NEOM - Futuristic Saudi City

 

NEOM, launched with a trillion-dollar budget, is apparently Saudi Arabia's effort to create an economic alternative to oil.

News

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/25/neom-saudi-arabia-pushes-ahead-with-its-sci-fi-city-vision.html

https://gizmodo.com/saudi-arabia-the-line-megacity-1849693431

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/23/saudi-mega-city-meant-to-blow-our-forget-crimes-of-its-rulers

Video

Good overview and context, critical perspective:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b7uMJkvS0o

https://www.youtube.com/c/NEOMChannel

Oxagon - Industrial complex

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_p3kl6FHDY

The Line

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kz5vEqdaSc

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neom

Business

People on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/discoverneom/people/

Example employee - Industrial engineer studied at Petroleum and Minerals University

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hadikhamees/

Neom.com

https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/v2030/v2030-projects/neom/

Media

Neom Media Village

https://www.neom.com/en-us/newsroom/neom-media-village

"Built to accommodate the immediate and growing demand from regional and international producers for state-of-the-art TV and film facilities, the first three sound stages across the two locations are already operational. A further seven, including a high-tech volumetric production stage, are set to open by Q1 2023"

Bajdah Desert Studios

https://www.google.com/search?q=bajdah+desert+studios&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS972US972&oq=Bajdah+Desert+Studios&aqs=chrome.0.35i39j0i390l5.272j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

cancer-stopping pill

 

https://studyfinds.org/cancer-stopping-pill/

AOH1996

Gender X job accommodations

 https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/gender-dysphoria-and-the-ada-what-it-7737751/

Gender Dysphoria and the ADA: What it Means for Employers

 LinkedIn

 Facebook

 Twitter

 Send

 Embed

On August 16, 2022, a Fourth Circuit panel for the United States Court of Appeals ruled in Williams v. Kincaid that gender dysphoria qualifies as one of the disabilities listed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While this recent decision has only just influenced a handful of states under the Fourth Circuit, the larger impact is clear: Transgenderism could now be considered an ADA disability in lawsuits for employer disability discrimination across the nation. 

What is Gender Dysphoria?

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), gender dysphoria refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity.  In 2012, the American Psychiatric Association removed the term “Gender Identity Disorder” (GID) in the wake of new research in favor of “gender dysphoria” with the aim of removing the stigma many transgender people face with labeling their experiences as a “disorder.” While this change was an important step for many among the community, the APA has noted that many transgender advocates have viewed the removal of “disorder” as a barrier to accessing transgender-related medical care.

The ADA & Recent Law

The ADA requires a physical or mental impairment to substantially limit a major life activity for a condition to be considered a disability. 42. U.S.C. § 12102(1)(A)  Further, the ADA prohibits public entities from discriminating against, or excluding from participation in the benefits of services, programs, and activities, any qualified individual with a disability. 42 U.S.C. § 12132. Today, federal courts have increasingly taken the stance that gender dysphoria meets the criteria laid out by the ADA for a disability and is therefore afforded protection under anti-discrimination laws.

The first case to declare that gender dysphoria could be considered a disability under the ADA was in the 2017 federal case of Blatt v. Cabela Retail Inc. Early federal cases on the issue of gender dysphoria hinged on the ADA’s physical impairment language in 42 U.S.C. § 12102 which specifically excludes gender identity disorders not resulting from physical impairments. However, as case law has developed, gender dysphoria clearly does not fall under the category of “gender identity disorder” excluded for purposes of disability. While the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, 140 S.Ct. 1731 (2020) made strides when the Court ruled that firing an individual for being transgender in the work place was discriminatory, and thus prohibited by law, the decision was based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII forbids sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination and harassment in employment while the ADA provides protection from discrimination in the work place based on physical or mental disability. The expansion of the finding under the ADA in conjunction with protections already present in Title VII provides greater protection under the law for transgender persons in the realm of employment.

Williams v. Kincaid challenged the practice at a Virginia State correctional institute of placing Kesha Williams, a transgender woman, in the men’s general prison population. The court found that certain care and accommodations related to William’s gender dysphoria were denied as a result of her placement with the male population. The reasoning behind the decision in Williams was that the distinction between the now-rejected “gender identity disorder” by the APA and “gender dysphoria” differed dramatically as gender dysphoria may result in physical impairments like intense anxiety or depression. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has defined “physical impairments” as “any physiological disorder or condition…affecting one or more body systems, such as neurological…and endocrine.” 28 C.F.R. § 35.108(b)(1)(i). This interpretation led to the conclusion in Williams that gender dysphoria is a condition warranting disability and therefore protection against discrimination under the ADA.

How Are Employers Tied Into This?

