Abortion's middle ground
By NANCY GIBBS
Monday, January 23, 2006; Posted: 4:27 p.m. EST (21:27 GMT)
I watched the demonstrations this weekend marking the 33rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade and wonder at their familiarity; the candlelight vigil in front of the Supreme Court, the masses on the mall and in cities across the country, the urgent hope that protesters express as they see the fight breaking in their favor: John Roberts. Sam Alito. New laws in multiple states that are bound to wind up being challenged, so that the next battle is bound to be waged before a more sympathetic High Court.
...
These journeys of course, are typical, which is why the public debate has shifted so much in the years since Roe. Many women who once defended the right to life or the right to choose as automatic and unfreighted have matured through their own experiences and those of their friends. It is increasingly common for Democratic candidates who would once have allowed not the least ethical elasticity into their positions to embrace the careful Clinton Construct: that abortion should be safe, legal and rare. When extremists on the right suggest that liberals view abortion as not just a right but practically a sport, or extremists on the left suggest that there is nothing deeply personal at stake here, only political, they are operating outside the region where I think the rest of us have landed. We have conducted, over the course of 33 years, a long and often painful tutorial that works every moral muscle. I don't know if demonstrations ever really change people minds. But life's lessons very often do.
Brilliantly put, I think.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Friday, January 27, 2006
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Some women in Springfield are regretting their decision last week to get a tattoo from a door-to-door tattoo salesman. At least one person had to be hospitalized and the others face serious health risks.
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Why is this even a possible occurrence? I mean, I know stupid and this is just... beyond.
...
Why is this even a possible occurrence? I mean, I know stupid and this is just... beyond.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
I'm crap at this whole 'blogging' thing. I do things that would be fun to post about but did I take pictures? No. No, I didn't. The thought never even occured to me. *sigh*
I fixed the dryer today. It was making this godawful squealing noise the other night. I poked around on google for a while to see if I could find someone who'd posted the issue/solution. Sure enough, fixitnow.com has the exact information I require. Down to the pictures of the inside of the dryer. Wootness. So, here's what I did. I took the back of the dryer off. Can't reach anything from there so I put it back on. That's when I went to google and looked for solutions. Found out that the best way to get into the dryer is to unscrew the lint trap and then lift the top off. Hooray! Dryer guts! The next step was to take the front panel of the dryer off and then 'unstring the belt.' Um... ok. How? I don't know. *sigh* The front panel was easy enough to take off but unstring the belt? Yeesh. So I wrestled with the drum a little and tried to slip the belt off the back end of it. I think that took about 5 minutes and then when it slipped off, the pulley and whatnot came apart of themselves. Yay. I turned the shaft that goes through the motor and guess what? No squealing. Shit. I pulled on it and turned it at the same time and yay! squealing! Culprit!!! heh. Air-in-a-can removes dust, WD-40 soothes joints and presto! A dryer that doesn't scream at me!! I think the felt seal on the back end of the drum needs to be replaced but who cares? That's gonna be cake.
The moral of the story is: call me when your dryer screams at you. I can pretend I know what I'm doing and I might even fix it.
I fixed the dryer today. It was making this godawful squealing noise the other night. I poked around on google for a while to see if I could find someone who'd posted the issue/solution. Sure enough, fixitnow.com has the exact information I require. Down to the pictures of the inside of the dryer. Wootness. So, here's what I did. I took the back of the dryer off. Can't reach anything from there so I put it back on. That's when I went to google and looked for solutions. Found out that the best way to get into the dryer is to unscrew the lint trap and then lift the top off. Hooray! Dryer guts! The next step was to take the front panel of the dryer off and then 'unstring the belt.' Um... ok. How? I don't know. *sigh* The front panel was easy enough to take off but unstring the belt? Yeesh. So I wrestled with the drum a little and tried to slip the belt off the back end of it. I think that took about 5 minutes and then when it slipped off, the pulley and whatnot came apart of themselves. Yay. I turned the shaft that goes through the motor and guess what? No squealing. Shit. I pulled on it and turned it at the same time and yay! squealing! Culprit!!! heh. Air-in-a-can removes dust, WD-40 soothes joints and presto! A dryer that doesn't scream at me!! I think the felt seal on the back end of the drum needs to be replaced but who cares? That's gonna be cake.
