Is it right for a married guy to fire a beautiful assistant or employee he finds "irresistable" or a temptation? This really happened in USA, recently! The reason for firing seems unfair or even absurd and ridiculous, but in America's dynamic and truly democratic free enterprise system, an employer can lawfully terminate the services of any employee for whatever reason as long as she or he is justly compensated.

This is the essence of free enterprise, employers have the right to hire or fire people and not be compelled to retain employees as long as the employees are properly compensated. The world's two biggest capitalistic economies have proven that this democratic principle works---USA and China.


(Image below sourced from news.com.au)




Read this CNN news report:

Iowa Supreme Court: OK to fire 'irresistible' worker

By Dana Ford, CNN

December 23, 2012 -- Updated 0123 GMT (0923 HKT)

 

 

Worker fired for being 'irresistible'

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Melissa Nelson worked as a dental assistant for James Knight for more than 10 years
• Knight complained Nelson wore tight clothes, was a "detriment" to his family
• Knight's wife demanded he fire Nelson; he did
• The all-male high court rules her termination did not constitute unlawful discrimination

(CNN) -- Can a boss fire an employee he finds attractive because he and his wife, fairly or not, see her as a threat to their marriage?

Yes, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday.

"The question we must answer is ... whether an employee who has not engaged in flirtatious conduct may be lawfully terminated simply because the boss views the employee as an irresistible attraction," Justice Edward M. Mansfield wrote for the all-male high court.

Such firings may not be fair, but they do not constitute unlawful discrimination under the Iowa Civil Rights Act, the decision read, siding with a lower court.

An attorney for Melissa Nelson, the fired employee, said the decision was wrong.

"We are appalled by the court's ruling and its failure to understand the nature of gender bias," said Paige Fiedler, the attorney. "For the seven men on the Iowa Supreme Court not to 'get it' is shocking and disheartening. It underscores the need for judges on the bench to be diverse in terms of their gender, race and life experiences."

The case concerns her client's employment as a dental assistant. Nelson worked for James Knight in 1999 and stayed for more than 10 years at the Fort Dodge business.

Toward the end of her employment, Knight complained to Nelson her clothing was tight and "distracting," the decision read. She denied her clothes were inappropriate.

At one point, Knight told Nelson that "if she saw his pants bulging, she would know her clothing was too revealing," the decision read.

At another point, in response to an alleged comment Nelson made about the infrequency of her sex life, Knight responded: [T]hat's like having a Lamborghini in the garage and never driving it."

During the last six months of Nelson's employment, Nelson and Knight, both married with children, started sending text messages to each other outside of work. Neither objected to the texting.

Knight's wife, who was employed at the same dental office, found out about those messages in late 2009 and demanded he fire Nelson.

In early 2010, he did just that. In the presence of a pastor, Knight told Nelson she had become a "detriment" to his family and that for the sakes of both their families, they should no longer work together, the decision read. Knight gave Nelson one month's severance.

In a subsequent conversation between Knight and Nelson's husband, Knight said Nelson had done nothing wrong and that "she was the best dental assistant he ever had," the decision read.

Nelson filed a lawsuit, contending that Knight fired her because of her gender. She did not say he committed sexual harassment.

In response, Knight argued that Nelson was fired because of the "nature of their relationship and the perceived threat" to his marriage, not because of her gender. In fact, he said, Knight only employs women and replaced Nelson with another female employee.

A district court sided with Knight; Nelson appealed.

"As we have indicated above, the issue before us is not whether a jury could find that Dr. Knight treated Nelson badly," read the high court's decision.

"We are asked to decide only if a genuine fact issue exists as to whether Dr. Knight engaged in unlawful gender discrimination when he fired Nelson at the request of his wife. For the reasons previously discussed, we believe this conduct did not amount to unlawful discrimination, and therefore we affirm the judgment of the district court."

Congratulations to South Korea's first ever woman leader! She will show the world that women can be as gutsy and visionary as male politicos! Best wishes to the people of dynamic South Korea.

