text:
A United Nations group that vets non-governmental organizations applying for accreditation to observe the international body, has rejected an international Christian group after it refused to divulge members' names in China, citing fears about religious freedom - writes Peter Kenny.
UN Watch, a Geneva-based advocacy and monitoring group, condemned the UN's decision to reject the Dynamic Christian World Mission Foundation application as an NGO observer due to its refusal to accede to China's demands that it disclose member addresses in the People's Republic.
Russia, Egypt, Cuba, Pakistan, and Sudan had expressed concerns about "the organization's ability to contribute" to the United Nations.
At a meeting in Geneva on 27 July 2009, the 54-member of the U.N. Economic and Social Council, known as ECOSOC that vets which NGOs get observer status, endorsed a decision taken by a subsidiary committee earlier in 2009 to reject the group's application.
It also rejected a US initiative to keep the application open for the Christian foundation, a group registered in South Korea and California and which promotes Christianity through educational projects in Russia, Japan and Kyrgyzstan. The vote was lost by 23 to 22 at ECOSOC.
"Today's vote is a setback for religious freedom, and could set a dangerous precedent at the UN for repressive regimes to launch frivolous objections or demand sensitive information, in order to obstruct the important work of civil society organizations in the areas of religion, education, and human rights," said Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch.
The advocacy group has frequently accused bodies such as the UN Commission of Human Rights of being controlled by countries like China and Russia, and states such as Libya and Vietnam which have poor rights' records.
Those voting to reject the Christian group included Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, India, Indonesia, China, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Pakistan, and Venezuela.
Those voting to support its application included the US, Brazil, Greece, Guatemala, Canada, El Salvador, Estonia, France, Germany, Japan, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, and Portugal.
"NGOs at the UN are routinely under assault," said Neuer in a statement.
At the same time, Neuer welcomed two other votes initiated by Western nations that saw ECOSOC grant accreditation to two NGOs, overruling earlier decisions by a lower committee.
By a vote of 25 to 12, with 13 abstentions, the UN accredited the Brazilian Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Association. Those voting against included Algeria, Belarus, China, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.
Egypt, an observer state on the 54-member body, suggested that the aim of the NGO and its supporters was to make homosexuality universal, and complained of "double standards" against Muslim charities that were rejected for ties to terrorism. In response, Brazil said the group merely represented a constituency of people.
Similarly, by a vote of 30 to nine, with eight abstentions, the United Nations on 29 July accredited the Democracy Coalition Project, a Washington-based organization founded by George Soros' Open Society Institute. Those voting against it included China, Russia, Sudan, Venezuela, Belarus, Bolivia, Malaysia, and Mozambique. China and Russia said the group "attacked countries specifically" and had "a political agenda".
In another statement on 29 July, UN Watch expressed disappointment at the refusal by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, to answer whether she will receive the Tibetan Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, on his visit to Geneva in early August. The response is understood as a negative answer.
Still, UN Watch welcomed her criticism of China's "serious systemic violations of human rights" in Tibet and her call for due process for detainees and access to international observers.
[With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Conference of European Churches.]


text:
I've been using APT with my canon 1100d for awhile now, and am very happy with it for the 1100d, but now I've moved up (?) to a ZWO cmos camera and APT doesn't seem to cut the mustard now. I've been looking at other capture software have tried firecapture and sharpcap. Firecapture seem OK for solar system pictures but I'm mainly interested in DSO stuff. Now the options seem to be between MaximDL (very expensive) Sequence Generator pro and Nebulosity. I'm happy with Pixinsight for processing so I really need only a capture program, but it would be nice to have guiding integrated in the capture program, my guide camera is also a ZWO. Too say the least I'm very confused!!
Also I'm going out of my mind reading all about different programs

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Last night's game-losing blast actually did land on the moon. Say, is that Albert Pujols' ball off Brad Lidge from the NLCS???
In a move that has "too little, too late" written all over it, Kevin Gregg has been exiled from the ninth inning and has been reassigned to blow games in the sixth, seventh or eighth innings rather than the ninth.
But for me, and most Cubs fans with half a brain, that's not enough. Gregg has got to go. For good. Yes, his contract expires at the end of the year, but at this point of the season, year end can't come soon enough.
In the meantime, here are 10 ways we can get Gregg gone from Chicago.
10. Implications of steroid use. Manny Ramirez caught a 50 game suspension earlier in the season, and one of those suspensions would serve the Cubs' bullpen well right now. If someone can throw a syringe or two in Gregg's locker, have a package marked 'HGH' sent to his home or inject him while under the cover of night, he'd be as good as gone.
It's too bad he doesn't take performance enhancers. After this season's performance, maybe he should.
9. Tie him to Mike Vick's dogfighting ring. As I said last night via Twitter, "Kevin Gregg is to Cub fans what Mike Vick was to dogs: Cruel & Inhumane." He's blown six saves, given up three game-winning home runs and leads NL relievers with 12 home runs allowed -- which is two more than he's allowed in the last two seasons.
If someone can link between Gregg's cruel and unreasonable treatment of Cubs fans with Bad Newz Kennels, Roger Goodell would bitch-slap Bud Selig and suspend Gregg himself.
8. One night with Dirty 30. Here's the plan: 1. Hit Gregg with frying pan, make sure he is knocked out. 2. Put blonde wig and eye-liner on passed out Gregg. 3. Send him to a New York area bar with Dirty 30. Watch the sparks fly. Opposing hitters might only be hitting .229 this year against Gregg, but everyone knows Dirty 30 is always batting 1.000!
7. One night as R. Kelly's wing man. Yeah, Kellz beat his case, but someone who sings the lyric, "Shorty if you're thirsty, I got the good, good lemonade" in a song is disturbed. If Kellz can get Gregg on a remix (not sure why, but hang with me here), it won't be long until a blurry video surfaces alleging Kevin Gregg of giving and 14-year-old girl some of his lemonade.
6. One night with Donte Stallworth. Seriously, how does a man who gets behind the wheel of a car drunk, kill a man and only get 24 days in jail. Yet, Mike Vick, who ponies up some money for a dogfighting ring gets thrown to the wolves. This is what's wrong with the American punishment system. There is no way I can justify giving money for a dog-fighting ring as a worse offense than killing an innocent bystander while driving drunk.
5. A Plaxification. Picture this: Kevin Gregg goes to the club wearing sweatpants and accidentally shoots himself with the thing that was supposed to protect him.
4. Take him on the Maury show. Kevin Gregg has screwed the Cubs and their fans all year. So, who's to say he hasn't done the same with some hoochies looking to get a few
A few trips to the Maury Show in New York should tie up some of his time.
3. Use a time travel device (part one). Go back in time. Bring the crazy Lou Piniella into 2009. Let him attack Kevin Gregg like he attacked Rob Dibble. Make sure all evidence points to Aaron Miles. Ensure Miles gets charged for murder.
It's too bad we know Aaron Miles' defense attorneys will bring up the very valid point that Miles can't hit anything.
2. Use a time travel device (part two). Warn Jim Hendry of a future of Kevin Gregg allowing game-losing gopher balls. And with each run Gregg allows that season, tell Hendry that 1,000 donut shops are closed in each city baseball is played in.
Then, there's no way Hendry makes this trade.
1. Use a time travel device (part three). One word: Abortion.