Category Archives: NEWS
[TMA NEWS] While we were gone… #CUBA #Starships
BLOGGER UPDATE!
Last week Jordan (3rd from right) & myself, Eddy (2nd from left) took a week long break from TMA for a much needed ‘girls gone wild’ vacation! We left you dry but now we’re back to lubricate your ears with hottest music (LOL)! Thank you to the thousands of viewers that visit TMA everyday. Now check out the video montage of our wild ‘Cuba Vacation 2012′ with 9 amazing friends! “Let’s go to the beach, beach, lets go get away…”
[HUMANITY] KONY 2012 (Invisible Children)
KONY 2012 is a film and campaign by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice.
HOW TO HELP:
Join TRI or Donate to Invisible Children: bit.ly/yp5Ffv
Purchase KONY 2012 products: invisiblechildrenstore.myshopify.com/
Sign the Pledge: causes.com/causes/227-invisible-children
[LGBTQ] Transgendered People Outraged Over Canada’s Identification Rules for Air Travel
OTTAWA—The Canadian transgendered community fears being grounded by rules forbidding airlines from allowing someone to board if their hair and clothing do not match the gender identity listed on their passport or other identification.
“We cannot have regulations which judge people on how they appear to be gendered. It’s unacceptable,” said Christin Milloy, a trans-identified blogger whose Monday post about the identity requirements for air travel was one of those widely discussed by the transgendered community online this week.
At issue were a couple dozen words buried in the identity screening regulations that airlines must follow when it comes to deciding who can — and can’t — board their aircraft.
“An air carrier shall not transport a passenger if . . . the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents,” says the amendment to Transport Canada regulations, first published in August 2010 but apparently unnoticed until now.
No stories about transgendered people being banned from flights have emerged and one likely reason is the existence of a loophole that was missed in all the uproar.
“If, for medical reasons, a passenger’s facial features do not correspond to the photo on his or her identification, the air carrier may authorize the passenger to board a plane if he or she provides a medical certificate relating to this,” Transport Canada spokesman Patrick Charette wrote on Tuesday, noting the department was unaware of any transgendered or transsexual person with a medical document being refused on board since the rules changed.
Charette said the regulations are those of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) used in every country and were amended because they did not previously explicitly require airlines to match what passengers actually looked like with the identification they were using.
New Democrat MP Randal Garrison, the LGBT critic for his party, said the medical exemption solves the immediate problem but is not enough.
“If they’re going to interpret that to cover transgendered people I suppose that’s better than denying them the right to fly, but what’s the problem we’re fixing?” said Garrison, who has written to Transport Minister Denis Lebel for an explanation. “How does it make every person at the gate of an airplane a gender expert? It’s sledgehammer for a flea again.”
Liberal MP Justin Trudeau (Papineau), who drew attention to the issue on Twitter on Tuesday, said there is no need to look at the ‘M’ or ‘F’ on a passport or other government-issued card in the days of photo identification.
[TECH] Megaupload Shut Down, Anonymous Retaliates: Several Websites Hacked
Hacktivists with the collective Anonymous are waging an attack on the website for the White House after successfully breaking the sites for the FBI, Department of Justice, Universal Music Group, RIAA and Motion Picture Association of America.
In response to today’s federal raid on the file sharing service Megaupload, hackers with the online collective Anonymous have broken the websites for the FBI, Department of Justice, Universal Music Group, RIAA, Motion Picture Association of America and Warner Music Group.
“It was in retaliation for Megaupload, as was the concurrent attack on Justice.org,” Anonymous operative Barrett Brown tells RT on Thursday afternoon.
Only hours before the DoJ and Universal sites went down, news broke that Megaupload, a massive file sharing site with a reported 50 million daily users, was taken down by federal agents. Four people linked to Megaupload were arrested in New Zealand and an international crackdown led agents to serving at least 20 search warrants across the globe.
The latest of sites to fall is FBI.gov, which finally broke at around 7:40 pm EST Thursday evening.
Less than an hour after the DoJ and Universal sites came down, the website for the RIAA, or Recording Industry Association of America, went offline as well. Shortly before 6 p.m EST, the government’s Copyright.gov site went down as well. Thirty minutes later came the site for BMI, or Broadcast Music, Inc, the licensing organization that represents some of the biggest names in music.