Can President Park Geun-hye help rein in or nudge reforms in hostile neighbor North Korea? Can she also persuade the political leaders and people of Japan to not embrace rightwing politics and come to terms with Japan's controversial colonial past like postwar Germany did, in order to help build a brighter future for East Asia? I personally have high hopes and great respect for South Korea's new leader.

(Photo below from reuters.com)



(Image below sourced from forums.allkpop.com)





Here's a news report from Reuters news agency:

Park Geun-hye wastes no time in addressing Japan and North Korea

First woman president takes tough line while promising to spread wealth more evenly

Friday, 21 December, 2012, 12:00 am

 

Reuters in Seoul

• 

Park Geun-hye bows to the nation yesterday. Photo: AP

South Korea's president-elect, Park Geun-hye, used her first major speech yesterday to warn of the risks posed by a hostile North Korea and also fired a political shot across the bows of Japan's incoming prime minister, Shinzo Abe.
Speaking after a visit to the national cemetery, which included a poignant homage at the graves of her assassinated father and mother, the country's first woman leader pledged to spread wealth more evenly.

Park has said she will hold talks with North Korea and resume aid to the isolated and belligerent country, but only if it abandons its nuclear weapons programme. The impoverished North launched a rocket last week that critics said was a test for technology that could be used for a long-range missile that could one day carry a nuclear warhead.

"North Korea's long-range missile launch showed how grave the security reality is that we are faced with," Park said a day after her convincing election win.

She will take office in February and signalled she would continue outgoing Lee Myung-bak's tough line on territorial claims that Japan has on South Korea.

South Korea says Japan, which has similar disputes with China, has not come to terms with its harsh past rule of Korea. Japan says it has paid compensation for the slavery issue and has apologised.

"I will try to work for greater reconciliation, co-operation and peace in Northeast Asia based on a correct perception of history," she said, in an apparent reference to the conflict with Tokyo.

Park, 60, will replace fellow conservative Lee after his single five-year term ends. The slightly built and elegant Park grew up in Seoul's presidential palace during the 18-year rule of her father, Park Chung-hee, who took power in a military coup in 1961.

Park on Tuesday called for national "reconciliation" and pledged again to share wealth more evenly, but offered no clues about how she would implement policies. She is likely to face protests from South Korea's vocal left, angry at the rise to power of the daughter of a man they believe was a repressive dictator.

"This will be a tremendous burden on her ability to govern," political commentator Yu Chang-seon said of Park's heritage. "It effectively means that she could be in direct conflict with half of society ... The first six months will be key."

Compared to the brutal and quite backward Spanish colonizers, the American colonizers in their nearly half-century rule had brought a lot of positive contributions to Philippine economic development regardless of the controversies like the Philippine-American War or unequal treaties like the Parity Rights, U.S. bases agreement before, etc.

Let me share some of the disaster relief and other forms of aid our former colonizer the United States of America (USA) continue to share with us here in the Philippines.

Special thanks to the U.S. Embassy in Manila for providing me these statistics below.

Merry Christmas to all!

(Image of this circa 1945 Philippine postage stamp under U.S. colonial rule sourced from 123rf.com)







(Iimage below of U.S.A. colonial officials in tropical islands of the Philippines sourced from mutantfrog.com)





(An American flag decorates a public transport vehicle called "jeepney" in Metro Manila, the Philippines. This image below sourced from noelmaurer.typepad.com)






U.S. Government Assistance to the Philippines for Typhoon Pablo Relief

FACT SHEET

Manila, December 21, 2012 -- The U.S. Government extends its deepest condolences for the devastation and loss of life caused by Typhoon Pablo (international name Bopha) in the southern Philippines. As the Christmas holiday approaches, we continue to work hand in hand with the Government of the Philippines and non-governmental organizations to make sure that assistance is reaching those who need it most in typhoon-ravaged areas of Davao.  Below is a summary of all activities undertaken by the U.S. Government to assist with the disaster relief effort since December 5.

