John Amaechi awarded O.B.E. by Queen Elizabeth

Former NBA player John Amaechi was awarded the Order of the British Empire by the Queen in her Birthday Honours List. It’s a big deal in Britain, handed out to a select few individuals for their chivalry. Amaechi was given the honor for his work with kids. 


In February 2007, Amaechi released a book, Man in the Middle, published by ESPN Books (ISBN 1933060190), which discusses his career and life as a closeted professional athlete. Amaechi is the firstNBA player to speak publicly about being gay.

"I am not dumb!"

Helen Keller — inspiration to generations and inspiration for an entire genre of schoolyard humor — and her teacher and friend Anne Sullivan in a clip from 1930 in which they describe the way in which Helen learned how to speak ... It’s a fascinating little clip which pays homage to a woman who, even beyond her amazing circumstances, was a radical socialist, suffragist, and supporter of birth control, who was friends with the likes of Mark Twain and who worked tirelessly to champion the rights of both the downtrodden and the physically disabled.

Mission Accomplished ... mas o menos

Glad to be back to blogging!

The move is over and I am now finding my way through a new city, but I am up for it.

I will hopefully be able to start publishing this blog on a regular basis again, but for now it may be in fits and starts. So, please forgive me for now.

It will however, show you some of the things that I thought were cool, funny, conceptual, ironic, well-designed, inspiring, satirical, heart-warming and/or life-changing along the way.

If you get why I put it here, please let me know as a Comment - it will inspire me to share more.

Douglas

The Copyright Pledge Gains Momentum

The Green Party and NDP Candidates On Board ...

Will you commit to a balanced approach to copyright reform that reflects the views of all Canadians by pledging:

1. To respect the rights of creators and consumers,
2. Not to support any copyright bill that undermines or weakens the Copyright Act’s users rights,
3. To fully consult with Canadians before introducing any copyright reform bill and to conduct inclusive, national hearings on any tabled bill ?
   

• Yes
• No
  

En Francais : Vous engagerez-vous dans une approche équilibrée de la réforme sur le droit d'auteur qui reflète les opinions de tous les Canadiens et Canadiennes en promettant:

1. de respecter les droits des créateurs et des consommateurs
2. de ne pas supporter tout projet de loi sur le droit d'auteur détruisant ou diminuant les droits des utilisateurs face à la Loi sur le droit d'auteur
3. de consulter pleinement les Canadiens et Canadiennes avant d'introduire toute réforme sur le droit d'auteur et de tenir des audiences nationales inclusives sur tout projet de loi proposé.

• Oui
• Non

This was the question being put to politicians last week, as part of the 2008 Election Copyright Pledge that focused on three commitments for copyright reform in Canada :

• respecting both creators and consumers,
• ensuring that any reforms do not undermine or weaken user rights such as fair dealing, and
• committing to full public consultations on any reforms before introducing a bill and inclusive hearings once tabled.

The initial reaction to the pledge has been very strong.
The Green Party (as a party) has agreed to the pledge. In addition, the following NDP MPs have added their names as supporters:

• Charlie Angus, New Democrat MP, Timmins-James Bay, ON
• Olivia Chow, New Democrat MP, Trinity-Spadina, ON
• Libby Davies, New Democrat MP, Vancouver East, BC
  
• Michael Byers, New Democrat Candidate, Vancouver Centre, BC
• Anne Lagacé Dowson, New Democrat Candidate, Westmount, QC
• Phil Brown, New Democrat Candidate, Nepean-Carleton, ON
• John Chan, New Democrat Candidate, Calgary Centre-North, AB
• Tyler Kinch, New Democrat Candidate, Calgary Centre, AB

There is still time before the election to raise the issue with local candidates.

California Prop. 8 remains too close to call

Great momentum continues to build for No on 8, Equality for All’s efforts to defeat Proposition 8 in California this fall. As people continue to discover that Prop. 8 would eliminate the right to marry for same-sex couples, unprecedented numbers are stepping forward to give time, money and support.

Over the last couple of weeks, crowds packed No on 8 campaign rallies in San Francisco and Los Angeles, along with LGBT community leaders, progressive allies and local elected officials including San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Thousands of volunteers are now calling critical swing voters regularly and urging them to vote No on 8. Eleven full-time Task Force organizers are on the ground in California; most are running regional or local field offices. This past weekend, over 40 communities organized local rallies and visibility actions to raise community awareness against Prop. 8. Yesterday, the campaign ran its first No on 8 campaign ad.

The No on 8 campaign can win, but only if we effectively reach undecided voters with our message, and that means keeping our TV ads on the air. Only you can help us do that!

YouTube Link

Lindros : 9th most generous star - Oprah tops

Retired hockey player Eric Lindros is among the world's top 10 most generous celebrities.

Lindros made No. 9 on the list, which is compiled annually by The Giving Back Fund, after contributing $5 million to the London Health Sciences Centre, a London, Ont.-based hospital where he was treated.

He tied in generosity with other sports stars — basketball player Michael Jordan, who gave to a Chicago school, and cyclist Lance Armstrong, who gave to cancer research.

Lindros played in the National Hockey League for 16 years, most notably with the Philadelphia Flyers.