The court in Williams dealt with an issue arising out of the realm of local and state government under the Title II of the ADA.  Although Title II specifically prohibits discrimination of persons with disabilities by public entities, employers should be advised that Title I applies the same protections surrounding disability to employees in private companies and organizations. Title I forbids any discrimination of an individual with a disability regarding job application procedures, hiring, advancement, firing, employee compensation, job training, or other conditions by covered entities. 42 U.S.C. § 12112(a). The term “covered entities” is broadly defined as any employer, employment agency, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee. It is equally relevant that the EEOC has specifically declared that job discrimination against people with disabilities is illegal if practiced by private employers, not just state and local governments (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). Titles I, II, and III of the ADA are all codified in Title 42, chapter 126, of the United States Code and can be found at www.ada.gov. In short, employers will be expected to follow the law as it develops and provide accommodations based on the qualifying disability of gender dysphoria under the ADA.

What Employers Need to Know

As this area of law develops, employers should be aware of what constitutes as “reasonable accommodations” for transgender individuals. Employers will need to stay up-to-date on new requirements for disability interpreted by courts under the ADA to ensure legal guidelines and employment practices are followed. The EEOC lays out the following as reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants with disability:

• Providing or modifying equipment or devices
• Job restructuring
• Part-time or modified work schedules
• Reassignment to a vacant position
• Adjusting or modifying examinations training materials, or policies
• Making the workplace readily accessible to and usable by people with disabilities.

More specifically, the National Center for Transgender Equality lists ensuring restrooms or other facilities consistent with an individual’s gender identity as an appropriate accommodation. Further, reasonable accommodations for restroom access may not limit an individual with gender dysphoria to using a specific restroom or a restroom located at unreasonable distances from the individual’s office or work area. Additional anticipated accommodations may take the form of a modified work schedule or allowing an employee a leave of absence for medical procedures involving gender reassignment or therapy.

Finally, employers should expect to take note of their office and work place culture given these recent changes in the law as to not violate Title VII either. The EEOC states that the intentional and repeated misuse of pronouns to refer to a transgender employee could contribute to an unlawful hostile work environment under Title VII. While the law does not prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents, harassment becomes unlawful when it is so frequent that it creates a hostile work environment or results in adverse employment decisions like firing or demoting. Private businesses may want to consider updating their human resource policies if they find them to be outdated as a hostile work environment and lack of accommodations for an employee could find an employer facing both a Title VII and ADA action. 

Some Takeaways

While the decision in Williams is new at the time of the creation of this article, it follows in the wake of several landmark decisions by federal courts on gender dysphoria and its status as a disability under the ADA. As legal precedent has become solidified, more federal and state courts are sure to follow. Under the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless the employer can show that the accommodation would be an undue hardship requiring significant difficulty or expense. Employers and hiring agencies should expect to contemplate additional workplace accommodations for transgender employees to satisfy new law on anti-discriminatory practices in the work place.  

References

1. https://psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria (APA)
2. https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/your-employment-rights-individual-disability#:~:text=Under%20the%20ADA%20%2C%20you%20have,even%20if%20you%20don’t.
3. https://transequality.org/know-your-rights/employment-general?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxPWEvorR-QIV0dSzCh2A6Qa6EAAYBCAAEgKi2PD_BwE
4. https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-sogi-discrimination
5. https://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.pdf

Forced D&I in Disney Plus' 'Hocus Pocus 2'

 

I was invited over by a friend and his wife with no notion or expectations about this movie, bearing in mind we are approaching Halloween, and this was apparently her favorite childhood film. So, this is geared towards whom? The 8-year-olds of today? Or the 38-year-olds of today who saw the '93 original thirty years ago? Both.

I understand that it's a kid's fantasy movie, and the trend is to make everyone feel included. It's just funny to watch the 1993 film back to back with 2023 sequel. Contrast Hocus Pocus 2's opening hip-hop beat with the original film's typical, evocatively magical string section, and the blatant diversity and inclusion shellacking is stark enough that I couldn't help but giggle and call it out, despite everyone in the room being liberal and having just moved to Atlanta from Minneapolis.

I had no idea Blacks and Latin X (AP Style; happy?) are less prone to wish upon a star without warming things up with a good trap beat or a little reggaetón. If they ever hear a Spielberg-style soundtrack and the usual enchanted British accent, they just might feel oppressed by the Imperialists. 

Although, the Blue Fairy in the new Pinnochio is Black AND has a British accent. Because we know England is where wizards come from, and King Arthur was obviously Black, right? Not just the Black knight. They all were, even Merlin. Come on, "Monty Python" is an innuendo. And the Holy Grail was filled with Colt 45, hence the Quest. Can you imagine that dialogue rewritten in ebonics? Move over Hamilton, watch Ye remake Life of Brian with a vengeance. 

