More on Peter S. Beagle.

Mr. Conlan has updated the You Can Help site to include a chronology and specific items where the fans can help.

It looks as though the petition sheet either doesn't work with firefox or is broken, though. I'll try from home and see if that works.

This whole situation makes me sick at heart. It also makes me want to write a scathing op-ed piece on internet movie/book piracy, since it's big companies like these that are screaming for anti-piracy legislation on the grounds that it takes money away from the creators of a work, who only get a percentage of the profit. This is one of those cases where, if I had purchased a copy of this movie from Granada, I'd really want to rip it and upload it with a big fat banner that linked to the Donation Site for Mr. Beagle's legal fund. I wouldn't do that for the simple reason that it would sink me to Granada's level. Theft is wrong, no matter who it happens to.

IMDB is my buddy. I found A list of the movies Granada would have acquired when it bought out ITC - and since ITC seems to have not been on the level, I will not be purchasing any of those titles now that Granada owns them. There is also a list for Granada Media, but as that list is small, I'm assuming it hasn't cross-referenced the acquisitions from other companies.

I take a very large and active interest in supporting authors, actors, directors, producers, publishing companies, production and distribution studios. If I like a piece of media, I'm big on buying it not only for myself but for others, and encouraging complete strangers to look into it. Because when all is said and done, dollar signs are the best way to tell these companies what I want to see more of. I'm big on letter-writing to express my support, be it an artist or a cause. In this instance, it's both.

I urge anyone who reads this to check out the sites linked above and to donate a few minutes of their time, if they can't do more, to read about the issue and spread the word.

Pimping: An Eye for an Eye

One of my homepeeps uploaded the movie he did for the Boston 24 Hour Movie .. thingy.

Everyone should go watch it.

I love watching my friends act. They do things that are so against their nature that I break up laughing. Watching Diana bust on some sleaze in a bar? Pure comedic gold.

Sorry guys. They're both happily married.

No. Not to each other.

[edit: New and improved: With sound this upload! Bah, YouTube!]

Causes Cancer in Laboratory Rats

I hate that warning lable - "WARNING: Product has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory rats/mice". Beyond the loathing for products that are tested on animals at all is a deeply cynical and somewhat sneering view of the warning.

Rats and mice are extremely suceptible to tumors. Those that survive to 2 years of age have an 87% chance of developing one or more types of tumors, and the cases of tumors are over 50% malignant. These are numbers from studies done on pet rats, bred from genetically distinct lines and reared by humans knowledgable about proper environment, with strict diets to remove anything and everything that could possibly increase the risk of tumors and cancer. Starting with a rat of optimal breeding and kept in a near perfect, carcinogen-free environment, the rat has an 87% chance of developing tumors that are or become malignant.

Lab rats are often not from genetically diverse breeding lines. They're frequently albinos; albinism is a recessive chromosomal, genetic defect. Albinism is associated with many minor tissue abnormalities. The rate of skin cancers in albinos is far higher than normal rats due to the lack of melanin protection in the skin. Many of them have come from generations of albinos, which means generations of reinforcing a genetically weak recessive gene.

So, in essence, the tests are being done on a genetically weak, potentially very inbred, rodent that even under optimal conditions has an extremely high risk of getting cancer anyway. On top of that, potential carcinogens are added in large volume.

Sassafrass root, used for making tea and rootbeer, is not legal for sale any longer because it contains safrole, which has been shown to cause an increase of liver cancer in laboratory rats when injected or fed orally in large quantities. Sassafrass tea and root beer has been consumed by humans for hundreds of years, with no evidence of it ever causing cancer in humans. An earlier study done by the same agency says, "Man may ingest small amounts of safrole and isosafrole through essential oils in which they occur." It looks like Dr. Duke has been often quoted saying sassafrass [tea/rootbeer] has 1/14th the carcinogen level of a glass of beer, and that even if all the safrole leeched into the drink, it would still be 95% less than the cancer-toxic level. I am trying to find the cite for that study/quote.

