Washington then voted in favor of Iran‘s proposal to deny their applications, which carried 10-5 with three abstentions.
Following the vote, German envoy Martin Thuemmel said the committee decision "will haunt us for a long time" because it sent a message that it was acceptable to discriminate on the basis of an individual‘s sexual orientation.
The January 23 vote denying "consultative status" at the world body to the Belgium-based International Gay and Lesbian Association and the Danish National Association for Gays and Lesbians was a "drastic reversal" of Washington‘s previous stand on the issue, the U.S. House of Representatives members wrote.
Nearly 3,000 nongovernmental organizations have such status, which enables them to distribute documents and speak at meetings of some U.N. bodies and conferences.
In voting for Iran‘s proposal, "the United States joined some of the world‘s most oppressive regimes, among them China, Cuba, Sudan and Zimbabwe" and demonstrated "a reprehensible inconsistency" in the protection of rights based on sexual orientation, the lawmakers said.
BEIJING, Feb. 8 -- According to the survey by the Ministry of Health, sexually active gay men in China account for approximately 2% to 4% of the total number of sexually active men.
Based on these percentages, China has a total of about 5 million to 10 million gay men. It is the first time China released the number of gay men and people infected with AIDS.
In recent years, China has quietly attended to the health issue of gays. In 2003, the government conducted an AIDS survey on six population groups in 138 regions in its 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.
The six groups included drug users, prostitutes, gays, venereal disease patients, paid blood donors and anonymous people under examination in hospitals.
Through the survey, the country obtained information on infection rate and the behavior patterns of different groups in different regions. Data obtained through this survey supplemented the AIDS surveillance system. So far, China has set up 42 behavior surveillance agencies in 19 provinces.
(Source: CRIENGLISH.com/Chinanews.cn)
Charge E-Mailers, but Keep Pipeline OpenAnd another article makes this point, which I made in my orginal article damn nice to have confirmation that I am not the only one concerned about this, AOL anti-spam scheme takes aim at wrong targetThe second notion -- in which Internet service providers would charge Web sites for better delivery of their data -- may not be ridiculous per se, but it is a serious departure from the Internet's traditional openness. And it would be open to abuse without clear ground rules. But companies like Verizon and BellSouth won't answer some basic questions: Would they disclose which sites are paying these business-class fares? Would they let any site pay for better access, or only those they like?
They will gladly talk about how they want the flexibility to dream up new business models (as BellSouth and Verizon executives did during a panel discussion at a Capitol Hill conference on Wednesday). Fine. But as long as AT&T, Verizon and their ilk seem to be having so much trouble getting customers connected and keeping then contented, let's broaden this discussion of new economic models.
Here's one question to ponder: When an Internet service provider makes you wait weeks to get your DSL turned on, allows service to drop out for no apparent reason, then puts you on hold until an overworked tech-support rep dishes out incorrect advice, doesn't the customer deserve some compensation, as well?
That's the other dangerous incentive in the Goodmail system. AOL, Yahoo and Goodmail all make more money, the more their spam filters target "other" legitimate mailers who aren't yet signed up on Goodmail. There's a dangerous cash incentive here for them to cut out non-paying mass mailers. By instigating a private e-mail tax, AOL and Yahoo! have to punish not spammers, but those who seem to be evading their tax. Spammers aren't tax evaders, because they'll never pay anyway. Ordinary netizens who send out "mass" mails and could be "encouraged" to pay are, in other words, non-profits, individuals and communities who run mailing lists.
Commoditisation and the erosion of value-added ISPs like AOL into simple data conduits looms over all these companies. Spam they can live with. Lower prices and fewer people to charge they cannot.
Especially since they are now censoring their users for the Chinese and other authoritarian governments.Don’t use Google toolbar
EFF warningBy Nick Farrell: Friday 10 February 2006, 13:58
THE Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has warned that people should not download Google Desktop because it "greatly increases the risk to consumer privacy".A spokesEFF said that if the toolbar chooses to use it, the new "Search Across Computers" feature stores copies of the user's Word documents, PDFs, spreadsheets and other text-based documents on Google's own servers.
The EFF is concerned that it will make their personal data more vulnerable to subpoenas from the government, which has already shown an interest in what Google keeps on his server.
On the EFF’s site here, a spokesperson said that it was shocking that Google expects its users to now trust it with the contents of their personal computers. ยต
The study showed that the medieval warm period ran from about 890 to 1170 and that this was later followed by a significant period of cooling between 1580 and 1850, which included the period known as the "little ice age" when frost fairs were held on the River Thames.
"The key conclusion was that the 20th century stands out as having unusually widespread warmth, compared to all of the natural warming and cooling episodes during the past 1,200 years," Dr Osborn said.