Also on Thursday, MPAA.org also returned an error as Anonymous hacktivists managed to bring the website for the Motion Picture Association of America. The group, headed by former senator Chris Dodd, is an adamant supporter of both PIPA and SOPA legislation.
Universal Music Group, or UMG, is the largest record company in the United States and under its umbrella are the labels Interscope-Geffen-A&M, the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group and Mercury Records.
Brown adds that “more is coming” and Anonymous-aligned hacktivists are pursuing a joint effort with others to “damage campaign raising abilities of remaining Democrats who support SOPA.”
Although many members of Congress have just this week changed their stance on the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, the raid on Megaupload Thursday proved that the feds don’t need SOPA or its sister legislation, PIPA, in order to pose a blow to the Web.
Brown adds that operatives involved in the project will use an “experimental campaign” and search engine optimization techniques “whereby to forever saddle some of these congressmen with their record on this issue.”
[LGBTQ] Mollie Thomas – First Openly Gay ‘Miss California’ Contestant
Meet Mollie Thomas, Miss California’s first openly gay contestant. Although I am posting this from Canada, and I’m not eligible to vote, it’s great to see Mollie taking this huge step forward for equality, and I offer my full support.
HOMEPAGE: http://www.mollieformissca.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MollieThomasForMissCA
A Letter from Mollie Thomas:
I’m proud to be the first openly gay woman running for Miss California USA. This is an opportunity to represent the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) community in a way I never dreamed of. My life has taken me many amazing places. I’ve been blessed with the ability to travel the world, and my experiences living in Los Angeles have compelled me to run for Miss California, USA.
I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, and as a little girl I loved to wear tiaras around the house. Like many little girls, I dreamed of being a beauty queen, but that was the extent of my pageant experience. Growing up, I joined a volunteer travel organization that took me on a journey of a lifetime. My volunteer work abroad has included living with a family in Mongolia and working at a school for handicapped children, spending a summer in Northern Thailand volunteering at an elephant reserve, participating in reforestation programs in Australia and rebuilding houses with Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. As a result of my travels, I became more involved in human rights issues and developed a deep appreciation for knowing and practicing what one stands for. This also played a big role in my personal life with my own identity. I did not hesitate to let people know who I am, as a lesbian to my family and friends, but I knew it might change the way I was viewed by society.
Running for Miss California, USA was a complete unexpected turn in my life. In early September, I was approached by a recruiter for Miss USA after working with him on a different project. Upon finding out that I identify as a lesbian he presented the opportunity to run openly in the 2012 pageant, and of course, I couldn’t turn it down!
By participating in Miss California, USA I am able to fulfill my early childhood dream of pageantry, while staying true to myself. I am so grateful that K2 Productions is so accepting and inclusive to allow me to be a contestant. I am taking this opportunity not only to fulfill some of my own aspirations, but also to be a positive role model and inspiration for the LGBTQ community and for girls everywhere. With your help, I would be honored to be the next Miss California USA.
[LONDON / HEALTH] Canadian Developed HIV Vaccine Approved for Human Studies
London, Ontario CANADA –The first and only preventative HIV vaccine based on a genetically modified killed whole virus has received approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start human clinical trials.
Developed by Dr. Chil-Yong Kang and his team at The University of Western Ontario, with the support of Sumagen Canada, the vaccine (SAV001) holds tremendous promise, having already proven to stimulate strong immune responses in preliminary toxicology tests with no adverse effects or safety risks. It is the only HIV vaccine currently under development in Canada, and one of only a few in the world.
[CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN] Miracle on 22nd Street (#6)
A gay couple living on 22nd street in New York started getting letters addressed to Santa Claus in the mail. First there were a few, but within the month, they received about 450! They didn’t understand why they were being confused with Santa Claus, and were unsure of how to handle the situation. Watch the video to see this real-life Christmas miracle.
CHECK OUT THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN
[WATCH] Rick Perry Lets Us Know “there’s something wrong” in America
I’m sorry, what?? I had to watch this video three times to make sure I was hearing what I thought I was hearing! I was actually tempted to categorize this under “COMEDY”. Where is Hilary Clinton when you need her? Watch the video below and share your thoughts. Unfortunately, the Rick Perry 2012 YouTube page has disabled viewer responses, but that doesn’t mean you can’t CLICK HERE to dislike and report.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian, but you don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.
As President, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion. And I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.
Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.
I’m Rick Perry and I approve this message.
Now…. let’s lighten things up a little, shall we?
