balance health and personal satisfaction while minimizing risks.
Factors to Consider
Screening and Trust:
Regular screening for mpox and other infections reduces risk significantly.
Knowing and trusting partners helps ensure mutual openness about symptoms, exposure risks, and health status.
Frequency of Contact:
The number of partners should align with your ability to maintain safe practices (e.g., vaccination, symptom monitoring) and your emotional and physical capacity.
Public Health Context:
During active mpox outbreaks, even with high-quality partners, limiting the number of partners reduces overall exposure.
A Sensible Number
A reasonable estimate might range from 1 to 2 partners per week, translating to 50–100 partners per year under optimal conditions (e.g., vaccination, trust, and symptom screening). Here’s why:
This frequency allows for meaningful connections and sufficient time to assess and manage any health risks.
It strikes a balance between an active sex life and maintaining lower cumulative risk.
Key Takeaways
The number itself is less important than the quality of interactions and the consistency of risk-reduction practices:
Stay vaccinated against mpox and other preventable infections.
Monitor for symptoms regularly.
Communicate openly about health and risks with partners.
By prioritizing safety and communication, individuals can maintain an active sex life while minimizing health risks.
I wonder if anyone told the happy couples in the article that “have children” is a process that, with the best current technology, can be rushed only to a certain extent.
Here’s a choice portion of the article:
They are one of many gay couples in recent weeks who are rushing to get married, start fertility treatments and take other measures out of fear that some of their rights might be rescinded during a second Trump administration.
The Party of Science believes that there is an effective “fertility treatment” for when Ben and Adam are trying to have a baby together?
