Google Hates Fags

Wow! President Obama can commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots at the White House with openly out Americans but Google chooses to completely ignore America's Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans community.

As best I can tell, Google has NEVER posted any LBGT-themed Holiday Logo, even though every June is Gay Pride Month in most of the civilized world and Pride is observed just up the road from Google's Silicon Valley HQ.

Wow, I guess Google is really run by a bunch of flaming homophobes.....

Adams and Obama

Wow! Could more have happened this week and could it be more confusing?!? It's almost like Election Day all over again -- Most candidates win but Prop 8 passes in California. Now we've got a stunning start to President Obama's term while Portland Out Gay Mayor is struggling for his political career. UGH, can't we ever get anything good without a major dose of bad to wash it down?!?

For those who haven't heard, it seems that Portland's Mayor asked some folks to lie for him when facing questions about a sexual liaison he had. Instead of saying, "I had sex with an adult and really it's not any of your business," he chose to say he only "mentored" a young man.

Well, now the facts got too hard to deny and so Mayor Adams has admitted he lied about his relationship with another politician's intern. But of course that doesn't stop the media from implying that he lied about having sex with a minor. So now we have a police investigation into the facts and that will tell us one thing, but still folks are pretty upset just about the lie.

My takes is, if Adams resigns, then he really did do something bad and it's only a matter of time before that comes out. If he stays put, then he had sex with an adult and will have to work extra hard to get voters to forget that he lied about his sex life. To be honest, I think most Portlanders could care less who politician sleep with as long as they aren't minors or, and this is really where I think this thing gets sticky, people under the politician.

As I posted on Gay Rights Watch:

...is this really the proper thing for a mentor to be doing with the people he is mentoring? Do we think bosses should sleep with their employees? Should professors sleep with students? Or maybe what people really want to say is that these are exactly the types of relationships that SHOULD NOT be sexual because later on it is much harder to understand why a mentor has made a certain choice introduction, or why an employee received a promotion or raise, or why a student got a high grade. Unfortunately, you don’t have to be be rightwing to view this as an abuse of trust by an individual in a position of power. This is something that I think IS troubling people about this “scandal.”

Too bad the Media can't figure out a way to have THAT discussion.

ON TO GOOD NEWS

Since King George II took the White House in 2001 I've adopted a very off-hands approach to following politics. I figure whatever will happen will happen and it's not worth getting too worked up about. So I laid low and explained why I couldn't vote for Obama but what a difference winning the election makes!

Only two clicks into the new White House website you find the Obama Administrations Civil Right Agenda. The bottom half of the page has a heading "Support for the LGBT Community" and lists the following:

• Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: ... include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability ...
• Fight Workplace Discrimination: ... anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity ...
• Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: ... that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples ... enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions ...
• Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage...
• Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: ... The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited ...
• Expand Adoption Rights: ... ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation ...
• Promote AIDS Prevention: ... implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy ... increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities ... age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system ... lifting the federal ban on needle exchange ... confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.
• Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: ... accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS ...

Gee, if only they would have said that on the campaign site, they would have had me a long time ago!!!

But seriously, I've really wanted to wait to see what the administration does, not really what it says it will do and so far so good! Granted, nothing particularly of import to the LBGTQ community has happened, but here are the things I am excited about:

• Hillary Rodham Clinton as Secretary of State
• Suspension of Guantanamo trials, limiting the use of torture in interrogation, and close the base in a year
  
• Lifting the ban on Federal funding to NGOs that also provide abortions
• Named George Mitchell "Special Envoy for Middle East peace" and Richard Holbrooke as special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan
• Instructed all agencies and departments to "adopt a presumption in favor" of Freedom of Information Act requests
• Telephoned Prime Minister Olmert of Israel, President Mubarak of Egypt, King Abdallah of Jordan and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority
• Revoked Executive Order 13233, which had ... limit[ed] access to the records of former United States Presidents

Info taken from BBC and Wikipedia

Not bad for a start, huh? The only thing I was disappointed with is his administration's stated unwillingness to open a dialog with Hamas. Okay, I'll bow to their superior information on that one, but I really would have liked them to willing to talk to any legitimate organization actively working against American policy. Who knows, if progress starts again, then maybe Hamas will change in order to get to talk, especially when other people are invited to the table (say, maybe like Iran and whoever takes control in North Korea).

