So as I read through my many daily reads, there were too many stories I wanted to talk about to do them all, so here is a quick mask up.

Suppression of free speech in New York?

Apparently.  Specifically this is a buffer zone for protesters, and mandatory prosecution of harassment.  Of course this is all those rabid anti war nutbags protesting the Military recruiters, right?  No, it is to praying abortion protesters at abortion clinics.

You can stand in front of a church yelling “Mormon scum,” but if you pray in front of a taxpayer-subsidized abortion clinic, watch out.

Emily L. e-mails:

I thought you might find this interesting. NYC is considering legislation to create a 15 foot buffer zone between abortion protestors and the clinics. The legislation would also enable the clinics to press harrassment charges against protestors, even if the patients don’t wish to pursue charges. This is one opinion piece about the proposal: link.

Even more interesting was the flurry of Letters to the Editor sent to the Daily News today. This is from Planned Parenthood:

Free choice protected

Manhattan: Let’s not confuse freedom of speech with blanket permission to harass, stalk, intimidate and verbally abuse. The Council’s Clinic Access Bill is an important piece of legislation that would not only protect health care centers’ right to operate, but ensure the physical and emotional safety of all who walk through our doors. As one of the leading providers of reproductive health care in New York City, we see the daily impact of anti-abortion extremists blocking our clients’ and staff’s path.
Joan Malin, Planned Parenthood of N.Y.C.

This is hardly the first time this has happened, and doubtless will not be the last.  I just find it ironic how the left cries when you restrict their speech, but how quickly they defend such restrictions on the conservatives.

Another story that caught my eye was the new E harmony venture they were forced into.

New Jersey forces E Harmony to help hook up gays too.

Since when does the government have the right to compel a private enterprise to expand its business outside its business model?  And to provide those services free?   Since now.

So, this is “progress?” eHarmony, a Christian-targeted dating website, gets sued by a gay man demanding that the business match him up with a same-sex partner. The New Jersey Attorney General intervenes on behalf of the gay plaintiff and forces eHarmony to change its entire business model. To be clear: The company never refused to do business with anyone. Their great “sin” was not providing a specialized service that litigious gay people demanded they provide. This case is akin to a meat-eater suing a vegetarian restaurant for not offering him a ribeye or a female patient suing a vasectomy doctor for not providing her hysterectomy services. Sadly, eHarmony has settled . I wish they hadn’t, but I understand the decision given the chilling antics of the anti-Prop. 8 mob. The company agreed not only to offer same-sex dating services on a new site, but also to offer six-month subscriptions for free to 10,000 gay users. Behold the submission:

Coming soon to EHarmony — Adam and Steve.

The Pasadena-based dating website, heavily promoted by Christian evangelical leaders when it was founded, has agreed in a civil rights settlement to give up its heterosexuals-only policy and offer same-sex matches.

EHarmony was started by psychologist Neil Clark Warren, who is known for his mild-mannered television and radio advertisements. It must not only implement the new policy by March 31 but also give the first 10,000 same-sex registrants a free six-month subscription.

“That was one of the things I asked for,” said Eric McKinley, 46, who complained to New Jersey’s Division on Civil Rights after being turned down for a subscription in 2005.

As noted this is like you suing a Chinese restaurant for not serving you a Hamburger, then having the state intervene, force them to cook a burger and then give away 10000 for free.

I have no particular love for E Harmony.  Being married, I am also on their no no list.  The fact is there are many gay dating services on the web, so there is no lack of service.  Nor is a dating service an essential service that denial would create a hardship.  This was a private business using specified criteria regarding social interactions and dating, which are geared to a specific class of people.  As noted on Match.com ads, some straight people get denied, and match is more then happy to cater to them (and to gays for that matter).

So this irritates me as it is needless interference in trade where there was no need, and it is another sign of our cultures abuse of litigation.

Note to gay people.  As I have noted, I am growing more and more sympathetic to your cries for equality in marriage, but abuses of the civil rights system like this do nothing but trivialize your causes. 

In other words, if you don’t like E Harmony’s offerings, take your business elsewhere.  Alternatively, Cowboy up and start your own service.  Call it G Harmony perhaps.

Change we can believe in?  Or just a Change back to the way things were?

I would say the later.  As more and more appointments and such are announced by the Obama transition team, the more this becomes a recycle of the same old democrat faces, and less about change. 

In other words, what has changed?

The Obama inner circle now includes:

• Clintonite Rahm Emanuel as Obama chief of staff…
• Clintonite Deputy AG Eric Holder as rumored Obama AG…
• Clintonite lawyer Greg Craig as Obama chief counsel…
• Clintonite chief of staff John Podesta as Obama Transition Team leader…
• Bill and Hillary Clinton’s entire economic team…

And maybe — a remote maybe — even Hillary herself.

Add to that Biden, Waxman, Daschel and a few other prominent democrats being given administration jobs and this is less a breath of fresh air as it is just more of the same old stink.

People wanted change.  They voted for change.  Like the new direction congress in 2006, they got the same old business as usual administration.

On my list of things I didn’t need to know: 

Hitler only had one testicle.

Thanks for sharing that.

 One final note. 

Life Matters

Not abortion, or the death penalty.  I am talking about Life.  Mine, yours everyones.  Life is fleeting, fragile and wonderful.  Precious and dangerous and constantly filled with unspeakable uncertainty.  And infinitely enjoyable and wonderful and magical.

My best friend and defacto brother in high school watched his father slip away last Friday.  Calm and peaceful yet painful and wrenching.   Dave has his wife and daughters to help him through his grief.  At the funeral I hope to add that of a friends. 

It just serves to remind me that this life we have been given is something we daily take for granted.  As I grow older, I am surrounded by more death.  Friends and relatives will pass form this existence, hopefully on to another, better one.

Whether you fill yours with children, or music or anything that provides you fulfillment, live your life with joy and fulfillment.

But mostly, just live.

I end todays blog with this quote from the movie Serendipity:

You know the Greeks didn’t write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: “Did he have passion?”.

Live your life with passion.

LSU

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