Monthly Archives: May 2017

Lifetime’s Euthanasia Drama Has 15-Year-Old Boy Beg for Sick … – NewsBusters (blog)

Posted: May 2, 2017 at 11:31 pm


NewsBusters (blog)
Lifetime's Euthanasia Drama Has 15-Year-Old Boy Beg for Sick ...
NewsBusters (blog)
Reminiscent of Scandal's 2015 winter finale episode, which showed an abortion set to the song Silent Night, the second episode of Lifetime's Mary Kills People ...

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Plan reducing euthanasia, using community partners has Faribault council support – Southernminn.com

Posted: at 11:31 pm

Faribault Police Chief Andy Bohlen says he has been inundated with positive and negative feedback from people with opinions on how the city should handle its roaming cat population.

After Tuesday nights meeting, however, he walked away from Faribault Council Chambers with a plan, more offers to help and the councils support.

The city began looking through the citys perceived feral cat problem last year when Zulema Delgado, the manager of Evergreen Estates in Faribault, brought the problem before the City Council, asking the city for a solution to the large number of roaming cats in her community.

After some discussion, city staff prepared a plan to address the issue, nimbly avoiding the problem that the city cannot, per its own ordinance, re-release a cat into an area from which it was removed.

Last week, the Faribault City Council was peppered with concerns about the plan to euthanize cats that cannot find a home, even though the Minnesota Humane Society stepped in at the last minute with an offer to help fund a trap, neuter and release (TNR) program.

On Tuesday night, Bohlen told the crowd his revised plan, which aims to work with local partners to reduce the number of cats that would need be euthanized, all of which could be funded without the Humane Societys help, although he indicated the city still plans to work with that entity.

Helping with Bohlens new plan are some local rescues and sanctuaries like Rescue 55021 and Furball Farms in Faribault.

If anything, the last two weeks have shown that there are a lot of people who are willing to take a large number of these animals, said Bohlen.

One of those people is Julie Marvets, the owner of Furball Farms, a sanctuary on a farm southeast of Faribaults downtown.

Marvets, who bought the farm in October after she and her husband started Carbones Pizza and Sports Bar in Faribault last year, has a number of buildings on her farm that she plans to turn into a sanctuary. In fact, Furball Farms is already functioning, with cats living in a converted garage with an attached catio, or an enclosed outdoor space.

Furball Farms has offered to take some cats in, although right now, Marvets does not know if her property is ready for the large numbers that could come her way. Plans to ready her property are in the works, she told the Daily News.

Marvets said she has already been receiving calls from people who want to drop off their cat. This, she said, she cannot do, as each cat she accepts must go through the Humane Society, or another entity that will clear the cat through the veterinary process.

According to Bohlens plan, through the Faribault Veterinary Clinic, the city will undergo that clearing process. After that, they will be posted on social media and the Police Departments website for adoption. The others will hopefully be sent to places like Furball Farms, he said.

The program would be a year-round, Monday through Friday endeavor that officials hope will get some cats off the street. As Bohlen indicated, however, the problem will never go away.

We are not going to ever rid the city of stray cats, said Bohlen. But it will be a manageable issue and it will reduce the cats that are roaming in our neighborhoods.

While TNR is not an option due to the city's ordinance, Mayor Kevin Voracek amended TNR to mean trap, neuter and relocate, instead of release.

In addition, the city is staying open minded about groups like the Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program, or MN SNAP, which provides TNR services to various communities. Bohlen said a date in July has been proposed to work with MN SNAP, though he cautioned the city regarding the cost.

If the Humane Society is willing to work with MN SNAP to come and pay for that, wonderful, he said. Im certainly willing to do that. I dont know if we want to incur spay, neuter costs to the city. I dont think the city should take that on.

Teresa Fuld, of Rescue 55021, took the microphone during the citizen comment period to offer her help providing microchipping to Faribaults cats, which she indicated would reconnect cats with their families.

We are willing to step up in any way we can, she said.

Lori Christensen, who previously worked for Patricia Olson, a Faribault-born veterinarian who is on the forefront of feral cat issues nationwide, said she believes veterinarians would donate their time to set up a TNR clinic, only asking for compensation for equipment and materials.