Then, we begin the story in a classroom with a Black and Latin X girl casting a spell over a white male classmate. Ah, the new witches are 'diverse'. Check. Despite the rivalry and tension between the cultures, these two are getting along swimmingly. You'll not prevent us from sacrificing children to our hearts' content so we can remain forever young, you blue-eyed, man-child bastard! At 76, Bette Midler is still moving and singing quite well. She must be a gobbl'n' down some chill'n. Maybe the witches should open their own abortion clinic and keep it on the down-low.

Speaking of people who are no stranger to drag shows and bath houses, I did notice Hocus Pocus 2 features 'Planet Claire' by the B-52s, a cool surf-punk song from the early 80s. We then barely notice the school's office assistant is a tranny. Absolutely nothing to do with the story, and we never see or hear from she/her/hers again. Kind of like when Howard Stern would have lesbians on his show and announce "Look! It's two lesbians and they're kissing!" It's just representation for the sake of it. Who gives a shit about the tranny's story or whether SHE has any powers other than transforming from a man into a man who dresses like woman. It's product placement, just like the scene where they featured 'Walgreen's' logo for what felt like an eternity. 

I only saw the first 15 minutes of the Hocus 2, but apparently there's another scene where a witch flies by people's windows on a broomstick and sees a bi-racial same-sex couple watching TV. Okay, okay. Don't they need an apartment complex full of every marginalized group to truly represent everyone, or just racial and sexual minorities? Little people and Stephen Hawking like to have popcorn and fuck on the couch, too, you know? Or maybe someone jerking off and talking back to the TV to help with the stigma of mental health. 

I suspect if the Klan ever rose up in Salem, Mass. it wouldn't take long to complete their mission because everyone in town knows the Black tour guide at the Salem gift shop should be back from lunch around one o'clock. Their banner would read, "Get Cedric". 

As for any Hispanics, they could only be found touring in Salem after being sent packing by the Hypocrite Honkies of Martha's Vinyard.

To confirm, the latest demographics show Blacks make up less than 7% of Salem, and Hispanics aren't even mentioned. Talk about 'othering'. 

https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/salem-ma-population

• White: 79.21%
• Black or African American: 6.72%
• Other race: 5.73%
• Two or more races: 5.40%
• Asian: 2.61%
• Native American: 0.33%
• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.00%

It's equally ironic and ha-ha peculiar to recall the lyrics of Rush's 'Witch Hunt' from 1980, which returns to us today with a twist:

"Those who know what's best for us...must rise and save us from ourselves."

You know, metal is kind of a fantasy genre, why doesn't Metallica throw a little schnizzle in their hizzy? Lars needs to pump up his bass pedal, and...oh, never mind, they have Roberto Agustín Miguel Santiago Samuel Trujillo Veracruz on bass. Check, check, check, check, Samuel? What's not to like? and check!

Anyway, thanks to Disney Plus for reminding us we are all one, big, happy Creature Cantina!

Sony Releases Its First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

 

Sony Releases Its First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids54

Posted by BeauHD on Friday October 14, 2022 @06:00AM from the no-prescription-required dept.

Sony has announced the availability of its first OTC hearing aids, the $1,000 CRE-C10 and $1,300 CRE-E10, built in partnership with WS Audiology. Engadget reports:The devices are built for daily use for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. They're controlled via Sony's "Hearing Control" app that guides users through setup and allows them to personalize settings like volume control. It also allows a "self-fit" that adjusts to appropriate pre-defined hearing profiles "based on thousands of actual, real-life audiogram results," Sony said. The CRE-C10 model (above) offers a battery life of up to 70 hours of continuous use. Sony says they're one of the smallest OTC hearing aids on the market, offering a discreet design that's "virtually invisible when worn" and "exceptional sound quality." It goes on sale this month for $1,000 at Amazon, Best Buy, and select hearing-care professionals.

Meanwhile, the CRE-E10 has a more earbud-like design, powered by a rechargeable battery with up to 26 hours of life between charges. It's Bluetooth compatible as well, so users can connect to devices and listen to streaming audio or music, though only on iOS, Sony says. Those will go on sale for $1,300 sometime this winter at Sony's website.In August, the FDA decided to allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter and without a prescription to adults.

Telepresence: Google project starline holographic video

 

Seems similar to volumetric video.

https://www.wired.com/story/google-project-starline/

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Google%E2%80%99s+Project+Starline

Quantum network

 

https://www.fastcompany.com/90793603/a-new-quantum-network-in-brooklyn-opens-the-door-to-an-untappable-internet