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Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.

"What? You want me to lie?"

Some of my liberal friends are among the most conservative people I know.

You can't say this in their presence. You can't believe that. And as for free speech on university campuses, sure, as long it's speech they freely believe in.

"Saturday Night Live" decided to offer a little fair balance, as it skewered a scientific community that can sometimes lean so far to the left that it's lying down on its left ear.

Here we have Scarlett Johansson and two pseudo-scientific colleagues making a presentation to venture capitalists.

The revolutionary technology on display here is a machine that translates a dog's thoughts. Johansson's character has brought her own ugly-cutie little dog, Max, to show how it works.

When Johansson asks Max what he likes, the canine replies through the machine: "I like park and leash. And I like Trump. He's my man."

Oh, no. You can't say that in this setting. The VCs are stunned. Johansson insists it's a glitch.

"There's no glitch," says Max. "Donald Trump is our president. He carried the Electoral College fair and square."

What are you to do when your new invention has unintended consequences? As the scientists undergo existential meltdown, Max explains about President Trump: "I know he has issues, but one big change is better than business as usual."

Johansson tries to reason with Max. "Don't you want me to have a choice over my own body?" she says.

"You didn't give me a choice when you cut off my balls," replies Max, with startling logic.

The SNL skit ends with a plea to understand each other's point of view. Oh, what chance is there of that happening?

In the fact-free zone we now live in, science is being derided as blithely as the president's propensity to golf.

There are too many trigger words that put us off even listening to one another. If ever there was a time for the aliens from the planet Zorblatt 9 to arrive, it's now.

It's Complicated: This is dating in the age of apps. Having fun yet? These stories get to the heart of the matter.

Technically Literate: Original works of short fiction with unique perspectives on tech, exclusively on CNET.

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Scarlett Johansson's Trump-loving dog skewers liberals - CNET

SEOUL The liberal politician expected to succeed disgraced Park Geun-hye as South Korea's next president could significantly soften Seouls stance toward North Korea and possibly delay deployment of a U.S. missile-defense system that has enraged China.

A Constitutional Court on Friday dismissed Park from office after upholding her impeachment over a corruption scandal involving "chaebol", the family-run conglomerates that dominate Asia's fourth-biggest economy, and which could also face reform under a liberal leader.

A presidential election will be held by May 9 and opinion polls suggest South Koreans will opt for change by electing a liberal into the presidential Blue House, ending nine years of conservative rule.

The front-runner is Moon Jae-in, a human rights lawyer who was a top aide to former President Roh Moo-hyun, an advocate of a "sunshine policy" of engagement with North Korea.

Moon has criticized the two former conservative presidents Park and her predecessor, Lee Myung-bak - for derailing the progress made inter-Korean relations during the previous liberal administrations.

He calls for a "two-step" approach on North Korea, with talks leading first to "economic unification" and ultimately "political and military unification".

Moon on Sunday stressed the need to "embrace and be united with" the North Korean people, while adding that he could never accept its "dictatorial regime", or its trampling of rights.

He denounced the North's "cruel and ruthless behavior" in the wake of the murder in Malaysia last month of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

But he told a news conference there was no choice but to recognize Kim Jong Un as leader.

"We cant deny that the ruler of the North Korean people is Kim Jong Un. We have no choice but to recognize Kim Jong Un as a counterpart, whether we put pressure and impose sanctions on North Korea or hold dialogue," Moon said.

A conciliatory line might face opposition from main ally the United States where President Donald Trump's aides are pressing to complete a strategy review on how to counter North Korea's missile and nuclear threats.

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests last year, as well as numerous missile launches, the latest on March 6 when it fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan.

Speaking to reporters recently, Moon invoked his old boss, Roh, and Roh's predecessor, Nobel peace prize winner Kim Dae-jung, the architect of the "sunshine policy", as inspirations behind his bid for the presidency.

The two former liberal presidents both held summits with the North's then-leader, Kim Jong Il - the only such meetings ever -promising reconciliation and initiating joint projects including the Kaesong Industrial Complex and tours to Mount Kumgang in the North.

Both were suspended under conservative administrations.

DELAY IN DEPLOYMENT?