Other foods that cause cancer in rats and mice: allspice, anise, apricot, apple, banana, basil, beet, broccoli, brussle sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, caraway, cardamom, carrot, cauliflower, celery, cherries, chili pepper, chocolate, cinammon, citronella, cloves, coffee, collard greens, comfrey, corn, coriander, currants, dill, eggplant, endive, fennel, garlic, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honey, honeydew, horseradish, kale, lemon, lentils, lettuce, licorice, lime, mace, mango, marjoram, mint, mushrooms, mustard, nutmeg, onion, orange, oregano, paprika, parsley, parsnip, peach, pear, peas, black pepper, pineapple, plum, potato, radish, raspberries, rhubarb, rosemary, rutabaga, sage, savory, sesame seeds, soybean, tarragon, tea, thyme, tomato, turmeric, and turnip.

Strangely, I haven't seen FDA warnings on any of the above foods. Frankly if I did, and I let the warning labels scare me off, I'd be totally screwed to find anything to eat.

It makes an interesting argument for the IARC to stop testing on rodents. Sadly, the short life span and quick expression of cancers when exposed to carcinogens outweighs the fact that the results aren't reliable to determine cancer risk levels in humans.

May 1 - May Day - Say It With Flowers - Department of Peace

Monday, May 1 - May Day. A Spring celebration of the changing of seasons. It is traditionally observed by the gifting or exchange of flowers.

The French word M'aidez means 'help me'.

If you haven't heard about the Department of Peace Campaign, you can read an overview here, or look at a copy of the actual proposed legislation in the House or in the Senate (PDF).

The Department of Peace legislation proposes to form a cabinet-level department in the executive branch of the Federal Government, headed by a Secretary of Peace and Nonviolence, that will be dedicated to peacemaking and the study of conditions that are conducive to both domestic and international peace.

Domestic Responsibilities:
(1) develop policies that address domestic violence, including spousal abuse, child abuse, and mistreatment of the elderly;
(2) create new policies and incorporate existing programs that reduce drug and alcohol abuse;
(3) develop new policies and incorporate existing policies regarding crime, punishment, and rehabilitation;
(4) develop policies to address violence against animals;
(5) analyze existing policies, employ successful, field-tested programs, and develop new approaches for dealing with the implements of violence, including gun-related violence and the overwhelming presence of handguns;
(6) develop new programs that relate to the societal challenges of school violence, gangs, racial or ethnic violence, violence against gays and lesbians, and police-community relations disputes;
(7) make policy recommendations to the Attorney General regarding civil rights and labor law;
(8) assist in the establishment and funding of community-based violence prevention programs, including violence prevention counseling and peer mediation in schools;
(9) counsel and advocate on behalf of women victimized by violence;
(10) provide for public education programs and counseling strategies concerning hate crimes;
(11) promote racial, religious, and ethnic tolerance;
(12) finance local community initiatives that can draw on neighborhood resources to create peace projects that facilitate the development of conflict resolution at a national level and thereby inform and inspire national policy; and
(13) provide ethical-based and value-based analyses to the Department of Defense.

International Responsibilities:
(1) advise the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State on all matters relating to national security, including the protection of human rights and the prevention of, amelioration of, and de-escalation of unarmed and armed international conflict;
(2) provide for the training of all United States personnel who administer postconflict reconstruction and demobilization in war-torn societies;
(3) sponsor country and regional conflict prevention and dispute resolution initiatives, create special task forces, and draw on local, regional, and national expertise to develop plans and programs for addressing the root sources of conflict in troubled areas;
(4) provide for exchanges between the United States and other nations of individuals who endeavor to develop domestic and international peace-based initiatives;
(5) encourage the development of international sister city programs, pairing United States cities with cities around the globe for artistic, cultural, economic, educational, and faith-based exchanges;
(6) administer the training of civilian peacekeepers who participate in multinational nonviolent police forces and support civilian police who participate in peacekeeping;
(7) jointly with the Secretary of the Treasury, strengthen peace enforcement through hiring and training monitors and investigators to help with the enforcement of international arms embargoes;
(8) facilitate the development of peace summits at which parties to a conflict may gather under carefully prepared conditions to promote nonviolent communication and mutually beneficial solutions;
(9) submit to the President recommendations for reductions in weapons of mass destruction, and make annual reports to the President on the sale of arms from the United States to other nations, with analysis of the impact of such sales on the defense of the United States and how such sales affect peace;
(10) in consultation with the Secretary of State, develop strategies for sustainability and management of the distribution of international funds; and
(11) advise the United States Ambassador to the United Nations on matters pertaining to the United Nations Security Council.