A woman who identified herself as Mary said that she works for a Northfield veterinarian who could match the 40 cats that MN SNAP said it would handle in its Faribault stop in July.

Marvets, who was at Tuesdays meeting, also took the mic and offered help, taking the time to thank the council for taking on the problem and not opting to euthanize the cats.

Those who offered to help added a plea for the city to begin educating the public about neutering its animals.

Besides the public service announcement (proposed in Bohlens plan), run an educational piece to inform people, said Christensen. Include the facts about how many kittens are produced over time. Put something in on a regular basis to educate people on how important it is.

Others agreed, and some councilors indicated something had to be done. Councilor Steve Underdahl was one of those agreeing councilors, but he did not see it as the citys role.

Thats not the citys responsibility to do that, he said, asking for a collaboration between the city and the rescues and animal organizations like the Humane Society. These groups should be doing that.

However, Underdahl praised the plan that had unanimous council support.

I like the plan Chief Bohlen has put forward to us here, he said. It certainly is rooted in every effort to not euthanize. It does reduce the number of cats in the areas, which is really why this came before us.

With the cat organizations leaning on the city, asking staff and councilors not euthanize the citys roaming cat population, the city is now leaning back, asking the groups for their help.

Gunnar Olson covers city government, public safety and business for the Faribault Daily News. Reach him at (507) 333-3128, at golson@faribault.com, or follow him on Twitter @fdnGunnar.

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Walker County shelter aims to drop euthanasia rates [photos … – Chattanooga Times Free Press

Posted: at 11:31 pm

Gallery: County shelter aims to drop euthanasia rates 2015-16 euthanasia rates

Walker County: 48.8 percent of 5,291

Catoosa County: 38 percent of 2,775

Gordon County: 14.5 percent of 4,648*

Murray County: 46.4 percent of 5,963*

Whitfield County: 47.7 percent of 4,776

* Includes first four months of 2017

Source: Animal shelters of Catoosa, Murray, Gordon and Walker counties; Target Zero

Spaying and neutering

Families wanting to spay or neuter their cats and dogs can drop them off Monday mornings at the Walker County Agricultural Center, located behind the Civic Center at 10052 U.S. 27, Rock Spring, Ga.

Spaying is $65 for dogs and $53 for cats. Neutering is $60 and $45, respectively. You can schedule the surgery through Wallys Friends at 423-877-9966.

CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. Amorous animals have gone too wild.

With an overpopulation of dogs and cats, the Walker County Animal Shelter hopes to curb the baby-making this year. Because while county officials love puppies and kittens, they say, too much of a good, tiny, fuzzy thing can cause unexpected problems.

An overabundance of dogs and cats is hard to keep healthy in the community. And by the time they get to the shelter, Director Alison Smith said, workers can't help them. As a result, over the last two years, the shelter has euthanized about half the dogs and cats in their building.

To curb the problem, shelter workers met with consultants from Target Zero, a national nonprofit aimed at lowering shelters' kill rates to 10 percent. The consultants, who are also working with Whitfield and Murray counties, recently shared their assessment of the shelter on North Marble Top Road.

The key suggestions? Promote adoptions, move animals out of the shelter faster and prevent as much mating as they can.

"It's an ambitious goal to be Target Zero," Smith said. "I see where our numbers are now. But despite the fact that we have limited funding, despite the fact that some animals have greater needs than just a dog you can't keep anymore because you're moving or having a baby, I believe it can happen. I have dreamed of this for far too long."

When he took office Jan. 1, Commissioner Shannon Whitfield came in with promises to reign in overspending the county's debt jumped in Bebe Heiskell's last years with a $15 million bond and an $8 million bill from Erlanger Health System. But to lower the shelter's euthanasia rate, Whitfield may have to boost its funding for the fiscal year that starts in October.

Target Zero consultants recommend shelter workers more aggressively spay and neuter the dogs and cats they encounter. For now, Smith said, the shelter will charge an extra fee for adoptions and pets will be spayed or neutered before the new owners pick them up.

This is a change from prior policy, where adopters signed a paper promising to spay or neuter their animal within 30 days and provide proof after the surgery.

"I have a stack of unresolved contracts," she said Friday. "And when we call to the number given to us sorry, there's nobody there. The phone doesn't work."