760,500,000: Total number, in Philippine Pesos, provided by the U.S. Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), over the past five years to aid with the disaster response in the Philippines.  The United States has been a key partner of the Philippines in providing immediate humanitarian response during natural calamities. The U.S. Government is helping the Philippines cope with the effects of calamities by improving mechanisms to effectively adapt and respond to natural disasters. This includes responses to Tropical Storm Ketsana (Ondoy) in 2009, Typhoon Megi (Juan) in 2010, Tropical Storm Washi (Sendong) in 2011, and Typhoon Bopha (Pablo) in 2012.

291,100,000: Total number, in Philippine Pesos, the U.S. Government, through USAID, plans to provide in emergency assistance to individuals affected by Typhoon Pablo (international name Bopha) in the Philippines. This funding is helping address the humanitarian needs of typhoon-affected populations in Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, and Negros Oriental provinces, and includes support for emergency shelter, logistics, and water, sanitation, and hygiene activities, as well as the provision of emergency relief commodities and food.

167,000,000: Total number, in Philippine Pesos, provided by the U.S. Government in Fiscal Year 2012, through USAID, to support disaster risk reduction efforts by local governments and communities in the Philippines.

2,100,000: Kilos of rice provided by the U.S. Government, through USAID, and allocated to the U.N. World Food Program for emergency distribution to typhoon victims, along with pulses, vegetable oil, and salt, plus a fortified blended food for pregnant and lactating women, children under five, and elderly.  The donation is worth PHP 102,500,000.

343,278: Kilos of relief goods flown by the U.S. Military to Davao from Manila via two Marine Corps KC-130J Hercules aircraft since December 8.  The relief goods consist of family ration packs, relief aid boxes containing personal hygiene items and clothing, high-energy biscuits, rice, generators, mosquito nets, blankets, sleeping mats, tents and liquid containers.

90,000: Estimated number of displaced people in the Philippines who will receive the rice donation from the U.S. Government, through USAID.

37,980: Square kilometers surveyed for aerial assessments with assistance from the Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines (JSOTF-P) to aid the Philippine Government in its search and rescue mission.  JSOTF-P provided the aerial assessments over Davao Del Sur, across Compostela Valley and along the east coast of Mindanao from Davao Oriental to Boston. These observations from the air provided over 600 images to advisers on the ground, in order to assess damage and facilitate follow-on distribution of relief aid and supplies to areas where it is most needed.

20,819: Gallons of water per hour produced by water purification units from the U.S. Marine Forces Pacific Command, with assistance of four experts in water purification.

20,000: Estimated number of families that will benefit from 109 tons of plastic sheeting sent to the typhoon-affected areas by USAID for emergency shelters.  This plastic sheeting was consigned to the U.N. World Food Program for distribution to the various members of the Shelter Cluster, headed by the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development.

7,200: Square Nautical Miles searched by the P-3 Orion aircraft to aid search and rescue efforts in the Straights of Sarangani.

113: Number of hours spent flying the KC-130J Hercules aircraft to deliver supplies over 22 flights, since December 8.

7: Response time, in hours, between the Philippine Government request to assist with the typhoon response, and the arrival of the U.S. KC-130J Hercules aircraft in Manila.

(Image below of an American woman teaching Filipino kids English in the 1900s start of U.S. colonial rule, this photo sourced from philippines1900.tumblr.com)

No to trapos, I will vote this good leader! Bro. Eddie Villanueva running for Philippine senator! Let us support him for moral, political, economic and social reforms! His son Secretary Joel Villanueva of TESDA also an outstanding leader! Please share this, also leave your comments below if you wish. New politics!

Good news for Asia and for the dynamic nation of South Korea! The daughter of the late great leader Park Chung Hee is---I believe---headed for election victory in South Korea tomorrow. South Korea is one of the most admirable nations in Asia, surpassing even its former colonizer Japan from Olympic gold medals, Samsung electronics success to pop culture exports like Korean TV shows or Gangnam Style!

I foresee Ms. Park Geun Hye tomorrow to not only become South Korea's first female leader, but also the first woman to head a nation in north Asia.

