friendlystranger

(not traveling to usa any time soon :)

Opinion by David Cole:
"...no artist has to open a business to the public in the first place. Most writers, painters and other artists never do; they pick their subjects and leave it at that. The photographer Annie Leibovitz, for example, does not offer to take photographs of anyone who offers to pay her fee but chooses her subjects. She is perfectly free to photograph only white people or only Buddhists.
But if Ms. Leibovitz were to open a portrait photography business that offered to take portraits on a first-come, first-served basis to the public at large, as many corporate photography studios do, she could not turn away subjects just because they were Black or Christian. Her photographic work would be just as expressive. But the choice to benefit from the public marketplace comes with the legal obligation to equally serve members of the public. And requiring businesses that offer expressive services in the public marketplace to follow the same rules as all other businesses does not violate the First Amendment.
"

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/61681972

"Russian propaganda is trying to persuade Russians that we are a very special nation and the whole world is against us and our 'unique mission'...
I don't think that Russians are special. At the same time, I am not ashamed to be Russian, as Russia doesn't mean the government and Vladimir Putin.
Putin took everything from us, he took our future. At the same time, he did it with our tacit consent. They [the government], didn't witness strong resistance. Most people were just closing their eyes to injustice, thinking it's not their business.
These people who justify the war, they are hostages to propaganda. I feel sorry for them, and I believe we need to do everything to release them from it."

By Adam Zyglis
Published Sun, Jul 17, 2016

===
Canada and the United Kingdom hosted the media freedom gathering, held Wednesday and Thursday, and stepped up jointly with $5.25 million in funding to establish a new global media defence fund. Canada contributed $1 million, with the remainder coming from the U.K.

The fund will help journalists, especially in developing countries, pay for legal representation while also providing support and training.

It will also see the formation of a "contact group" of countries to promote media freedom around the world.
...

Luminate, a global philanthropic organization, has called for the establishment of a "game-changing" international public interest media fund totalling $1.3 billion.

Money would be used to support investigative journalists around the world and help with legal advice while supporting strong and diverse media platforms.
==
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/journalism-press-freedom-global-fund-1.5208245

"After decades of closeted artists and coded lyrics, a new generation of gender and sexually-fluid pop stars are challenging stereotypes and celebrating their identity through music."
BBC News - In pop, stars are exploring new sexualities
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47787456

"On Friday the Supreme Court of Canada delivered a ruling that many conservative Christians are condemning as an attack on religious freedom and LGBTQ groups are applauding as a robust defence of civil rights and social equality. In a 7-2 decision, the justices concluded that the law societies of Ontario and British Columbia have the right to deny accreditation to graduates from the proposed law school of Trinity Western University (TWU), an evangelical college in Langley, B.C. The court judged that it was “proportionate and reasonable” to limit religious rights in such a case – to guarantee the rights of gay students"
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-trinity-western-ruling-a-stand-against-harmful-lgbtq-discrimination/

Surprisingly uplifting horror movie!
Besides the art...