The county is also resuming a partnership with Wally's Friends to spay and neuter local animals. Every Monday morning, people can drop off their dogs and cats at the county's agricultural center off U.S. Highway 27 in Rock Spring.

Target Zero recommends the county pay for spaying and neutering all animals leaving the shelter. County spokesman Joe Legge declined to say how much money would be put into the budget, but he said the county is looking at grants, in which advocacy groups would donate money if Whitfield set some aside for the shelter.

"You talk about unknown surprises coming in as commissioner: This is one of them," Whitfield said of the high kill rate during a Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week. "I knew we had a shelter. I knew we had a euthanasia program; you just about have to. But this was a tragedy to me."

The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals group has criticized no-kill shelters, saying they emphasize numbers instead of some animals' health. Sometimes, PETA representatives argue, sick animals need to be put down. Plus, no-kill shelters can become too crowded, a hazard for all the animals.

Target Zero consultants believe a shelter reasonably can try to pull its euthanasia rates down to 10 percent, though. And one of the keys is taking in fewer animals. For example, they encourage moving animals to rescue centers after three days. And they recommend not holding feral cats for long at all instead, they should sterilize and vaccinate them, then release them back in the area where they were found.

Smith said that idea won't work because Georgia Department of Agriculture rules say she can't put those cats back in the wild.

But she hopes to follow through on another recommendation: Getting some decent technology in the shelter.

Legge said the internet signal is weak out there, and Smith's computer needs a new operating system. If the county can fix those problems, Smith can buy software to input data on every pet that comes in.

Right now, shelter workers have to track animal trends on paper. If they log it into the system, they can see where the animals are coming from and how long they've stayed at the shelter. Plus, they can automatically upload the animals' information and pictures onto adoption websites, encouraging more people to buy a dog or cat.

"It's like looking at 'Car Finder' or 'Busted,'" Smith said. "You see pictures. You get excited."

She added that most of the recommendations are ideas she pushed for in 2006, when she let the LaFayette Animal Clinic run the shelter. For years, she said, funding wasn't streaming in, and she eventually grew weary.

"Every day was a fight," she said. "I was tired of killing animals."

Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at 423-757-6476 or tjett@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @LetsJett.

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‘Streamlined’ operation helps Pooler stay ‘peacefully quiet’ – Savannah Morning News

Posted: at 11:30 pm

As growth continues in west Chatham, city tackles transient crimes, traffic issues

Officials say crime is under control despite the rapid growth to Pooler and they intend to keep it that way.

Its been peacefully quiet in Pooler, said Pooler Police Chief Mark Revenew last week.

But there are still some concerns in the west Chatham city. Nestled between Interstate 95 and Interstate 16, the city has become a popular stop for commuters and transient guests. Some of those transient guests choose to make their stay in Pooler a permanent one, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

And more people inside the city limits spurs an opportunity for criminal activity. The majority of crimes in Pooler have included prostitution and child victimization, speeding, driving under the influence and other traffic violations.

When you look at Pooler, we get 70,000 cars a day going down I-95, and we get 30,000 a day going down 16, Revenew said. We have 11,000 Gulfstream workers pass through for lunch. Our transient population is huge.

Growth and centralization

In 2010, about 19,000 people called Pooler home, according to the U.S Census Bureau. By 2015, the citys population increased 21.1 percent to 23,133 residents.

Its a wave of rapid growth that brought a slew of new hotels, restaurants, retail shops, automobile dealerships and medical facilities and spurred a new 51,500-square-foot city hall building and matching municipal complex.

Look at how the city of Pooler and how its grown we needed (the city hall) to grow, Mayor Mike Lamb said in a March 31 Savannah Morning News article. We needed to do something, not just for a quick fix but for the next 50, 100 years.

City officials and other west Chatham dignitaries broke ground on the facility in July 2015. And about two years later, the new three-story city hall and adjoining municipal courtroom was completed, outfitted with offices for city and a new location for the city police department staffed with about 50 officers.

The police departments headquarters had been located in shopping centers for three decades. But with the city rapidly growing, it was time for things to change, Revenew said.