(Image below sourced from reuters.com)








(This Nov. 14, 2011 Korea Joongang Daily photo and news caption below sourced from  mengnews.joinsmsn.com)

Representative Park Geun-hye, third from left, former chairwoman of the Grand National Party, commemorates the 94th birthday of her father, former President Park Chung Hee, at his birth place in Gumi, North Gyeongsang, yesterday. A five-meter statue of Park was unveiled. By Gong Jeong-sik

(Image below and news sourced from Associated Press, November 2, 2012)

Park Geun-hye, presidential candidate of the ruling Saenuri Party, burns incense in front of the tomb of her father and former authoritarian President Park Chung-hee at National Cemetery in Seoul, South Korea. Park attempts to become the country's first female president and keep the government in conservative hands in the Dec. 19, 2012 election. She has been in the public eye longer than either of her rivals and is a skilled political operator, but she is also hounded by her late father Park Chung-hee's complicated legacy, which continues to divide many South Koreans.

Ban widespread private ownership of guns! Less proliferation of guns in USA, the Philippines & the world is one practical way to promote peace and order! Why do we allow too many guns? How much more violence and deaths do we allow before we ban ownership of firearms? Wake up!



(Image below from zazzle.com)


Please read this article from The Telegraph newspaper to realize the dangers of widespread gun ownership...

(This image below sourced from keepschoolssafe.org)

Mass Shooter Adam Lanza 'Spent Hours Playing Call Of Duty'

 

By Barney Henderson

The Telegraph

December 18, 2012

Connecticut school massacre gunman Adam Lanza spent hours playing violent video games such as Call Of Duty in a windowless bunker, according to an interview with a plumber who worked at the family home.

Lanza killed 20 children aged six and seven and six adults at Sandy Hook elementary school having previously shot dead his mother Nancy last Friday. He then shot himself dead. Police are still searching for a motive.

It has emerged that Lanza spent his time in the basement of the family’s four-bedroom home in Newtown playing video games, such as Call of Duty and obsessing over guns and military equipment, according to an interview in The Sun with plumber Peter Wlasuk.

Call Of Duty is controversial because of its violent content. The Advertising Standards Authority in the UK banned daytime advertising of the game earlier this year.

“It was a beautiful house but he lived in the basement. I always thought that was strange,” said Mr Wlasuk, who went into the basement on several occasions while working at the house.

“But he had a proper set up down there — computers, a bathroom, bed and desk and a TV. There were no windows.”

“The boys were fans of the military. They had posters all over the wall in the basement.

“They had one poster of every piece of military equipment the US ever made.

“It was a huge poster with every tank every made. The kids could tell you about guns they had never seen from the 40s, 50s and 60s.

“The kids who play these games know all about them.

“I’m not blaming the games for what happened. But they see a picture of a historical gun and say 'I’ve used that on Call Of Duty’.”

It has also been claimed that Nancy Lanza taught Lanza to handle firearms to instill him with a “sense of responsibility” and even took him to the shooting range just days before the atrocity.

Lanza was apparently so emotionally detached in his teens that school officials assigned him a psychiatrist. They feared that he might harm himself, but did not regard him as a danger to others.

Lanza, a painfully shy computer “nerd” who was said to have had a development disorder, “loved being careful” with guns and “made it a source of pride”, according to friends of his mother Nancy.

Mrs Lanza, a gun enthusiast who owned at least five weapons and was the first victim of his rampage, introduced Adam and his older brother Ryan to firearms at a young age. Indeed, she took her younger son to a local firing range just days before the rampage, CNN reported.

“She told me she had wanted to introduce them to the guns to teach, especially Adam, a sense of responsibility,” a friend told NBC television.

“Guns require a lot of respect and she really tried to instill that. And he took to it. He loved being careful with them. He made it a source of pride.”

Triumph of Reproductive Health (RH) bill in the Philippines today---December 17, 2012---in the legislature is a decisive victory for the democratic principle seperating the church and the state! It is also a victory of common sense over dogmatism!

Family planning is pro-life, pro-women, pro-poor. The future of the Philippines is now better! Advance Merry Christmas!




(Image below sourced from likhaan.org)








(Image below is sourced from planetphilippines.com)