Well, the previous administration wasn't fond of free speech, either, with all their "disinformation" and "misinformation" carp. Actually, I think Biden, or his robotic pen (* snort *), signed a law that was something to do with making it illegal to criticize Israel. I don't know the details and I could be wrong. But I don't think so. I posted about this topic on at least a weekly basis for a year and a half. I'm still following it as much as I possibly can but at some point you have to know when to say when. My point is that Amendment has been under intensive attack since at least the Obama administration.

That was a good one, Bernard. A mother's love is infinite. Best Christmas gift ever. Big Al

Fun and interesting... Link to video

@Nina said in Canada’s new PM: I like Carney. He's showing more spine than the US Congress. Check out his interview with Jon Stewart. I’m not sure whether I like him or not but he’s probably the right PM for the moment.

I loathe golf courses. It's a fine idea in theory but a pesticide hell in practice.

Tangentially related… I have been fascinated by the words for various animals in Ojibwe. Some are related to the sounds the animals make. Baakaakwenh is chicken. (aa is a broad a sound, the “enh” syllable is kind of a nasal short e sound.) When I have heard it spoken, the second syllable is stressed and held for an extra moment. In fact, in some dialects they spell it Baaka’aakwenh. Owl is Kookookoo (oo is somewhere between oo and long o) It is sometimes spelled Gookooko’oo, depending on dialect. Chickadee is Gijigijigaaneshiinh (ii spells the long e sound, e says long a). I am not an Ojibwe speaker but a friend taught me some words several years back and my students and I learn some through the year. But any errors in spelling or pronunciation descriptions are on me.

The UK is practically a vassal state of the US. Why wouldn't they?

Bernard, I'd like to hear more about the Granger movement. This is the first time I'm hearing about it. It sounds interesting.

Omg. He was actually raised as an apartheid fascist by apartheid fascist parents.

I like the Guardian. Yahoo News works too.

Beautiful! !

The EU response of from their normal playbook. Hit at anger points. Motorcycles -- Wisconsin. Peanut butter -- Georgia. Bourbon -- Kentucky. Orange juice -- Florida. Yes, some "blue states" will take a hit. Jeans are made in California, in a blue area. But agricultural products, even if from blue states, come from ruby red rural areas within them.

Canada on Wednesday announced new trade duties on some $21 billion worth of U.S. goods in response to President Donald Trump implementing universal steel and aluminum tariffs. America's northern neighbor is the largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S., and experts have warned Trump's duties would be passed on to consumers. In a news conference Wednesday announcing the retaliatory duties, a Canadian government spokesman called Trump's tariffs "completely unjustified, unfair and unreasonable." "The U.S. administration is once again inserting disruption and disorder into an incredibly successful trading partnership and raising the costs of everyday goods for Canadians and American households alike," said François-Philippe Champagne, Canada's minister of innovation, science and industry. Canada's announcement comes despite a detente having been reached Tuesday with the Trump administration to resolve threats of a 25% surcharge on American consumers of Canadian electricity. Trump had threatened Canada with steel and aluminum tariffs climbing to 50% if the province of Ontario followed through on the surcharge. https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/canada-retaliatory-tariffs-21-billion-us-goods-trump-tariffs-latest-rcna196012