A lot of people dont realize that it was strategically decided to put us central to the city (here at the new city hall), he said. We have new Pooler with the Parkway, semi-new Pooler with the Pine Barren area and Old Pooler. So this puts us in a central location. ... Plus it makes us more efficient. If I need something from, say, finance I just walk upstairs. It gives us secured parking and it looks professional. It makes our evidence room that more secure. And its easier for city leaders to come to the department if they need anything. The communication is so much more streamlined.

Pooler Crime

With a large transient population passing in and out of the city, its easy for crime to make its way to Pooler, according to Revenew.

People all flock into Savannah to work and come back home, he said. People come from Effingham and Richmond and even Hardeeville to frequent Pooler. Unfortunately, that means that they come here to commit crimes too. I presented a report a while back and about 70 percent of the arrests we make for shoplifting are people who arent from Pooler.

Among those coming to commit crimes are people engaging in illicit sexual activity. The police department said it made 15 arrests for prostitution between 2015 and 2017, and thats an issue Revenew says his department is tackling aggressively.

The two things we are super aggressive and proactive about is child pornography/victimization and these vice crimes, he said. Because what happens is being our locale on 95 is a lot of these prostitutes travel. Theyll come here for a week but we dont want them staying a day. People still look at it as a victim-less crime But we see the secondary crimes. They dont. They just think its harmless.

The police department often partners with Savannah-Chatham police and other municipality police departments to help combat crime, he said.

We want to hear that we make it uncomfortable for them to commit crimes here.

Previous prostitution busts in the city have also uncovered substances and other items associated with drug use and distribution, and those arrests have been helped by the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics team. A 2015 bust at the Econo Lodge on U.S. 80 also resulted in human trafficking and weapon possession charges.

The Savannah Morning News made a request for a complete report of violent crime statistics from the Pooler Police Department, but that data was not yet available. The FBIs most recent report from 2014 showed 40 violent crimes and 620 property crimes including burglary, vehicle theft and larceny theft. After 2014, the FBI changed its reporting practices to focus on a metropolitan statistical area report, which is now put out by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Subdivision speeding

But prostitution isnt the only growing crime in Pooler. Theres the issue of drivers going too fast through the city dubbed as one giant subdivision. Tanger Outlets has increased traffic flow, which will also soon be affected at the other end of Pooler Parkway with the building of a new micro-hospital that will serve communities in west Chatham.

We get more complaints that we dont do enough enforcement for speeding than we do too much, Revenew said. People get really aggravated when cars fly through their neighborhood, but we have 100 neighborhoods over 700 streets, so its really difficult to make everybody happy.

And with the recent fatalities on the Interstates in Pooler, slowing drivers down is a priority for Revenew and his officers.

With those 15 fatalities on 16, it is very important to us. We had the five nursing students killed, another five killed in a fiery crash and another five killed in a head-on collision along that three-mile stretch, he said.

... A lot of people think its a victimless crime, but its much more than that. Just a few weeks ago, we stopped a girl doing 107 with marijuana edibles in her car. She admitted she was going to sell them at Orange Crush. But you have to think, we dont know if they are safe, whether she used the right amount of THC, whether they were made in a sterile environment, plus someone going 107 on a highway colliding with grandma whos doing 60 its a disaster.

But Poolers bordering of multiple cities makes for a unique partnership to help address the growing issues, Revenew said.

The city shares limits with Bloomingdale, Garden City and Savannah and the Pooler Police Department frequently calls on its brothers in blue to help across jurisdiction lines.

Back after the crash in 2007, grants dried up and budgets dried up, he said. It pushed us to working together. We have to work together. We have to be more efficient. We dont have the resources we had 10 years ago and that made us come the table and say How can we help each other? and so by sharing our resources we complement each other.

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Letters: Immigration, school suspensions – Knoxville News Sentinel

Posted: at 11:30 pm

Knoxville News Sentinel 4:01 p.m. ET May 1, 2017

Lets set the record straight on how Democrats feel about immigration, to counter cartoon caricatures like Democrats want open borders. Democrats' feelings can be summarized as Much Ado and Weve Seen This Movie Before.

Much Ado refers to the puzzlement that Democrats feel about the enormous noise that President Donald Trump and his supporters make about people who are non-compliant with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Agency regulations, which usually happens from overstaying a visa.