All in all, I think they are setting the right tone and not just saying how they will be different from the last administration but already doing things differently. So, now it's up to Congress. Will they play ball or do they think the President's too big for his britches?

Stop Censoring America's Best and Brightest

I recently sent this to Oregon Public Broadcasting in the hope they would share it with decision makers at PBS. Bleeping out words from an almost operatic piece from the pen of non other than Leonard Bernstein just seemed way beyond the pale. After all, this is clearly not a program aimed at a young market.

I've seen shows over the last years -- this is a big hint as to the most likely culprit -- which have pixeled out the back sides of beach goers in the Caribbean as well as the brests of women in famous works of art. But they won't stop there, they now bleep out any expletives or phrases that refer to Christian figures that are not, let's say, worshipful or statement of religious history. In other words, "Oh, God!" is bleeped but "God made the world" isn't.

Imagine listening to a member of a prior Presidential administration telling you about this or that historical experience when we once again narrowly averted disaster. If such a leader would say something like "I couldn't believe he'd do that. I mean Christ, what was he thinking?" even a past President would now be censored on PBS.

And try to watch a show about our children fighting for this administration in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hell, every other word is "fuck" so you get something like, "I couldn't BLEEP believe the stupid BLEEP BLEEP threw the BLEEP thing across the BLEEP road and nearly BLEEP hit the BLEEP sergeant between her fat BLEEP BLEEP."

Yes, it's time for a change...

Please pass this message up the PBS chain as appropriate -- I have no idea who to address my frustrations to.

I have noticed an overwhelming amount of verbal censorship in programs I watch on OPB/PBS. I am an adult, I don't need some bureaucrat sitting in some office on the other side of the country deciding what my ears should hear and what they shouldn't. Now that someone has made the decision that programs should censor something that might offend a certain religious minority in this country, even that is bleeped out.

Right now I'm watching a 90th Birthday Celebration of Leonard Bernstein's music. Personally, if he as one of this countries most respected and venerated composer/lyricists feels that to make his point he needed to use some for of expletive, then I as a free adult American should have the right to listen to his work as he intended. To censor such work, as well as the words of historical personages on such programs as American Experience shows that certain people feel they must parent every American.

I'm sick and tired of religious people telling me what I can hear. I neither agree with their justification for their censorship nor with their seeming right to inflict upon non-believers their religious moral framework. For me, Freedom of Religion should mean that I should be allowed to chose my own religious sensibilities.

By now, most Americans who really care so much about their precious ears being sullied by the words of America's best and brightest, and believe it or not, some of the darlings of the Neo-Conservative Movement have been taped using a four letter word or two, have been more than happy to go out and buy a V-Chip equipped TV or whatever more modern device they chose to bring television into their homes.

Therefore, isn't it time to lighten up on the pedantic policing of information broadcast to the nation's adults?

Maybe It's Worse To Be Ignored

As unbelievable as it could seem, during this night of wonderful win after wonderful win, as the news repeats "Mandate" like a mantra, I'm wondering how other LBGTQ voters are feeling tonight. I'm sure many are caught up in the Blue State Parties nationwide, but I'm guessing that my brothers and sisters in California are having a tough night.

It's a tough night for me. I didn't want to turn on the news, but just couldn't resist. Yes, I'm glad that I was able to hear both McCain and Obama's speeches. Maybe their messages point to new days ahead, but like one talking head mentioned, it seems like the country has set it expectations high -- in other words, the only person who might be able to meet them wears a cape to work every day, not a business suit.

Two years from now, will we be burning Obama in effigy since he hasn't given us everything we want? Or will we also learn some patience and wait for things to be argued thoroughly so that we come to good solutions. I'm tired of convenient compromises that seem to give everyone a tiny something and yet just plain fall short of solving the problems most of us agree need solutions.

