GAY IS COOL EXCEPT.....

..when you are the last three Blue Ducks in England.

Happy Blue Duck couple Ben and Jerry have formed a romantic bond in Arundel Wetland Centre in West Sussex. The male loving birds have ignored the advances of a female duck named Cherry who has preened, coaxed, and tried to show the lavender duo how to nest as straights without success. Cherry, despite rejection from both males, has settled into her own enclosure and seems to take no heed of the males' Boston marriage. The proprietors of the wetland centre have taken the unusual pairing with aplomb, calling the two male ducks "a lovely couple", but with some regret that there was not a last clutch of eggs.

Radio Free Canada respects the cosy pair but a few eggs would not hurt to save an endangered species. There are conservation efforts in New Zealand but these are the last British Blue Ducks. We would like to nudge Ben and Jerry, in this instant, to be 'turkey basters' (pretend Cherry is Nadja Suleman) who may afterward return to their preferred living arrangements.


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PLEASE SIGN

Please sign the petition against Chris Brown to get him kicked off the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice awards.

Love shouldn't hurt.

Thanks.
Anne



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GIVE THEM HELL

This tickles my anti-censorship heart. The student paper at my old alma mater has gone on strike rather than cede control to a publisher's oversight. The staff, for the first time in the 109-year-old Daily Emerald's history, has shut down the paper to protest being reined in by publisher Steven Smith who finally resigned.True, the newspaper does need fiscal direction but this was at the cost of editorial independence. I hope this is a lesson for writers and commercial media everywhere that hard times do not equate to loss of editorial control.

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UPDATE: The staff of the Oregon Daily Emerald have gone back to work.

MOTHER, MAY I?

The House in Congress would like to ban bloggers and other freelance journalists from protection to not reveal confidential news sources. The specific language is in HR 985 IH, The Free Flow of Information Act of 2009, is

"COVERED PERSON- The term `covered person' means a person who regularly gathers, prepares, collects, photographs, records, writes, edits, reports, or publishes news or information that concerns local, national, or international events or other matters of public interest for dissemination to the public for a substantial portion of the person's livelihood or for substantial financial gain and includes a supervisor, employer, parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of such covered person."

The gist of this legistlation is that if a blogger has a confidential news source that informs about a crime, then the blogger could be jailed if the news source is not given up to the police or other appurtenances of the law. The Senate bill, S 448 IS, Commentsdoes not define the term journalist so explicitly and merely states that a

"COVERED PERSON- The term ‘covered person’--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

(A) means a person who is engaged in journalism;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

(B) includes a supervisor, employer, parent company, subsidiary, or affiliate of a person described in subparagraph (A)".

There are obvious unconstitutional aspects of the House legistlation. The language in the House legistlation seems to make it fit for parents of adults to supervise their offsprings' blogging (?)and to define that a journalist is someone who works under the auspices of a corporation. The term is paternalistic in that it forces adult journalists to beg for their right of speech or to be chained to a company if they chose to pursue action against corruption. This proposed law stifles the press' free accumulation and dissemination of knowledge. President Obama, who publicly has championed a more accountable White House and administration, needs to put up or shut up on his shtick about government transparancy. If Obama gives his imprimatur on the House law, he has lost his game.

The legislation, besides the dictatorial machinations from the House, is a neon sign with bold caps that people in Congress DO NOT UNDERSTAND TECHNOLOGY or are afraid of what this new realm purposes. They are old nags, in the information marketplace, that should not be put out to pasture but should speed dial Do Not Pass Go on a one-way trip to the knackers.

Information is currency. I'm a blogger and have not derived much standard revenue from my blogs but I think of blogs as a form of currency in the information marketplace. What the House in Congress does not percieve or fears is that information is as valuable as cash on the Internet. This is the new exchange rate that those who are out of the technological loop do not comprehend. For example, I trade information with people in my "social" networking groups. Information, for a writer, is currency. A person cannot buy material objects with that form of exchange because money still has that necessary role but received knowledge can buy access to other people who will in turn use or circulate the "coinage" of data. These knowledge exchanges, and the attendant accountability that comes with the rise of bloggers and citizen journalists, is what frightens the House authors of this legistlation. The law should not go to President Obama's desk because it goes against the interest of government transparancy, free speech, and the continued livelihood of Internet journalism.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALAN RICKMAN

I am writing this greeting as a matter of perforce to the anniversary of Mr. Rickman's birth but I am less enchanted with the handsome one's career. Bottle Shock was a mistake and died a well deserved, boozy death. I can't remember it making it past the first week in the theatres. I show my biases. I don't drink alcohol and I consider each land jolt that moves California to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, from the battle between Thunderbird and Whale of Native People's mythology, a great blessing.