Such infractions fall in a broad class of commonplace, low-punishment transgressions like traffic violations and in-home smoking of marijuana, where total enforcement is wildly impractical because of cost and disruption. Consider the enormous investment that would be required to catch and prosecute every speeder or every puff of marijuana. Imagine the disruption to daily life total enforcement would entail, and the affront it would present to our constitutional liberties. Any politician demanding the investment required for total enforcement would be laughed out of the room, yet thats exactly the level of immigration enforcement that Trump has promised and his supporters demand.

Catching every speeder or arresting every pot smoker would produce no real benefit to justify the enormous expense and disruption. Like immigration infractions, these are essentially victimless crimes. Indeed, it can be argued that speeders put others in far greater peril than those here pursuing the American dream.

This leads to Weve Seen This Movie Before. How to account for the visceral hatred shown by Trump supporters to the undocumented in comparison to speeders, puffersor other low-level offenders? One can only observe that similar attitudes were expressed towards other newcomers, whether Irish, Germans, Italians, Jews, Poles, Chinese, Japanese, Puerto Ricans,and the list goes on and on. And that brings us to one final saying:If It Quacks Like a Duck ...

Laurence J. Best,Lenoir City

In your article Knox churches seek action in schools, jails on April 24, I was disappointed at the Knox County Board of Educations lack of involvement in the efforts that Justice Knox and city officials are putting toward reducing school suspensions. As the article mentions, these suspensions result in a disproportionate number of minority and disabled students being removed from classrooms. As a graduate social work student at the University of Tennesseewith a focus on organizational leadership, I find Justice Knoxs community organizing efforts to be a welcomeapproach to addressing this issue. I would like to see members of the school board embracing this solution-focused approach to meeting the needs of our children.

The school-to-prison pipeline is a very real problem, andearnest efforts must be made toward eliminating it. The American Civil Liberties Union (www.aclu.org/issues/juvenile-justice/school-prison-pipeline) informs us of the direct correlation between being suspended or expelled from school and being incarcerated as an adult. When students who are removed from school are largely part of at-risk populations, why would school board members not want to be involved in efforts to change these disturbing statistics?

Policies that push students out of the classroom negatively affect those who could most benefit from having an education for a better chance at a promising future. I urge the Board of Education to collaborate with Justice Knox and remember that their mission is "to advocate Excellence for All Children,which includes children who are part of a minority or face a disability.

Amy Grimes, Maryville

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Uncle George or Ayn Rand? It’s our choice – The Citizen.com

Posted: at 11:30 pm

When I was a child, we had a friend of the family we called Uncle George. His real name was George Byrnes. He had been a cop in New York City for some 28 years before retiring to Connecticut with his wife and three daughters.

He never talked about his time as a NYC policeman. But he was the kindest, most Christian man I ever met. When my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, George used to accompany my father to Yale New Haven Hospital where she was receiving treatment. Parking at the hospital was limited at the time, so they parked the car well down the block. New Haven was a rather seedy small city, and there was no shortage of down and out characters on their way to the hospital.

My father, the hard bitten, New England combat veteran, ignored them. Uncle George, on the other hand, went among them handing out whatever money he had on his person. When he ran out, he asked my father to borrow some money. My father, who was a good man but a frugal one, looked at him and said, you know theyll only go out and buy more booze with it. George replied, I wouldnt want to miss the one who needed it.

The United States spends almost 17 percent of her GNP on healthcare, and does not insure everyone in the country. No other country in the world spends anywhere close to that amount.

The following countries provide universal healthcare at a level commensurate with what we would expect if we can afford healthcare here: Austria, Australia, Croatia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Many other countries provide universal healthcare, but I would not hesitate to receive care in any of the above listed countries.

The UK spent about 10 percent of its GNP on healthcare last year. Life expectancy there was 2.6 years longer than found in the U.S. Infant mortality in the UK was 4.8 per thousand births versus 6.2 for the United States. Cancer survival rates in the U.S. seem slightly better, but more cancers are diagnosed here, including more cancers that would not cause death.

When you get into medical statistics, it gets complicated and esoteric. What really ought to stand out to all of us are a couple of facts.

We pay a LOT more for medical care in this country. Not all of our people can obtain medical care. Many people face economic ruin when they do obtain care. Many of our poor are never afforded the care that the poorest in far poorer countries may obtain.