Earlier tonight, I was actually thinking to myself that with an Obama win and the predicted coat-tails sweeping a new Congress into Washington, AND a win on Proposition 8 in California (plus a rumored Gay Marriage Law in New York in the next year) then maybe gays and lesbians might not be forgotten when we talk about all Americans sitting at the table.

But with just under 50% of the California vote reported, as I prepare to go to bed, it doesn't look that good. 53.3% of California voters really don't believe that gays and lesbians deserve to have their relationships protected let alone honored, at least not equally. I have to wonder what will happen in our most populous state -- will those who married this past year have any legal redress or will their marriage certificates be like those issued in Multnomah County - "VOID - No Refunds." No rights.

It's hard to live without hope that tomorrow will be better. Somehow, many Americans have found hope again. It's rather odd that anyone could be hopeful simply because of who won an election. After all, all those on the Right, the religious and fiscally conservative and the hawkish, felt they had actually won eight short years ago when they overran the streets with their "Sore Loserman" signs. Will it be four or eight years before they will be touting the first woman President. After all, Palin seemed to be about the only bright spot for the Republicans this election season, it's hard to believe, that with a Moderate like McCain so roundly rejected, that anyone lacking Palin's Evangelical credentials will carry that party to the White House again in my lifetime.

Yes, it's hopeful to see that this election wasn't stolen from us. Yes, it's wonderful that a backroom deal didn't thwart the will of the people. But all we really are saying is that finally, after 232 years, maybe the republic really can be a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." We have to hope that our next leader won't sell out the ideals he has promised us he will govern by for yet another piece of convenient compromise legislation gutted of the change the people have demanded and replaced with pork barrel spending projects.

At least. being the one hopeless American who didn't support Obama, I imagine that I'll be the last one cutting him slack even if he forgets about me. Lord knows I wouldn't want to be him. I think few jobs could be harder and I've got a nasty sinking feeling the bad news isn't over yet. But maybe with Americans engaged and responsive, we can move forward.

Well, the situation in California continues to tighten -- those against gay marriage have slipped to 53.1% of the vote. It will probably be close and my guess is that it will be the news in a day or two. Then it will be back to the daily grind of deaths in Iraq, the continued Wall Street slid for lack of long-term thinking (and way too much short-term profit taking), Americans dying from the lack of health care, a transportation system held together with chewing gum and sticky tape. And lest I forget, we still have to overcome an energy policy based on foreign oil, tax policy that favors the rich to the detriment of working and poor Americans, illegal immigration, as well as a continuing war with religious fundamentalists. And don't forget, some of us want to be fully equal Americans -- gay marriage may be temporarily forgotten, but it's not gone.

Hey Senator McCain, don't forget you promised to help...but then what's one Maverick surrounded by a despondent party back on the skids. The mind reals....

Why I Couldn't Vote for Obama

Or Why I Voted Nader in 2008

Imagine me running for the White House with no clear policy on education reform. You might find something I had said about it on my immense website if you worked hard enough, but otherwise you would have to rely on a proxy to tell you that I really felt that education was the responsibility of parents and local government should be left to make decisions.

Imagine in various Education Special Interest venues, people reported me saying that I supported a good education for every American but when I spoke in front of this or that group, I said I supported a far reaching proposal to create special schools for racial minority children where they would receive an education "at least as good as" what the racial majority children get. This way we could be address the problems of educational discrimination.

How would you feel if you were told to vote for me?

I would hope that you wouldn't be fooled into accepting "separate but equal" for any of America's children. And yet most American's are still happy to accept "separate but equal" for gay relationships and any children living in them.

But this is, in fact, what the Obama campaign has asked Gay Americans to accept. If you go to the issues page at BarrackObama.com, it's hard to see where equal rights for sexual minorities fits his campaign's view of the issues. We don't merit a mention under Civil Rights or Family. Maybe we're included under Foreign Relations -- because that's just how I feel the Obama campaign has treated the LBGTQ community this election cycle.