Rickman's next roles are a mixed lot. He is a randy professor in Noble Son which, from the reviews sounds less than dull, and the Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland. Ooooh... I am eagerly awaiting the latter. He can smoke my hookah anytime.

Er...where was I? I had to write the sentence about the Caterpillar three times over because I got somehow off track.

I think that Mr. Rickman needs a serious talk with his agent about suitable roles for his talents. How about Rochester in Jane Eyre. Or Branwell in a drama about the Brontës ? These roles would be suited to his acting, not a prof chasing undergrads. A mashup, however, between Noble Son and Harry Potter has distinct possibilities. Maybe Hermione could change the old goat, well, into a chastened Bovidae.

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SWEETIE, WE ALL DENY IT

Vladimir Putin has denied getting funky with the ABBA tribute band Bjourn Again at one of his parties. Spokespeople for Prime Minister Putin have refused that the judo black belt holder was grooving to 'Super Trouper' and raising his hands at 'Mamma Mia' during the £20,000 ($29395.82) gig.

Aw....fess up, Vlad. Your dacha has a disco ball and you wear bling down to the navel of your white spandex suit. Just part of ah, ah, ah, staying alive, politically.


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DEAD IS, LIKE, DEAD

I have fondness for pets like any rational person but then I am a rational person. I am not the couple, Nina and Edgar Otto of Florida, who paid $155,000 to clone their Lab dog who died of cancer.

Let's look at this logically. The cute fuzzy puppy, that cost more than most yearly incomes, has the same genetic structure as its predecessor. This will be an expensive heartache because the dog probably has cancer lurking in its genes. Those people were out of the loop when the teacher discussed Mendel or Watson and Crick. The Ottos' wish for a genetic similar pet to their beloved deceased is animal cruelty. The owners' tampering with nature, on a philosophical level, is a dishonour to their lost friend. When you love someone, even an animal, there is that only one. The Ottos have disparaged the uniqueness of their former pet as just a product.

In human terms, with so many that will lose their jobs and that have lost their jobs, the Ottos' purchase of this re-created animal is a slap in a face to all humanity. Why does a cloned beast have more worth than a starving child? They should be widely condemned for their lack of consideration to humans and to non-humans.Three to four million animals are euthanized each year. The Obamas, unlike the Ottos, show what true leadership means in this country. The President and First Lady plan to adopt a shelter dog.


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STAY IN

This is the LinkedIn profile screenshot of a man who killed his wife and then committed suicide two weeks ago. The man, 33-year-old Jason Montes, was a writer for a game company. His 25-year-old wife, Serena, was a pastry chef. Jason Montes had declared bankruptcy and the couple had planned to divorce. The weapon was a military service pistol stolen from Mr.Montes' parents.


Times are tough. Microsoft just laid off 5,000 people and there is talk of more cuts. The company that my husband works for just laid off 30 in a small organization. He is looking at a pay slash. However, there is no reason to be so despondent as to kill oneself or another. Stay connected to the world even if it seems everything around you has come unglued because tomorrow might be better. And you will never know unless you stick around.

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GOODBYE AND GOOD RIDDANCE

I have created a send-off for George Bush as he leaves office today. The song is by Canadian Kim Stockwood. Enjoy.JERK

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THE REAL CHRISTMAS WAR

'Tis the silly season for evangelicals and their foghorn Bill O'Reilly to complain that atheists are trying to do away with Christmas and create a secular holiday. Well, wah... The fundamentalists have the luxury of this conflict without any casualties. No one is hurt if there is an atheist sign for the winter solstice at the Washington State Capitol except for the spoiled crybabies on the religious right.