A couple of weeks ago Mr. Beverly in one of his editorials told us that evangelicals, in opposing government-mandated and -financed healthcare, are not acting in contravention to mandates from the almighty to assist the poor. Such acts he said are individual and should not be compelled through government.

Last week he told us the government simply cannot afford it; that U.S. national debt is already too great.

So Im wondering now which is the reason. Government should not, or government cannot. Because right now somebody is vacuuming up the proceeds from our healthcare expenditures while we overpay and receive in many cases, only average results.

For our efforts, millions of people have to deal with a system that routinely overcharges, and causes many people to wonder how on earth they will afford their treatment, while the poorest among us must seek the most expensive treatment available at emergency rooms.

I challenge evangelicals because I have known true Christians, not because I am one. How can one group of people who are supposedly following in the footsteps of the Christ be so enslaved to a party and a leadership so enslaved to their own personal enrichment? How can people attend church, mutter all the words, and completely miss the point?

I am not as good a man as Uncle George. He would never call people out on their actions and their hypocrisy. He was like an original Christian. By his deeds, by his kindness, by his love for humanity in whatever form he could fashion it he just was.

Modern American evangelicals in their ossified state will undoubtedly continue to meet, to wear their little mission shirts when they seek obfuscation from the poor in Central America, and completely miss the one who needs it here at home, because they have wedded themselves to political thought that is completely callous in its effect. We cant all be Uncle George, but we dont have to be Ayn Rand.

Its our call.

Timothy J. Parker Peachtree City, Ga.

[The editor replies: Mr. Parker asks a fair question: Which is it, compulsory healthcare violates our individual rights, or the government cant afford it? My answer: Both.]

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The Monty Python Reunion Movie with Robin Williams’s Final Performance Has a US Release Date – Flavorwire

Posted: at 11:29 pm

From the time of its announcement, Absolutely Anything sounded like a comedy fans wet dream. Its a new feature from Monty Pythons Terry Jones (who directed their Life of Brian and Meaning of Life, and co-directed Holy Grail), starring present-day Python torch carriers Simon Pegg and Eddie Izzard, plus vocal performances by Jones and his fellow surviving Pythons John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam, and Robin Williams in his final (off)screen performance. (He recorded his dialogue a mere three weeks before his death in 2014). It began rolling into theaters in Europe and Asia in August of last year, but has been weirdly MIA from American screens.

Thatll change this month. Deadline reports Atlas Distribution Co., a boutique distributor best known for (gulp) the Atlas Shrugged movies, will release Absolutely Anything in U.S. theaters on May 12. It is the first non-documentary film reunion for the Python crew since the groups final movie, The Meaning of Life, back in 1983 (though in recent years, theyve appeared together on stage and at film festivals); it will also likely be the last for this iteration of the group, as Jones announced shortly after the films British release that hes been diagnosed with a rare form of dementia.

So with all that talent and legacy in play, why has it taken Absolutely Anything so long to reach our shores? It could be the brutal reviews it received elsewhere; The Guardians Peter Bradshaw called it just depressing, a sub-Douglas Adams sci-fi comedy which looks like mediocre kids TV with a dismal script and cheapncheerless production values, and Varietys Peter Debruge noted, Its devastating to think how far Jones has fallen in the four decades since Holy Grail, in which he got more laughs banging a few coconuts together than he musters from his entire movie. Still, whore we kidding, its a Monty Python reunion with Simon Pegg and Robin Williams Im gonna see it anyway.

Heres the trailer:

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Fear and Loathing at Friedman ’17 – Being Libertarian

Posted: at 11:29 pm

The Friedman Conference is an event held every year by the Australian Libertarian Society and the Australian Taxpayers Alliance. The event is conducted in order to bring together the biggest and brightest minds in the libertarian sphere, where they give their thoughts regarding the modern sense of entropy faced by so many in the current political climate.

The 2017 gathering managed to attract names such as Ezra Levant, Senator David Leyonhjelm, Senator Malcom Roberts, Professor Michael Munger, Nick Gillespie, Senator Cory Bernardi, former vice presidential candidate Judd Weiss, and Trumps former economic policy advisor Darren Brady Nelson. The amalgamation of academic superstars can be found on the web page to the momentous event. The event is the biggest pro-liberty gathering in the Asia-Pacific region, and I managed to get in to report on the proceedings for Being Libertarian.