Oh yeah, I know he's happy to speak to gay groups here and there and tell them they have nothing to worry about but the real fact is the Democrat Party and Obama's Campaign take for granted that LBGTQ voters will vote for them without question. After all, the Republican's are openly hostile to our concerns and we were their favorite tool of division and derision in 2004. This year the McCain camp seems to be using us as a way to prove to wavering voters that a vote for Obama is a vote for Gay Marriage and the Gay Agenda. I don't think anything could be further from the truth, but when has truth been an issue in an election?

Nationally, I feel LBGTQ Americans are in about the same position as they were pre-Clinton when no one wanted to talk about us. Will either of these candidates fight to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell?" Will either of these candidates be willing to say the Federal government needs to address legalized marriage in California, most of New England, and maybe even New York (if Dems take predicted control of the state Senante)? I doubt it.

Thus it was hard for me to decide how to vote this year. I tried to figure out which candidate most closely tracked with my views on those issues both critical and important to me and I had to go Nader. Granted, I don't think has a snow ball's chance but neither does McCain at this point. So unlike 2000, when I feared a Bush Presidency more than anything, this time I voted my conscience.

Go to "Equal Rights for Gays and Lesbians" and you'll see Nader still supports us

The Nader campaign supports full equal rights for gays and lesbians. While civil unions are a step in the right direction under current federal and state law, they do not afford full and equal rights. There are 1,049 federal rights that are only conferred with marriage. Additionally, at the state level, a civil union is only recognized in the state where it occurs, while a legal marriage, and all the rights that go with it, is recognized in all the states. Thus, the only way to ensure full equal rights is to recognize same-sex marriage.

And no, I want neither Biden nor Palin a heart-attack away from the Presidency.

Hallelujah

SUMMER'S DONE!

Well, if the weather forecast is any indication, it looks like this summer is finally history and none too soon if you ask me. Days in the upper 60s or lower 70s, chance of rain (of course, the day I will be wheeling myself to the doctor -- bet it rains) but the heat is gone.

I'm back to sleeping nights and hopefully things will settle down. I've picked up a stack of puzzles on the cheap from Goodwill and a garage sale. It's been years since I worked puzzles and I forgot how much I enjoy them, but then they do take up the entire dining room table. It's hard to understand, but this apartment has always felt small and tight. I can't imagine setting up a card table for the puzzle. Where would I put it?!?

I'm probably watching fewer movies these days and even though I do have trouble with my eyes, I'm eagerly trying to read more. I continue studying Shakespeare though Macbeth is taking a long time since there has been a lot written about Macbeth. I guess Hamlet will also take a few months to work through. Hmm, maybe that will be my next definitive ranking -- The works of Shakespeare From Best to Worst.

Still, the dog doesn't get the exercise he wants and needs. My legs have been doing better than they were, say, a year ago, but recently trouble sleeping has lead to a huge increase in weakness and pain. It all stems from that 12 hours of sleep a night...

And that's really why I'm happy summer's gone.

The Problem With Today's Web

I've really thought quite highly about the site that this post is from. It helped connect a small group of bloggers in a way no one really is interested in doing -- locally. However, like everything, it takes time and lots of effort and rarely seems to pay off.

It's not like ORBlogs wasn't in it for the long haul. Five and a half years seems like forever on the web today, but as each new technology comes along and every couple of years one bubbles to the top as the next big thing, then it seems like all the other stuff is left for the spammers to devour.

Clearly, Paul only deserves kudos for what he tried to do and while many are happy to jump into -- what's that new crap like FakeBook called? -- what about the rest of us who aren't ready to gobble up everything we are fed by the international marketing machine that runs Planet Earth today? He seems to sum it all up better than I could.

So what will happen to all the little people who made the web -- you know, we were the Person of the Year a couple years back -- the most exciting way for an individual to speak his mind and for people from all over the world to see what she might have to say.

But alas, even those of us who resist most are forced to change no matter how much we might fight. THAT seems to be the truth about life today.

ORblogs is Closed

Thank you for reading and contributing to the site. ORblogs has stopped gathering post excerpts from Oregon blogs, though the current weblog directory will be available for another 30 days.

When I started ORblogs in March 2003, there weren't many good ways to find bloggers living in a particular area. And because I had recently moved to Corvallis, I wanted to learn what I could from people living near me. The site personally put me in touch with bloggers across the state, taught me a lot about Oregon and its cities (including Corvallis), and I hope the site did the same for others. I feel ORblogs served an important role for Oregon blogging by gathering independent voices across all spectrums into one place where everyone shared a common geography.