This year, I'm asking people to help me 'Say It With Flowers'. Please write to your Representatives in both the House and Senate to encourage them to support the Department of Peace Legislation On MONDAY, MAY 1, 2006, I will be delivering hand-written letters to my Representatives decorated with hand-drawn flowers, bearing the slogan "May Day: We need your help to pass the Department of Peace Legislation" across the top. I encourage others to join me in this effort.

Letters could be mailed, but should be mailed at least five business days in advance to insure they arrive on time. If you don't have time to hand-write a letter, please send an email.

You can find out who your Representatives are HERE.

You can find out who your Senators are HERE.

To find out if your Representatives already support the Department of Peace, please check the listing HERE. If they are already signed on, please be sure to write them and thank them for their continued support.

Politics and ignorance

This is one of my favourite sites.

I believe in voting. I go to vote every chance I get, city/county/state/national ballots. I believe in making educated choices; I do research on the candidates and the issues before filling in the happy little ballot circles. I'm on a first-name basis with my representative's secretaries, because I will correspond with them to get clarification or better definition of the representative's point of view.

It never fails to surprise me how many people vote purely by party, or by even less justifiable reasons, and have little to no clue what they're voting on or who they're voting for. That's a high percentage of the people who show up. Legions of the disenchanted apathetic don't even bother to do that much.

I don't think we will see a serious change in voting pattern or voter attendance until the voters become better educated. That can be partly achieved by social awareness - people talking about the issues. It would be better served if educational facilities like public schools would have a better educational platform for political science.

I think the internet has been, and continues to be, a powerful force for change. It's made information more readily accessible. It gives more options for news sources than mainstream television or print media. Readers are able to see both sides of the issues, as well as a vast wealth of public opinion for either side.

The motto thirty years ago was 'Turn on, tune in, drop out' - and hey, that's pretty much exactly what happened.

We need a better motto to live up to.

Spartacus, Goran Visnjic, historical research and the hand that feeds.

I watched the TV version of Spartacus the other night. Ancient Rome and Greece are my brain's research playground. Which means just about any movie set in that time period is going to make me grind my teeth from stereotypes and historical inaccuracy, and I went into this movie expecting to maintain my temper by virtue of 2.5 hours of shirtless Goran Visnjic alone. I was pleasantly surprised. This movie actually nailed the timeline of the slave revolt accurately. I'd have to go read Howard Fast's novel to find out who the kudos go to, but I was strongly impressed by how well it was put together. Knowing the actual history of the revolt, I was sitting there skeptically saying, "If they maintain accuracy, (event) will be the next thing that happens", expecting to be disappointed and laughing in delight when they nailed it every single time.

Granted, it's a love story with a female lead character that made me do a headtilt - the real Spartacus was sold into slavery with his wife, who was a prophetess and priestess of Dionysus, and much more interesting a character than the one in the movie. I loved counting the Plutarch quotes. I had a brilliant time with this.

As much as historical inaccuracies in movies cause me to froth at the mouth, I'm glad there's been a resurgence in history-based movie popularity in the last few years. Even bad, horribly inaccurate, anachronistic, fictional movies can inspire people to go look up the real story, do some research into the story behind the movie. Real history is stronger fuel for the imagination and it only takes one person saying "I want to write this story" to bring it to life for hundreds or thousands of other people.

I so much prefer stories that fictionalize a real bit of history than stories that fictionalize another story. Example: Alexandre Dumas, pere - Three Muskateers or Man in the Iron Mask. Anyone who's read the book would barely recognize the story in the movies, because every one since the 30's has been based off the prior movies and not off the actual story at all. But the stories are what make people go read the books. That, I believe, will in turn eventually result in someone who wants to tell the story correctly.

Nice how that works.