Comprehensive lectures were given on a range of topics from modern to classical theories regarding the wacky world of politics, in which some of the older freedom-fighters came face-to-face with the newer generations of the movement.

One of the most energized and exciting panels of the conference was the one which found itself subject to the most controversy though; the accumulation of rising figures in the realm of alternative media. The Age, a heavily left-wing Australian publication, managed to infiltrate and misrepresent the sentiments of the speakers. Whilst The Age may have simply ignored the context of the comments made on the panel, we here at Being Libertarian pride ourselves upon journalistic integrity in research and after having read the article, I decided to reach out to those who found themselves subject to what ultimately amounted to defamation of character.

James Fox Higgins of the Rational Rise redirected me to an Instagram post which he had made earlier with regards to the way in which the fake news had portrayed them. The post read:

Well there you have it. Mainstream media selectively quoting and dishonestly characterizing an event. To be clear: I was quoting@juddweisson making libertarianism sexy, and 3 of us on the panel identify as gender-fluid panhuman, so super disappointing to see The Age assuming our gender. Bigots.

The nature of Ross Camerons speech was also very much directed at Fairfax media, who he cited as being prone to mischaracterize those in the media.

His job is to take a hundred photos of Mark Latham and me to make us look like fuckwits.

He then invited the reporter to come towards the front and snap a picture of himself giving a Nazi salute so that they can leave the event and let the libertarians enjoy themselves. This comment was met to endless cheers of adulation and mass praise of the Australians in the room, as the sentiment of a biased media (best expressed through the controversy of The Age article) rung true to many that felt as if their cause was misrepresented.

The brightest members of academia were also the kindest at Friedman 17. It goes without saying that whilst The Age may view us as being outsiders or not, reflective of the cool culture, I refer you to the great Judd Weiss: We are, we have been, and we should be about being the weird and interesting alternative.

For more of my content, including a realm of alternative viewpoints on modern political discourse, my Facebook page can be found here.

This post was written by David McManus.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

David McManus has an extensive background in youth politics and of advocacy with regards to the libertarian and anarcho-capitalist movements. David draws his values from the works of Stirner, Hoppe and Rothbard. He is currently a student in Australia with a passion for writing, which carries into a healthy zest for liberty-based activism. Despite an aspiring career in politics, he considers himself a writer at heart with a steady niche for freelance work.

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Fear and Loathing at Friedman '17 - Being Libertarian

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Being Libertarian Makes Organizational Changes Within Multimedia Department – Being Libertarian

Posted: at 11:29 pm

Michael J. Mazzarone has stepped down as Director of Being Libertarians Multimedia Department.

Mazzarone commented:

This move will only accelerate the growth of Being Libertarian and our Mulitmedia Department. My tenure as Director of Multimedia was always meant to be temporary. I wanted to do what I could to grow MMD organically so we had a solid foundation in place, and then focus back on my strengths, public relations, all of which I feel has been accomplished. I also am proud to announce the appointment of current Being LiberTV interviewer, Michael Brokamp as the divisions senior publicist. Brokamp has secured heavy hitting interviews such as Ron Paul and James OKeefe and that has not gone without notice. While this appointment wont affect his interviewing capabilities, I wish him luck on this new endeavor. Associate publicists to this division will be named later.

Being Libertarian LLC is shaking up the Multimedia Division, andis also happy to announce the creation of a new Public Relations Section, of which Mazzarone will be the Manager.

Jared Howe will remain MMDs Content Manager, and Mazzarone has endorsed MMD Deputy Director Eric July asthe new Head of Multimedia. July received unanimous approval from the Board of Directors, and will be taking on this new role effective immediately.

July commented:

Weve been working hard to rebuild this department over the last few months, which gave us some time to figure out each others strengths and weaknesses. This is why we are putting individuals in roles that will give them the greatest opportunity to succeed, playing to their strengths. I look forward to spearheading this department, and having leadership as such will make it that much easier.