Moon said South Korea should resume operations at Kaesong - where South Korean companies operate factories with North Korean workers on the North Korean side of the border - regardless of North's nuclear ambitions.

Some conservatives have denounced Moon as "pro-North".

He would also face conservative ire if he were to delay deployment of a U.S. missile-defense system.

Alarmed by North Korean weapons tests, South Korea and the United States have agreed to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in South Korea, angering China which sees its sophisticated radar as a threat to its own security.

The first elements of the system arrived in South Korea last week.

Moon says a final decision on deployment should be made by the next government, and parliament should approve it.

But that could cost him in the polls if defense become a big election issue, said Myongjin University politics professor Kim Hyong-joon.

"He's perceived as lacking a sense of national security," Kim said.

On business, Moon has called for reform of the chaebol, addressing Koreans' concerns over their influence, and their involvement in the scandal that brought down Park.

Moon has said chaebols stifle smaller companies and are detrimental to the economy. But he is unlikely to introduce radical reform, or ramp up corporate taxes, let alone dismantle them, as some critics urge.

"I just want transparent and democratic management," he said recently.

(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Additional reporting by James Pearson and Cynthia Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel & Simon Cameron-Moore)

GENEVA North Korea boycotted a U.N. review of its human rights record on Monday, shunning calls to hold to account the Pyongyang leadership for crimes against humanity documented by the world body.

MOSUL Iraqi forces battling Islamic State faced tough resistance from snipers and mortar rounds on Monday as they tried to advance on Mosul's Old City and a bridge across the Tigris river in their campaign to retake the western part of the city.

BEIRUT The Syrian army and its allies gained control of an arterial road in a small rebel pocket in northeast Damascus early on Monday, bringing them close to splitting the enclave in two, a Britain-based war monitor reported.

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South Korea liberals likely to win power, may bring softer North Korea stance - Reuters

It was about time for the government to clear out invalidated provisions from the Criminal Code and mere happenstance that the effort, which includes deleting the defunct section outlawing abortion that was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1988, was launched while the Conservatives are divided, and in the heat of a leadership race.

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould insisted it wasnt about reopening the abortion debate, but about cleaning up a whole bunch of defunct sections such as the one that made it a crime to spread false news, so apparently it was coincidence that it was announced on International Womens Day.

One gets the feeling there might be more coincidences coming the kind that make Conservatives, and some of their leadership candidates, squirm.

The Liberals know that social-conservative hot buttons such as abortion have long divided Conservatives. Brad Trost, one of two Tory leadership candidates with an anti-abortion plank, said hed vote against Ms. Wilson-Rayboulds bill because supporting it would amount to providing symbolic support for abortion.

Now thats a question for some other candidates, such as Andrew Scheer, the former Speaker of the House of Commons who has positioned himself as a compromise choice for the leadership. Mr. Scheer is a pro-lifer who is trying to steer clear of the abortion issue by promising he wouldnt reopen the debate. But his many social-conservative supporters might not appreciate the symbolism if he votes in the Commons for Ms. Wilson-Rayboulds bill.

For the Liberals, a little of this kind of thing can go a long way. The putative Conservative front-runners, Quebec MP Maxime Bernier and reality TV star Kevin OLeary, are both pro-choice, but Mr. Bernier, at least, doesnt want to scare off social-conservative votes.

Both have ample negatives the Liberals will use against them if they win Mr. Bernier is a hard-core fiscal conservative who would slash government and Mr. OLeary is an abrasive character who doesnt speak French. But if neither has enough support, Conservative Party members might turn to a compromise figure such as Mr. Scheer or Ontario MP Erin OToole, so the Liberals would like to see those lesser-known figures squeezed into a tough spot now.

Its hardly surprising the Liberals cant resist the temptation to trip up Conservatives, since the Tories recently managed to troll themselves over a perfunctory motion to condemn Islamophobia. Scared by a campaign whipped up by right-wing activist Ezra Levant, many Tories ran in circles claiming they opposed the motion because the word Islamophobia was ill-defined or misunderstood.

No wonder Liberals decided it was the right time to take old, defunct abortion laws off the books, and see how Tories respond. But the problem with worthy initiatives with ulterior motives is that it helps to grind down the Liberals earnest promises of a new kind of politics.