Tories singing new tune on political floor-crossers after Emerson ...Many Tories are grumbling privately about David Emerson's decision to become a Conservative and join cabinet just two weeks after he won election as a Liberal. Ontario MP Garth Turner said his constituents are concerned because he said during the campaign that MPs who switch parties should be forced to face byelections. Ontario MP Garth Turner was one of the few who spoke publicly about his unease with Emerson's move. On his web site, he posted a letter from a furious constituent.
"I am feeling incredibly betrayed by Stephen Harper," said the letter."This is more of the same crap that the Liberals have been serving out for 12 years and which made my blood boil."The lies, the deceit, the arrogance. I couldn't wait to vote those bastards out and vote in some integrity and honesty. But this! This is a betrayal of my confidence in Harper and the Conservative party."
Turner said he campaigned on the idea that MPs who switch parties should be forced to face byelections. And he still supports the idea.
''I think anyone who crosses the floor, ultimately, should go back to the people for ratification,'' Turner said.
Carol Skelton said just months ago she was sick to her stomach when Stronach defected to the Liberal.The Saskatchewan MP even introduced a parliamentary motion to restrict the practice of party-switching, but won't be bringing it back any time soon."That was last year," Skelton, now minister of national revenue, said yesterday. "We talked about it and I decided not to proceed with it. It's one of those matters that is debatable."Tory MPs change tune on party defectors
Very debatable, like the pay off made by Harper to her co-sponsor Helena Guergis, who became a parlimentary secretary and now like Carol has backed off the any idea of having a byelection for Emerson. Tories Bribe MPs for Silence
Other Tories who were howling for Stronachs resignation and demanding she run in a byelection last summer are now singing from the Harper songsheet.
Ontario MP Harold Albrecht appeared to be softening the position he advocated during the election. He campaigned on a promise to ensure floor-crossers face the electorate anew to confirm their switch in allegiances. "I expressed that, yeah. I would prefer that when someone crosses the floor they would have a byelection," he said Thursday. "But I want to talk to my colleagues about that."B.C.'s James Lunney, who supported a proposed law to force byelections after Stronach defected, now indicates he's not as supportive any more. Tories singing new tune on political floor-crossers after Emerson ...
So the party that campaigned on Free Votes less power to the Whip does what to Turner? Well they sick the Whip on him and call him to the principals office to give him a tongue lashing, Belinda remembers those well, and a dressing down by Mr. Harper. So much for Reform Party principles. Or Alliance. This is the new Conservative Party just like Daddies. They are here to win the next election, damn the torpedos full speed ahead.
So the apologists in Calgary pooh-pooh principles, not just the old tired ones from Preston Mannings day but the ones that got the party elected only a week ago. Ezra Le Rant was on Don Newmans Politics on CBC spinning the party line yesterday. Now if only Harper actually had a press spokesperson or a media plan then Ezras rant wouldn't have been neccasary.
So having been given a choice to shut up and toe the Harper line, not the party line the Great Leaders line. Garth rightly choose to uphold the party line over the Great Leader. Of course the followers of the Great Leader will denounce him as a Trotskyist roader and wrecker. To be expected from those whose are willing to sacrifice principles to gain power.
Choices
I have written here many times over the past few months about my journey to become an MP again, and why I wanted to return to Ottawa. It was not to be a minister with a limo, but, as I explained, to try and empower elected people more, to make them relevant and free, so the voters would also become more empowered. And I campaigned to advance issues my middle class voters are so concerned with – things those families need and want.
But, I arrived as the prime minister was appointing a floor-crossing Liberal and an unelected party official to his cabinet, which seemed to fly in the face of everything I had told voters about accountability and democracy. It also made me question the whole process, after eight months of knocking on doors to win my coveted seat in this magnificent stone building on the banks of the Rideau.
Sure, I thought the appointment of those two ministers was questionable. And after stating many a time that Belinda Stronach should have sought a by-election after her defection, how could I not say the same obvious thing now? It was simple for my constitutents to understand, and simple for me. I did not seek the microphones out, but when they were under my nose and a clear question was asked, I gave a clear answer.
Everybody who makes up the government should be elected. They should be elected as members of the party that forms the government. Anybody who switches parties should go back to the people. To do otherwise is to place politicians above the people when, actually, it’s the other way around.
But my comments were deemed not helpful, even though I chose them carefully and pulled some punches, suggesting Minister Emerson be given a little time before deciding on whether or not to get elected as a Tory.
Did I know the potential consequences of speaking my mind, or sticking with the principles that brought me to this cold hill? Yeah, I did. I have been an MP before, and a leadership candidate and a cabinet minister. I have the hide to prove it. I know the PMO has a song sheet it wants all caucus members to sing from, and I know what happens when an individual chooses to go his or her own way. I was just hoping this time I would not be asked to choose – between party and principle.