Mazzarone and July, while coordinating the transfer of leadership, named YouTube firebrands TJ Brown (ThatGuyT) and Seamus Coughlin (Freedomtoons) to leadership roles within MMD.

Brown said:

The brand of liberty has been in a dire state of mediocrity for quite some time absent of any vibrant representation of the philosophy. When I found Being Libertarian, I noticed a unique quality of cultural focus that didnt revolve around bumper sticker slogans or appeal to libertine moralism. It is my prediction that Being Libertarian will soon be one of the leading platforms in the freedom movement. Promotion of individualism, markets, responsibility and property rights is no longer isolated to legacy non-profits or political parties. As the tide of the information age drowns the sinking ship of legacy media, Im glad to be welcomed aboard this innovative juggernaut and look forward to making a cultural impact unlike anyone else in the game.

I am very excited to be joining the leadership team at Being Libertarian, Coughlin added. He continued, saying as Senior Digital Producer I will be ensuring the production of quality content for the organization and its followers. I look forward to providing you with entertaining and thought provoking content, Coughlin added.

Brown, Coughlin and July will lead the strategic business initiatives and day-to-day operations of the Multimedia Division and Being Libertarians developing free streaming content service, Being LiberTV.

Under Mazzarones leadership, the Multimedia Department made great strides with the launch of Being LiberTV in early 2017 and interviews with high profile figures such as Ron Paul, Gary Johnson, Newt Gingrich, Trent Lott, John Stossel, and others. His appointment of Eric July as Deputy Director led to quick successes, as they secured partnerships with Liberty Link Media Group, ThatGuyT, FreedomToons, among others. The future of libertarian multimedia looks bright, with Eric July and BackWordz having secured an enduring name in the field of music in an age where political upheaval across the globe continues to increase the appeal of realistic libertarian solutions to real world problems. Were honored to march to the frontlines of liberty, and look forward to playing a role in its ever-needed defense.

Image: Dave Van Englehoven

* Martin van Staden is the Director of Literature & Publications and the Editor in Chief of Being Libertarian.

This post was written by Martin van Staden.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

Martin van Staden is the Editor in Chief of Being Libertarian, the Legal Researcher at the Free Market Foundation, a co-founder of the RationalStandard.com, and the Southern African Academic Programs Director at Students For Liberty. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not represent any of the aforementioned organizations.

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Being Libertarian Makes Organizational Changes Within Multimedia Department - Being Libertarian

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Trump: Bannon’s More Of a Libertarian Than Anything Else – The Liberty Conservative

Posted: at 11:29 pm

Despiterecent reports that White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon had been sidelined within the administration, it appears he may be winning back the Presidents favor.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Trump defendedBannon, describing him as a very decent guy who feels very strongly about the country and had received a bad rap from the media.

Trump also disputed the medias portrayalof Bannon as an alt-right figure, stating that he sees Bannon as alt-left, on the basis thatBannons more of a libertarian than anything else.

In response to reports of tensions between Bannon and Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Trump said,theyre getting along fine.

Trump went on todownplay reports that Bannon would be leavingthe White House, saying: Im very happy with our group. Were doing very well.

Bannon is said to have made an unlikely comeback within the White House, having reportedly beenbehind the Trump administrations recent criticisms of Canadas abuse of NAFTA, according toThe Hill.

Trumps characterization of Bannon as a libertarian is certainly unusual, given Bannons previousdismissalof the Cato Institute and Austrian economics.

However, it is not unheard of, with Bannon himself stating Im a big believer in a lot of libertarianism in a 2014 speechto the Human Dignity Institute. Bannon then went on to criticize the Ayn Rand or the Objectivist School of libertarian capitalism, which he considers a capitalism that really looks to make people commodities, and to objectify people, and to use them almost. This suggests that Bannon, if he is indeed a libertarian, perhaps has more of a paleolibertarian outlook, combining libertarianism with a deep-seated cultural conservatism.

Regardless of Bannons personal ideology, his anti-establishment outlook has made him an ally for libertarians who wish to see Trump adhere to his America First campaign platform, with Bannon reportedly pushingback against attempts by National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster to escalate U.S. involvement in Syria and by Kushner to keep the United States in the Paris climate agreement.

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Trump: Bannon's More Of a Libertarian Than Anything Else - The Liberty Conservative

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