Wedging the opposition in the midst of a leadership race isnt a new tactic. It works best when it employs some kind of serious initiative something a government might do anyway, but which splits opponents apart at the seams.

In 2006, new PM Stephen Harper surprised the opposition with a snap debate and vote on keeping troops in Afghanistan for two more years, dividing Liberal MPs embroiled in a leadership race. The motion split hawks and doves, divided contenders Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae, and generally made the Liberals sputter.

But who could attack Mr. Harpers Conservatives on the substance? Who is against voting on the serious matter of soldiers being put in harms way? At the time, The Globe and Mails John Ibbitson called it an unparalleled mixture of principled policy and political sleaze. In politics, thats like having your cake and eating it, too.

Now, its the Liberals turn. Theyre doing it with proposals most of their supporters will heartily applaud. Last Wednesday, on International Womens Day, they pledged $650-million for reproductive health around the world, including abortion services and advocacy. That won kudos from some aid groups, but it made Conservatives uneasy: It was Mr. Harper who had cut abortion services from foreign-aid budgets as a sop to social conservatives in his caucus.

Not surprisingly, people want to know where Conservative MPs stand on it now, so in the halls of Parliament, reporters held out microphones to ask Conservative MPs their opinion of the Liberal initiative. And Liberal researchers just happened to be hanging around with recorders, too, to log their comments.

Follow Campbell Clark on Twitter: @camrclark

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For Liberals, a little infighting among Conservatives goes a long way - The Globe and Mail

Scott Morrison and Mathias Cormann, one of the architects of the Liberals preference deal with One Nation in WA. Morrison says the party would not make a similar deal at a federal level. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Scott Morrison has said that a Western Australian-style preference deal between the Liberals and One Nation would never happen federally because of the coalition with the Nationals.

The comments give comfort to the deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, and other opponents of the preference deal, as recriminations over the landslide Coalition defeat continued on Monday.

On Sunday, the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, defended the preference deal after the loss but moderates within the Liberal party have warned it must put more distance between itself and Pauline Hansons party.

Speaking on 2GB Radio on Monday, Morrison agreed the result was a landslide to Labor, adding theres no hiding from that, its absolutely true.

The treasurer thanked the former Western Australian premier, Colin Barnett, for his service. He attributed the loss to state factors including the downturn after the mining boom and accused Bill Shorten of photo bombing to take credit for Labors win.

Morrison said Hanson would be judged by her policies and judged by her candidates and noted she had suffered blowback over her comments about vaccinations.

If people think [the preference deal] is the reason the West Australian state government lost the election on the weekend, theyre kidding themselves, he said, attributing the loss to the length of Barnetts time in office.

Asked about giving upper-house preferences to One Nation, Morrison said: Well that would never happen at a federal level, because were in Coalition with the National party at a federal level.

In Western Australia, Barnett directed upper-house preferences to One Nation ahead of the Nationals, with which it has an alliance but not a coalition, in return for One Nation preferences in the lower house.

Theyre a different beast in the eastern states, in New South Wales, in Queensland and Victoria there is an incredibly strong Coalition, so that would just never happen at a federal level its an aberration for what happens in WA, Morrison said.

On Sunday, Cormann said the deal had aimed to minimise Liberal losses by sourcing preferences from One Nation and refused to rule out further cooperation at the national level.

Morrison held the line that federal preference decisions would be made in future. He rejected the idea the Liberals had campaigned poorly, commenting that over the course of the campaign things got a little better for the Liberal party.

Malcolm Turnbull has refused to rule out doing a preference deal with One Nation at the next federal election despite Joyce branding the controversial tie-up in Western Australia a mistake.

The moderate Liberal MP Tim Wilson has said the WA result shows the Liberal party must not become One Nation-lite and enter preference deals with Hansons party.

Wilson echoed comments made by the former Nationals leader Ron Boswell made to Guardian Australia last week that preferencing One Nation would legitimise the party.

The WA election shows there isnt a vast bulk of reactionary voters waiting to be embraced as part of the mainstream, Wilson said.

Wilson told Sky News he probably would pulp party how-to-votes and print his own if the Liberals directed preferences to One Nation. Im pretty hard line about this - I dont think we should be validating or endorsing One Nation.

