This video was shown at the Lutheran Church Canada convention. Recall that the purpose of every vocation is to love and serve not so much God in isolation but, as He commands, your neighbor. (Luther: “God doesn’t need your good works; but your neighbor does.”) The video thus fit in well with my topic:

Where superstition, gambling, and the stock market intersect: According to this article, Big Brown victory may spook markets, whenever a horse wins the Triple Crown, the stock market plunges for the rest of the year. However, when a horse that wins the Kentucky Derby and Preakness (as Big Brown has done so far) but LOSES the Belmont Stakes (to be run on Saturday), the market goes up.

So cheer for anyone but Big Brown. But if he wins, sell everything you have in the market, which, if everyone does it, would create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Here is a fascinating history of international copyright law, occasioned by recent attempts to bolster it even more in light of the new techological “sharing” possibilities. Back in the 19th century, copyright used to extend only within a particular country. That meant that America, Canada, and England used to pirate each other’s authors, printing their work and giving them no royalties. That eventually changed, due to the crusading, among others, of Mark Twain, who would travel to these other nations and ask why someone who stole his bottle of whiskey would get imprisoned but nothing happens to someone who steals his writings.

The article alluded to some people who resist these laws even today, maintaining that copyright restricts education, people’s access, and whatnot. I certainly understand why people download music illegally. But I can’t see how that can be justified in any kind of moral argument. Attempts to say that stealing music or other created products are anything but violations of the commandment seem to be just casuistry (in the sense I explained a few days ago in a comment) so as not to think of oneself as a sinner. Isn’t Twain’s analogy valid? Can any of you think of a moral justification for taking an artist’s property without paying for it?

We have blogged on how the Canadian conservative columnist Mark Steyn has been hauled before a Canadian human rights tribunal for publishing pieces in “Macleans” criticizing Islam. To their credit, Canadians and their pundits seem to be pulling for Steyn and still want their country to have freedom of speech. Here is a good account of how the tribunal has been going. Word is, we may have a verdict later today. I’ll try to update as I have information.

It’s interesting–and a bit of a relief–to be in another country and to read their newspapers, seeing what issues exercise Canadians. The front page story getting everyone upset is Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s plan to drop the culturally-beloved theme music used for decades on hockey broadcasts. A copyright dispute with the composer is at the root of this national crisis, and I suspect due to the uproar it will be resolved. Also on the front page, a story about a Canadian rich guy trying to BUY a hockey team. But also a story about a terrorism trial of some Canadians planning to attack their own peaceful country, and a story about American immigration having sent a Canadian citizen back to Syria even though he was going to be tortured.

On the Washington Post front page, from what I can tell on the internet, we have stories on the Obama-Clinton summit (I’m telling you, she’s going to be his Vice-Presidential choice), high oil prices, the 9/11 mastermind, and Iran.