Let's have a little perspective on the issue. The retail season is the weakest in two decades, 20 years, and won't get better after the holidays. Weak sales mean less demand for products which leads to more workers being laid off. Evangelicals can stuff the whining about the holy day up their manger scene. Not only is the secular realm affected by the financial downturn but the devout are in affliction. Thomas Nelson, a Bible publisher, just laid off 55 people because even Christian retail merchants cannot sell their wares. Bitching about whose symbolism goes where is like rearranging cultural deck chairs while the boat is sinking fast.

The anger over the war on Christmas, compared to the real problems that concern the world, is theatrical and immature. It is a pose of emotion, a calculated manipulation for self-glory. This arrogance does not touch the honest grief of those who lost their loved ones to the war in Afghanistan. Three Canadian soldiers: Cpl. Thomas James Hamilton, Pte. John Michael Roy Curwin,and Pte. Justin Peter Jones, recently died there in explosions. This holiday season is a time to honour what is important. Remember these brave young men no longer with families; parents, wives, and children who will be forever lonely each holiday season.

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IT'S JUST A JUMP TO THE LEFT....

The election is a few weeks over and with the choice of President-elect Barack Obama, Governor Sarah Palin has an uncertain future. Radio Free Canada suggests that since she does not like being a community organizer and that her taste in clothes is questionable despite spending $150,000 on garments during the campaign, that she consider show business as a Frankenfurter impersonator. LET'S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN!!!

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IN MEMORIAM

Say a prayer tonight not for an Obama win tomorrow but for the senator's maternal grandmother Madelyn Payne Dunham who died Monday of cancer. Say a prayer that her spirit is now free of a dreaded disease that wracked her body with pain. Say a prayer for a woman that helped raise her daughter's family. Say a prayer for all those unnoticed people like Madelyn Payne Dunham who worked hard day after day to put food on the table and to raise their children despite troubled and sometime financially desperate times like now. Say a prayer whether you're atheist or believer with the works of your hands to make your community a better place to live. Say a prayer and remember a strong woman who raised a good grandson and a good man in Barack Obama.
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YO, SARAH!

This is a great video that features Young Girls of America who question Sarah Palin's commitment to her own gender. Check it out. Technorati Tags: sarah palin

WHY PEOPLE WHO USE GUNS ARE STUPID

An adult's responsibility is to protect their children not put them in harm's way. The father who gave his eight-year-old son an Uzi for target practice now knows that sad fact.




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THE QUEEN VISITED GOOGLE

A big hurray for the tech-savvy monarch who visited Google's Britain division on Thursday. We love you, Ma'am. A toast to a woman who sent her first e-mail in 1976 and who launched her own RoyalChannel on YouTube.

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CHASING THE CORPSE CANDLE

The corpse candle, in Welsh mythology, is an apparition that manifests when someone is fated to die. The illumination is also known as ignis fatuus (foolish fire) or the will-o-the-wisp that leads unwary travelers to a boggy death. Wall Street traders, in the aftermath of the government bailout , are following an ignus fatuus to their destruction. There is no substantial basis for rallies on the Street because stock buyers are pursuing the same leads that took America to finacial ruin.
According to news reports, stock speculators are buying stocks in those banks and investment companies that require government bailout or corporate buyouts such as Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs. They are not buying conservative bank stocks, banks that have been less careless with investments, like Wells Fargo whose House Mortage fund is rated 'AA'/Outlook Stable by Fitch Ratings. Stockbrokers, instead of prudence, are once again going after the risky money that they believe will pay off big but which left them (and the world) with nothing.

This crazy optimism ignores some fundamentals to the economy. I am sounding like a broken record but there is no money in the United States Treasury to pay for the bailout. Second, stockbuyers are ignoring that the retail sector is posed to take a significant dive due to the twin evils of the credit crunch and record unemployment. This will be a bleak Christmas because stores are set to have weak sales and less need for temporary workers. The unemployment levels are at record highs and will probably rise from 6.1%. Bill Gates, speaking at Harvard Business School, thinks that unemployment might rise to 9% of the American population. People are cutting back on spending by not buying goods except for those necessary to keep life together. They are purchasing what they can at discount and thrift stores. Stores, as a consequence of this fear, will be unable to continue and will lose more workers. Fewer workers will mean less purchases and a stagnant flow of money in the economy will loop back to create a nasty cycle of more lost businesses.

