MORE FYI POTPOURRI

Somehow a whole beautiful like it should be fall day is coming to closure without my feeling that I have accomplished much. Not that I have to do so being retired. Now I am awaiting the local election results.

I did spend two hours reading the Times and later scanning the WSJ. As I noted yesterday there is so much going on in the world that we do not have the time to assimilate and comprehend.

The third day and final long article in the Times about how we can lose the personal right of civil law in disputes-and this is the killer- in cases when religious law or biblical passages are determined to be the law. This has been held up in courts

In can be invoked by institutions with a religious affiliation as well as certain religions that contain such provisions in its creed. The one that we may be most familiar with is Scientology although other autocratic Christian, Jewish and Islamic sects also claim that right. If an attempt is made to circumvent the religious route or an appeal to the legal system after an unfavorable result from the designated religious process it can result in “excommunication.”

Although the plaintiff has been denied civil court access, some of the institutions after an unfavorable decisions have turned to the civil law courts on appeal. One must read this to believe it.

Still in the field of religious institutions there apparently is a strong faction in the Vatican that is opposing the Popes efforts to modernize the faith. These ultra conservatives may have been strong enough to alter some of his plans and perhaps this fractionalization played a role in Popes Benedict’s unprecedented resignation, Shades of the ultra-right caucus in the Republican Party.

Of interest in today’s paper there is a report of two Vatican officials being arrested for leaking information to the press about the irregularities in the Vatican banking.

Other news is that after under Russian pressure Iran was invited for the first time to participate in the Syria peace talk conference being held in Vienna. After the first day Iran has threaten to boycott the talks because of the presence and influence of its arch rival Saudi Arabia at the table.

Senate Democrats recently blocked "Kate's Law," legislation intended to impose mandatory prison terms on illegal immigrants convicted of major felonies who have been deported but have again entered the United States illegally. The law was named after Kate Steinle, the young woman murdered this summer in San Francisco by just such a person.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of Likely U.S. Voters favor a five-year mandatory prison sentence for illegal immigrants convicted of major felonies who return to America after being deported. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 27% oppose such legislation, while 18% are undecided.

 For dog lovers  An alarm is being raised tonight about a potential danger to your pet -- a sweetener used in some sugarless gum and other products could kill a dog. Xylitol is safe for humans but can cause severe low blood sugar, seizures -- even liver failure in dogs.

Sugar-free gum is the biggest culprit. But Xylitol is also used in some sugar-free candies, chewable vitamins, even some baked goods and peanut butter. 


By morning we can be a position to return to normalcy a deal with the results of today's elections.

FYI POTPOURRI

It was Will Rogers who said “all I know is what I read in the newspapers “and he also added " and that's an alibi for my ignorance."

If Rogers had today's TV media news in addition to depend upon he probably would say “I am not sure that what I hear, see, and read is true.”

The TV media news broadcasts today are 80% show and perhaps 20% important news. The majority of regional and local newspapers devote themselves to crime and shilling some pet cause at the expense of any in depth news. What is published is mostly off the wire from AP or other newspaper sources in a condense version.

That leaves in our area only NY Times and the WSJ as a resource for national and international news, as well as objective investigative reporting.

For the past few days the Times has been publishing an expose about how businesses, banks and credit card issuers are now legally shielding themselves from suits by wronged individuals.

The small print in an inside page of many agreements includes the cause that the consumer agrees to waive his/hers right for legal action and that any dispute would be subject to arbitration with their selecting the “impartial arbitrator”. There can be no longer class action suits against them for monetary losses. There are still exceptions such as recent ones against automobile companies.

In a back page of Monday’s Times there is an article about Secretary of State Kerry in discussion with “President” of Uzbekistan Karimov whose government has been internally described by the State Department as “a “nightmarish world of rampant corruption, organized crime, forced labor in the cotton fields and torture” According to the times “Mr. Karimov has been in power for a quarter of a century, and is in his fourth term, brushing off reminders that Uzbekistan constitution limits him to two.

The Times calls this one of the harshest authoritarian governments in the world” comparing it with North Korea.

Kerry was there supposedly to discuss human rights but there was no words publicly and when a Washington Post reporter asked President Karimov about his human rights record she was promptly removed from the room by a combination of Uzbekistan and US security personnel.

We have a needed presence in Uzbekistan for airfields needed for access to Afghanistan. Its government has been tolerated by not only the Obama administration including Hillary Clinton’s Secretarial ship, but also by the Bush Administration

In the world of geopolitics human rights can become secondary to political necessities. Mr. Kerry will also visit such strongholds as Tajikistan a Central Asian country bordering Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as well as Turkmenistan which is bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north and east, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest, and the Caspian Sea to the west. (wikipedia, I too had to look it up)

All these "istan" countries were formerly part of the Soviet Union and have repressive governments which we tolerate out of need.

We can talk of the sanctity of basic human rights but when we need them or have a lack of interest as in the African nations our principles are forgotten. At least we are wise enough to know that we cannot force “Democracy” upon them.

FOR MONDAY

External circumstances including a trip to Walgreens for a prescription to treat my laryngitis and to Lens Crafters to check on the prescription of new glass, which had afte5rs several weeks continued to seem the same as the previous one. It was and now to rely on a mail order pair that is right and cost 1/3rd the price.

There is much going on in the world and in this country which I wish to write about. Perhaps I will do so tonight; no more baseball, no football, college or pro that I have any interest in, and the college basketball season is two weeks away and then I can watch the “Hoos” who have a national chance.

Tuesday is Election Day; I have already sent in my ballot and hope for the best I hope all get out and vote.

As usual I voted for the person not the party and not against someone because of race or ethnicity. I did vote for Storch who has proven to be a good Councilor ho has always justified his yea and especially nay votes. A solid Democrat he has often been the recipient of Jerry’s ire. If I could have voted in the 1st or 4th wards it would have been for Goode whom I consider to be more of an open free thinker than Ortega.

For Assembly the Republican's had two good candidates running and since I believe someone can be in office too long and will tend to abuse such power; there is an axiom that"power corrupts" one's actions, I voted for them.

I only cast one vote for the BOE. The single slate designed to continue a one faction control  in this so called nonpolitical election makes the process a travesty. (updated 4:35 pm- this had been accidentally deleted in transfer from Word)

SAD SAD SAD

12:30- am What a bummer of a Sunday for this coach potato! The Giants had no defense, the Jets had no offense an d the Mets played like little leaguers. My Monday blog will be late afternoon.