Freedom of Association

Who knew that there was something called "Gay Softball World Series" and who know that you could be disqualified if you are not gay enough?

Three people sued because they were not allowed to participate in the Gay Softball World Series apparently because they were bi-sexual.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015209413_gaysoftball02m.html

This has a number of interesting possibilities. Apparently organizations can discriminate and select who can join. At least in some cases.

sf

Corruption at International Agencies

First we heard about some socialist official at the International Monetary Fund staying at $3,000 per night hotel rooms and assuming that assaulting housekeeping is a normal, natural benefit of his station in life. And now we hear about FIFA, the international soccer association, may have awarded a future World Cup to Qatar because of bribery.

http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/22446.html

Australia is now asking FIFA for $46 million back from FIFA to cover the costs of their bid for the World Cup. If the bidding process was dishonest, obviously Australia should get a refund.

Of course, this is nothing new. The Salt Lake City Winter Olympic bid was tainted by similar allegations.

There seems to be no one monitoring these large international organizations.

Obama and Hu

The observation was made that the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner hosted a dinner for the person who put the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner in jail. And the media doesn't seem to appreciate the irony.



Actually, maybe there is no irony here. The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Liu, published a 2004 article in support of Bush's war on Iraq, titled "Victory to the Anglo-American Freedom Alliance", in which he praised the U.S. led post-cold-war wars as "best examples of how war should be conducted in a modern civilization." and predicted "a free, democratic and peaceful Iraq will emerge." During the 2004 US presidential election, Liu again praised Bush for his war effort against Iraq and condemned Democratic party candidate John Kerry for not sufficiently supporting the US's wars. Meanwhile, he commented on Islamism that, "a culture and (religious) system that produced this kind of threat (Islamic fundamentalism), must be exteremely intolerant and blood-thirsty.” On Israel, he said "without America’s protection, the long persecuted Jews who faced extermination during WWII, probably would again be drowned by the Islamic world's hatred.
(from Wikipedia)

So, both Obama and Hu dislike Bush, apparently.

As for me, I can't figure out how someone who increased US death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan to a higher level than Bush in his last year got a Peace Prize anyway.

Economic Humor

More Financial Planners Serving Day Care Centers
Kansas City, Kansas--Now that each child born will have a $30,000 share of a runaway national debt, more and more financial planners are serving in day care centers nationwide.

"Kids need to get a head start on their payment obligations these says," said one center worker. "So it only makes sense to add a review of future tax obligations to the mix of activities day care centers have to offer."

One financial planner said he enjoyed providing the service, but noted "the crying can get to you after a while." Still, he said, "lots of kids eventually do come to understand the need to invest a portion of their allowances in flexible foreign funds."

When asked about her investment plan, one child, Mary Stennings, said "I like gold. And pink."

Associated article: PolitiFact

http://optoons.blogspot.com/2010/12/more-financial-planners-serving-day.html

Global Warming, Part 3

I am not opposed to the idea of climate change and I am concerned about the effects of carbon monoxide, and other gases, building up in the atmosphere. All lifeforms have an effect on their environment and certainly homo sapiens have a large impact.

However, I dislike the idea that "this is settled science". Science needs skeptics and there is nothing "settled".

Our Energy Secretary would like us to paint our roofs white to reflect heat and therefore reduce global warming. Meanwhile, global warming is causing ice to melt, releasing more moisture into the atmosphere which causes more rain and snow. And the snow reflects heat which causes global cooling. OK, now I see.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203513204576047741057676566.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_MIDDLETopOpinion

Humor in Government

In Garden City, Idaho, 2 employees of DeBest, Inc heard some screams and discovered a person stuck in a collapsed trench, with dirt over his head. They jumped in an rescued the individual. Their reward? OSHA fined them $7,875 for not wearing a hard hat while in the trench and not fortifying the trench walls to insure against further collapsed. Unfortunately, the person saved was not an OSHA manager, apparently. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19930913&slug=1720788

In Baltimore County, two men rescued a deer that had fallen through ice and was struggling. They were fined $90 each for not wearing a lifejacket while they paddled the inflatable raft in the rescue.

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/local-government-stupidity-contest/

Merry Christmas to All

Every year at this time numerous conflicts arise regarding religion and society. Many people seem to believe that the law of the land is the separation of church and state and that this means that religion is barred from the public arena. There are at least two major problems with this view. The first is that the Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion nor preventing the free exercise thereof." The "separation of church and state" idea is from private correspondence written years later.

But perhaps the better argument is from Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was signed by the US.

"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."

Now, lawyers can probably shred this into meaningless garbage but I read it as allowing the public practice, worship and observance of religion. Religion was not meant to be practiced only in the privacy of one's own home.