The perception of ties to One Nation did enormous damage to the Liberal partys brand, Wilson said.

My preference is that we do not put One Nation anywhere near a position that they can then go on to win elections. Every time anyone goes closer to them theyre tainted by the consequences of doing a formal deal with them.

On Saturday night, Hanson said the preference deal with the Liberals had damaged One Nation and labelled it a mistake.

On 2GB, Morrison was asked about housing affordability after reports that the government is considering capping the number of houses investors can negatively gear and has done modelling on limiting capital gains tax concessions.

Morrison said the most important way to put downward pressure on prices was to increase supply but added he kept a close eye on demand issues.

Morrison said he had met the council of financial regulators after figures showing an increase in loans to investors.

Its very complex ... people who say you put up a tax and somehow you can buy a tax anywhere you like which is what the Labor party is saying thats a lie, he said.

Morrison attacked Labors negative gearing policy by saying it would increase rents, making it harder to save for a deposit. He praised rent-to-buy schemes that operate in the UK as one of a number of measures to make houses more affordable.

In a statement on Monday, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said that flying policy kites and thought bubbles would not help first home buyers compete at auctions against property investors backed with the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing.

Bowen accused Morrison of continually attacking Labors plans ... at the same time as he backgrounds that Treasury is looking at similar reforms.

On Friday Morrison announced a plan to use government bonds to raise cheaper, long-term finance for affordable housing to be deployed through an affordable housing finance corporation.

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Scott Morrison says Liberals would never make federal preference deal with One Nation - The Guardian

The left is losing its collective mind.

The tin foil industry is the next industry to see a boom thanks to President Trump, as the left brings the tin foil hat back into style.

Leftists are so unable to handle the fact that Donald Trump is president that they will literally believe anything to cope.

Democrats in denial are clinging to the conspiracy theory that President Trump and his campaign were working with Russian intelligence agents to rig the election against Hillary Clinton even though there is zero evidence that it ever occurred.

There is more evidence that Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster exist than for this wild conspiracy theory about Trump and the Russians.

Members of the mainstream media are so afflicted with this anti-Trump madness that they use the most creative wording to write unfounded stories about Trump-Russian election rigging.

The next lamestream media headline could read, Trump & Bigfoot collude to rig the vote against Hillary.

Watch out, National Enquirer! The tabloids have a new competitor with the kinds of stories being published by lamestream media rags.

My conspiracy theory is that the failing New York Times is trying to reach a new audience since its readership has plummeted in the past few years. Next we will see the New York Times on newsstands next to the National Enquirer.

We all have those friends or family members who tell about the latest wild conspiracy theories at the occasional get-together.

Politely, we quietly nod as they explain every detail of the latest wild story that is floating around.

What do women want? Find the answer in Gina Loudons best-selling co-authored blockbuster, What Women Really Want available at the WND Superstore

It was funny to see the lamestream media flip out when President Trump tweeted the accusation of President Obama spying on Trump Tower during the election.

Even the few right-leaning media analysts couldnt understand why President Trump tweeted something that no one believed was true.

Again, President Trump was playing 3D chess and is several steps ahead.

That tweet did several things.

First, it put Obama and his administration holdovers on the defensive when the former president and his minions were forced to publicly deny the accusation.

Also, it exposed the Trump-Russia vote rigging story for the ridiculous fake story that it has always been. If the Obama administration wasnt spying on Trump during the campaign, then the months of news reports detailing nonexistent investigations into collusion between Trump and Russia were exposed as fake.

If the Obama administration had been spying on Trump during the campaign, then that story would overshadow any baseless Russia vote rigging story.

That single tweet by Trump put Obama and his minions between a rock and a hard place.

There was no way out for them. All they could do was deny that our intelligence services were spying on Trump and discredit the entire case they have been building against Trump for months.

The next time you see the president do something puzzling or seemingly foolish, just remember that President Trump is smarter than we suspect, and that the left is wackier than we ever imagined.

What do women want? Find the answer in Gina Loudons best-selling co-authored blockbuster, What Women Really Want available at the WND Superstore

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Don straitjackets! Trump makes liberals go nuts - WND.com