I'm shutting ORblogs down now because the site continues to grow and the job of maintaining the site at the level I feel is necessary to keep it valuable has grown with it, putting it out of the bounds of a hobby. I wasn't able to make ORblogs self-sustaining financially (let alone turn it into a job), and I can no longer devote the time to the site that it needs to grow. Blogging has changed significantly in five years, and blogging is no longer a hobby for many—it's a job. Commercial blogging isn't as interesting to me as the personal web and that factored into my decision as well.

Thanks again for making ORblogs what it has been over the years. Please take a last look through the directory, find your favorite Oregon blogs, and subscribe to them in your newsreader if you haven't already. There are some spectacular voices in Oregon blogging that I will now have to read another way. I still believe it's important to read locally while I read globally, and I hope you agree and continue to make the effort.

— Paul Bausch (9/4/2008)

My Ranking of Bond Films to Date

From Russia With Love Stuns Goldfinger,
Octopussy Miffed

Being a Bond fan most of my life, I have watched most of the canonical Bond films at least twice (Die Another Day is the only film holding this dishonour) and most of the films more times than I can remember to count. Therefore, I have the right, nee the responsibility, to release my definitive ranking of James Bond 007 films to date. Please, please, no thanks are needed and while I encourage other aficionados to publish rankings of their own, I could care less if you think me the world's greatest prat because I like The Living Daylights more than Thunderball. So keep the flames where they belong, down on Stark Stret, but fee free to ask if you really are curious why I feel the way I do.

Note: My rankings are as of today and possibly subject to change upon continued reviewing of source material. IMDb Rankings are as of 17 September 2008 and will change and may be quite different than what you see when you visit their webpage three years hence. Inclusion here is not meant to indicate approval or any other such nonsense and all that legal-like drivel that websites are keen to throw at users.

My Rank	Title	Year	Actor	Director	Own	My Rating	IMDb Rating	IMDb Rank
1	From Russia with Love	1963	Sean Connery	Terence Young	VHS	9	7.5	3
2	Goldfinger	1964	Sean Connery	Guy Hamilton	both	9	7.9	2
3	Tomorrow Never Dies	1997	Pierce Brosnan	Roger Spottiswoode	DVD	9	6.4	17
4	Casino Royale	2006	Daniel Craig	Martin Campbell	DVD	8	8	1
5	Dr. No	1962	Sean Connery	Terence Young	DVD	8	7.3	4
6	On Her Majesty's Secret Service	1969	George Lazenby	Peter R. Hunt		8	6.9	9
7	Living Daylights, The	1987	Timothy Dalton	John Glen	VHS	8	6.6	14
8	Licence to Kill	1989	Timothy Dalton	John Glen		8	6.5	16
9	World Is Not Enough, The	1999	Pierce Brosnan	Michael Apted	VHS	8	6.3	18
10	You Only Live Twice	1967	Sean Connery	Lewis Gilbert	VHS	7	7	8
11	Spy Who Loved Me, The	1977	Roger Moore	Lewis Gilbert	DVD	7	7.1	5
12	For Your Eyes Only	1981	Roger Moore	John Glen	VHS	7	6.8	11
13	Diamonds Are Forever	1971	Sean Connery	Guy Hamilton	VHS	7	6.7	12
14	Live and Let Die	1973	Roger Moore	Guy Hamilton		7	6.8	10
15	Man with the Golden Gun, The	1974	Roger Moore	Guy Hamilton	DVD	7	6.6	13
16	GoldenEye	1995	Pierce Brosnan	Martin Campbell	DVD	7	7.1	6
17	Thunderball	1965	Sean Connery	Terence Young	VHS	7	7	7
18	Octopussy	1983	Roger Moore	John Glen	VHS	6	6.5	15
19	View to a Kill, A	1985	Roger Moore	John Glen	VHS	6	6.1	20
20	Moonraker	1979	Roger Moore	Lewis Gilbert	VHS	6	6.1	19
21	Die Another Day	2002	Pierce Brosnan	Lee Tamahori		6	6.1	21
	Quantum of Solace	2008	Daniel Craig	Marc Forster
	Bond 23	2010	Daniel Craig	Marc Forster

Most consider movies listed above as James Bond 007 Canonical Works. For the sake of inclusion, here are two non-canonical works, both which I have only bothered to watch a single time.