So what is the answer? Regardless of which political party takes the White House there will always be those who want the quick buck, damn the consequences. The most effective and thought- filled response is to invest in real goods such as manufacturing equipment, employee training, and savings. This is the correct and safest way to create wealth in a society. The paper-chasing speculation that has destroyed the world economy must stop if global financial stability is to be achieved.

Technorati Tags:bill gates, wall street bailout

SORRY OBAMA...

but you may not be the first person of African-American descent to be President. Thomas Jefferson may have been the first. Or the third President of the United States may have been Jewish.

The story behind the assertion that Sen. Obama may not be, in technical terms,America's first Black president concerns the rare chromosome type that Thomas Jefferson carried. The K2 chromosome, renamed "T" is found on the African continent among people from the Middle East and East Africa. Specifically, the haplogroup for this Y chromosome is found most prominently in Oman, Somalia, and Iraq. The European strain of T haplogroup may have come from Shephardic Jews. This is perhaps why Jefferson may have been the first Jewish president. The third consideration is that there is paleoanthropological evidence that back and forth migration occurred between Africa and Eurasia millions of years ago at the Horn of Africa or/and at what is the Levantine corridor of Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan.

One can say, guardedly,sorry Senator Obama. You may have or not broken the glass ceiling for African-Americans considering that Thomas Jefferson may be of Jewish origins, or Black like you.

UPDATE: However, when one discusses race in the American elections, a discerning voter can see that Obama is not white trash like the followers of Palin and McCain. The rude actions, where Palin supporters call Obama 'a commie faggot' at GOP presidential rallies, is fascist hick behaviour. Thomas Jefferson said it best, "Bigotry is the disease of ignorance, of morbid minds; enthusiasm of the free and buoyant. Education and free discussion are the antidotes of both."

IF THERE ARE ANGELS....

may they go with Beau Biden,the eldest son of vice-presidential hopeful Joe Biden,when he deploys to Iraq with the National
Guard.The younger Biden is Delaware's Attorney General.RadioFreeCanada gives him and his family sincere wishes for his safe return home.

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THE ELECTION SCUM RISES

Recently,a flier has been circulated in predominantly African-American neighbourhoods of Philadelphia to warn that people with as little as a parking ticket will be arrested if they show up to vote. This notice is a fake intended to intimidate citizens and deprive them of their voting rights. One can assume that GOP operatives are behind this deception because Democrats, regardless of how people will vote, want all citizens to participate in the election.

Give the finger to this trickery. Show up to the polls and vote your conscience.

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PLAY MONEY

The American government's $700 billion bailout of Wall Street is a fraud because there is no money to buy the debt associated with the rescue. The United States government has a debt, with the bailout, of more than $11 trillion. As I have stated before, the government is buying debt with debt like the credit default swaps that created the crisis in the first place.

Some definitions are in order. Essentially, a credit default swap is insuring the owner of a debt that the debt will be paid. If the debt is not paid or bought, then the insurer is stuck with the bad debt. Many of the banks and securities with trouble now had insured or bought credit default debt. What the United States government plans to do is to buy the companies' bad debts and assets and hold them until the toxic financial products can either be sold as debt or wait until the magic moment until the economy supposedly recovers to sell off the real assets at a better price. The American government plans to purchase this all with the non-existent money in the United States Treasury.

The bailout is down a rabbit hole but not through a looking glass in terms of sense and rational thought. The problem could have been contained with legislation that mirrored the Glass/Stegall Act which forbade banks from offering investment, commercial banking services , and insurance services in the same corporate entity. Banks that offer all three endanger citizens' money through speculation not saving. The Republican Party, led by Phil Gramm, destroyed the barriers to prudent banking. However, a Glass/Stegall provision is not a part of the current bailout scheme. Serious bank reforms that will prevent imprudent corporate investments are necessary before a true bailout of the American economy can occur.

UPDATE: In the middle of this financial scandal, the National Republican Congressional Committee has one of its own. Wachovia, a bank Wells Fargo has now bought, was in serious trouble and on the brink of bankruptcy. Despite its financial woes where the managers froze credit to institutions and other ordinary lenders, the bank loaned $8 million to the NRCC to continue its political campaigns. The full story is at Daily Kos.
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