Workers' International League is the name of a group in the United States formed to sympathise with the Committee for a Marxist International. The group is better known by the name of their magazine, Socialist Appeal. There are also claims by non-members and some former members of the CMI that Workers International League is also the internal name of the CMI's section in the United Kingdom which was formed by Ted Grant and Alan Woods after their expulsion from the former Militant Tendency in 1993. However, since the group practices entrism in the Labour Party it denies being anything more than a magazine (Socialist Appeal).
Both the British and American sections of the CMI are Trotskyist groups. The US section aims to establish a mass party of labor based on the unions to power with class-independent and socialist policies within the United States while the British section aims to build a Marxist tendency within the Labour Party. The US Workers International League is the parent group of the organization, Youth for International Socialism.
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The word cult has multiple conflicting definitions, especially when applied to a new religious movements (NRM).
Rev. Rafael Martinez of Spiritwatch Ministries, wrote:
- No small controversy has raged about how to define what a cult is or isn't. The word "cult" in its original sense is a broad and generic term used to describe a system of distinctive religious belief and worship. Yet in the past hundred years or so, the word has taken on a very negative meaning and is now used to describe "weird" groups with "weird" practices and beliefs. 1
Leo Pfeffer suggests:
- "If you believe in it, it is a religion or perhaps the religion; and if you do not care one way or another about it, it is a sect; but if you fear and hate it, it is a cult." (10) 2
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language says:
- A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader. 3
According to the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance:
- Of course, if you are an author, public speaker or teleminister who wants to direct public fear and hatred against a new religious group, then "cult" is an ideal word to use. But the use of the term may be irresponsible and immoral, depending upon your system of values. We suspect, but cannot prove, that some Internet web sites, including many:
:*Counter-cult groups -- those who mainly attack Christian denominations and sects which promote novel beliefs, and
:*Anti-cult groups -- those who attack high-intensity new religious movements which require a strong commitment from their members,
- intentionally use the term "cult" for manipulative purposes. They hope that their visitors will bring with them fear and loathing of dangerous faith groups, like the former Branch Davidians or Heaven's Gate, and transfer these negative feelings to such denominations as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Jehovah's Witnesses. 4
Metadata® is the name of a US corporation and a registered trademark in the United States.
In the early summer of 1969, Jack E. Myers coined the term “metadata” and first used it in print in a 1973 product brochure. He intentionally designed it to be a term with no particular meaning. A data and publication search at that time did not discover any prior use either of the word “metadata” or “meta data”. The word Metadata® was registered in 1986 as a trademark (U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,409,206) belonging to The Metadata Company. The trademark was granted “incontestable” status in 1991. Metadata is a proprietary mark which stands for The Metadata Company.
The Metadata Company has attempted to threaten people legally into not using the word “metadata” in the generic sense. Many people believe that due to the widespread use of the word “metadata” in the generic sense as “data about data”, it is likely that the “Metadata” trademark has entered the public domain by becoming a general term. This was the legal opinion expressed by the Office of the Solicitor of the United States Department of the Interior to the Federal Geographic Data Committee when the latter was threatened by Metadata’s lawyers for its use of the word “metadata” in a generic sense. However, no judge has as yet ruled the trademark invalid.
Richard Thomas is a Canadian actor, broadcaster, environmentalist and politician.
Though a "tee-totaller", Thomas made national news in the late 1970s by breaking Canada's bootlegging laws in order to make alcohol as environmentally friendly fuel for his converted Volvo. He was subsequently charged with bootlegging, but was vindicated when the government dropped the charges rather than prosecute the environmentalist. A commanding speaker, he attained further fame through a memorable vocal part in a television commercial for Canada Packers as the bacon loving "Gentle Ben" and has provided voice-over narration for a number of documentaries such as the early 1980's TV Ontario technology series Fast Forward.
Thomas entered politics as a candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party in the 1981 provincial election, losing in the riding of Parry Sound by only six votes to Progressive Conservative newcomer Ernie Eves. Though he had never been elected to public office, he surprised the 1982 Ontario Liberal Party leadership convention by placing a credible third on the first ballot, coming ahead of two veteran MPPs by running on a strong environmentalist platform. He ran for the Liberal Party again in the 1985 provincial election, and this time lost to Eves by 1,440 votes.
In 1984, some members of the newly-formed Green Party of Canada wanted to draft Thomas as their first leader. This plan was abandoned due to the party's egalitarianism in this period -- having a "celebrity" as leader would have nullified their intentions on this front.
Thomas eventually left the Liberals for the Green Party, however, and was the star candidate of the Green Party of Ontario in the 1990 provincial election. Once again running in Parry Sound, he placed a strong third with 17% of the vote, ahead of the New Democratic Party's 13% despite the fact that the NDP swept the rest of the province that year.
In the federal election of 2000, Thomas ran in Parry Sound--Muskoka for the Green Party and received 1495 votes, finishing in fifth place.
He has remained active in the provincial Green Party, and ran under its banner again in a 2001 by-election in Dufferin--Peel--Wellington--Grey. This by-election was held when the sitting MPP resigned to allow Ernie Eves, by this time the Premier of Ontario, to return to the legislature after a year's absence. It also marked the fourth time that Eves and Thomas appeared against one another on the same ballot. Thomas garnered 12% of the vote for the Greens, once again placing ahead of the NDP candidate.
Thomas has also served as the reeve of Armour Township in the Parry Sound District.