I am so sick of all the BS being churned out by both the far Left and the far Right. Both lie to their followers, and at the same time they’re lying about each other as well. Where does one go to find the truth of any issue? With all the lies and hyperbole spread on the Internet and in the media, how do we know the truth when / if we actually see it?
Case in point: The 2024 Olympics controversy surrounding boxer Imane Khelif. A lot of people (me included) were led to believe that Khelif is a trans woman – a biological male – competing against women in a combat sport. And by the way I strenuously object to this and will continue to do so. But Khelif is a biological female. She has competed in past events and has in fact lost to other female boxers. But far-right conservatives seized upon the false rumor of her being a transgender woman.
IOC President Thomas Bach earlier Saturday defended Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan. Khelif and Lin were disqualified in the middle of last year’s world championships by the IBA, the former governing body of Olympic boxing, after what it claimed were failed eligibility tests.
Both had competed in IBA events for several years without problems, and the Russian-dominated body — which has faced years of clashes with the IOC — has refused to provide any information about the tests, underscoring its lack of transparency in nearly every aspect of its dealings, particularly in recent years.
“Let’s be very clear here: We are talking about women’s boxing,” Bach said Saturday. “We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who have been raised a woman, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman.”
The IBA, which is led by an acquaintance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, disqualified Khelif last year and called information about the tests confidential.
– – AP News
So the fact is, some women have more testosterone than others. That happens naturally, and it explains Khelif’s slightly masculine appearance. She’s a ferocious fighter and as of this writing has already won a Bronze with the competition still ongoing. But it’s likely that hard-right conservatives will continue to wallow in denial of the facts. It’s what they do when the facts disagree with their biases. Others will never know differently because they only read / watch ultra-conservative “news” sources.
Artist’s conception of the biblical Earth and Firmament
This isn’t the only pebble in my shoe at the moment. I’m also staring in amazement at the burgeoning growth of the flat-Earth movement. They’re no longer a tiny band of goofy conspiracy theorists. They have become a very large band of goofy conspiracy theorists. And they’re growing. They’ve gained a marginal bit of political clout in some areas (because politicians don’t care where the votes come from). They’re all over youtube and social media. And many (perhaps most?) also subscribe to the idea that Earth is in essence a giant snow globe. They believe in the biblical description of a great crystal dome (“firmament”) surrounding a pancake-shaped Earth. And they believe that outside of this dome is a universe comprised of water.
They believe the sun, moon and stars are inside the dome and much smaller than we’re been told by “them.” They believe that no spacecraft has ever ventured into outer space and the Apollo moon landings are a hoax. And, the vast majority of these people are also practicing Christians. Why? Because “they” are trying to discredit the Bible and lead us all away from God. Christians tend to see the progression of science as a massive conspiracy against their god. Never mind the fact that science has improved their lives in ways their false god never did or could have.
**“They” of course refers to the millions of scientists, pilots, astronauts, mathematicians and others through the centuries who have proved that the Earth is in fact a sphere. This goes back over a thousand years. But the “flerfers“ of course believe that they are all part of the conspiracy.
I could go on and on, but the day is getting old and it occurs to me that I have not eaten today. The leftover butter beans and cornbread in the fridge are calling to me. See y’all next time. 
Related Reading:
Think 4 Yourself 