My Rank	Title	Year	Actor	Director	Own	My Rating	IMDb Rating	IMDb Rank
22	Never Say Never Again	1983	Sean Connery			5	6	22
23	Casino Royale	1967	David Niven			5	5.1	23

And yes, I know there is yet another version, usually considered non-canonical from what I can tell, but I've yet to see the 1954 Climax! (or Climax Mystery Theater in the US) version of Casino Royale. Alas, my local library does not yet have a copy and I believe I want to see it before I dole out my $20.

Digital TV Conversion Not Worth $20

Posted originally to TechDirt here:

I was able to use my coupon a couple of weeks before it expired but there was absolutely no choice involved. Only two retailers offered boxes locally: Radio Shack and Best Buy. I only bought the Best Buy one because the salesperson was moderately helpful there rather than condescending at the other shop.

I hooked the thing up without reading any directions and yes, it was to my old 'rabbit ears' style antenna from last century. It seemed to work just fine, so I thought I would be okay. I tape PBS shows for background noise and some for actual viewing. But for some reason, it seems like the channel on the converter box changes, so I spend lots of time double checking that it's pointing to the right channel - I never had to do that before.

But what really galls me is sometimes the signal is okay (and only drops sound momentarily). But other times, usually when the weather is clear, up to 80% of a show can be lost -- no sound and of course the picture is worse than the poorest quality jpeg. I've been told "it's to be expected."

Since it works fine some times, I doubt a new antenna would help. Maybe we just need better planning laws to keep people from erecting buildings one night that get in the way of the transmission and then tearing them down a couple days later???

I'm baffled why the quality is so damn inconsistent on a single channel. End run is I'm out $20 and get to watch 20% of what I used to -- now that sounds like progress to me!

And no, I'm not going to pay even $15/month (Comcast's cheapest local plan) to get a better signal. But it seems pretty clear to me, they have offered 12% of the population a half-assed solution thinking it will be all that's needed to get 100% of the American public subscribing to TV via cable and satellite. They won't really be happy until everyone is paying for TV twice -- once for a subscription, and then again when we purchase all those products and services that are so heavily hawked during the shows.

Hillsboro Farmer's Market

Just another recreational shopping venue


It's very clear that Hillsboro's Farmers Markets is all about giving citizens yet another place to indulge in America's favorite pasttime -- recreational shopping. You know, consumption mostly for consumption's sake.

A friend from Portland recently accompanied me to the Hillsboro Market on Saturday morning and he commented on how much junk, and how little produce, was actually for sale. I guess that since Hillsboro's rulers are all about encouraging more yuppies to come here, they have to have the trendy new feel good fad available.

Forget that Market Management has been promising to start taking food stamps for over 3 years. It's clear there is no real plan to do it since every time someone asks about it, they get a different 'excuse'. "Oh, when we have a volunteer who is willing to guarantee 3 days a week..." or "Oh, when we have enough money to pay for the processing fees..." or "Oh, when we have enough money to pay the start up fees..."

With such an attitude, what else can we assume than that those kind of people are not wanted at the market? I wonder how much the city spends on this Market each year. After all, they have paid to set up credit card processing, but then that's the way most yuppies pay for things, isn't it?!? Of course they have to cater to their needs.

So what is it about Hillsboro and the poor, the aged, and of course, the recently immigrated? It seems like they have to be scared into doing things for these groups. Maybe if they knew that disabled people stay away from the Market because of their policy or maybe if we could prove that fewer Asians and Latinos/Hispanics go because they don't accept food stamps they could be shamed into changing the policy.

But then, all you need to do is have the occasional 'ethnic' performer and your activity is culturally diverse, right? And we all know that some of their best friends are poor, aged, disabled, or illegal...