The moral of the story is: call me when your dryer screams at you. I can pretend I know what I'm doing and I might even fix it.
Monday, January 23, 2006
"Abortion rights have been slowly whittled away while we haven't even been looking," said Kitty Striker, 22, who decorated her hair with small coat hanger replicas for the protest. "That's what's so shocking and so scary to me."
Coat hanger replicas.
...
What is wrong with people? You don't want a baby? Don't have a baby. You want a baby? Have a baby. But adopting the COAT HANGER as a symbol of your opinion in the HOW TO NOT HAVE A BABY debate, that's just fucked.
Addressing her SHOCK and FEAR... exactly what rights have been "whittled away" that have affected what this person, as a 22 year old, is able to do with her reproductive system? I hate when people say something like that and don't back it up in anyway. Maybe she could have. Maybe her comment was taken out of context: it's certainly possible. But still.
Bah.
Coat hanger replicas.
...
What is wrong with people? You don't want a baby? Don't have a baby. You want a baby? Have a baby. But adopting the COAT HANGER as a symbol of your opinion in the HOW TO NOT HAVE A BABY debate, that's just fucked.
Addressing her SHOCK and FEAR... exactly what rights have been "whittled away" that have affected what this person, as a 22 year old, is able to do with her reproductive system? I hate when people say something like that and don't back it up in anyway. Maybe she could have. Maybe her comment was taken out of context: it's certainly possible. But still.
Bah.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
That's a big flippin' jelly fish.
Apparently, they're getting caught in nets and the fishermen are having to hack apart these 400 pound beasties to get at the few fish that are also in the nets. Suckage for the fishermen but it seems like finding a way to fish that would NOT entrap the jellyfish is the better option. I'm sure there's tons (literally! heh) of the jellyfish out there but it's a shame to kill so many.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Why don't cats fear more? If I were a fluffy animal that could burst into flames, I wouldn't be seen near a candle.
There's nothing to talk about. Next weekend, I'm having a garage sale (provided I get around to making signs and getting change moneys) and getting rid of as much CRAP as I can. My mother is helping by bringing me HER crap to sell. That should work out well. I suppose if it doesn't, it'll all go to Goodwill.
This ties in to numbers 77, 78, 79 of the "Pare Down" department of the uberlist as well as number 35 in the "Good of Society" section.
Speaking of the uberlist, I guess I can post a couple that I've done or at least partially completed:
#20 Exercise-Pilates or yoga routine at least three times a week
#54 Home-Comforter for bed: IKEA: also,comforter covers
#59 Home-Organize movies/games better - new bookcase from IKEA? (This one I've done partially: the movies/games are organized but we haven't decided on a new bookcase from anywhere. This may wait till we move elsewhere.)
#101 Yard-Plant Daffodils
Update: Nermal just caught his flank on fire and didn't notice it. What he DID notice was me smacking him off the desk and yelling "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?" He's currently plotting my demise. I shall be on the look-out for feline traps for the next couple of days.
Glade Scented Oil candles don't cover up the smell of burning fur as well as I'd hoped.
There's nothing to talk about. Next weekend, I'm having a garage sale (provided I get around to making signs and getting change moneys) and getting rid of as much CRAP as I can. My mother is helping by bringing me HER crap to sell. That should work out well. I suppose if it doesn't, it'll all go to Goodwill.
This ties in to numbers 77, 78, 79 of the "Pare Down" department of the uberlist as well as number 35 in the "Good of Society" section.
Speaking of the uberlist, I guess I can post a couple that I've done or at least partially completed:
#20 Exercise-Pilates or yoga routine at least three times a week
#54 Home-Comforter for bed: IKEA: also,comforter covers
#59 Home-Organize movies/games better - new bookcase from IKEA? (This one I've done partially: the movies/games are organized but we haven't decided on a new bookcase from anywhere. This may wait till we move elsewhere.)
#101 Yard-Plant Daffodils
Update: Nermal just caught his flank on fire and didn't notice it. What he DID notice was me smacking him off the desk and yelling "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?" He's currently plotting my demise. I shall be on the look-out for feline traps for the next couple of days.
Glade Scented Oil candles don't cover up the smell of burning fur as well as I'd hoped.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
You know you've lost your mind when your initial (mental, of course) reaction to someone saying "I said..." is "I don't remember asking you a GOD DAMNED THING!" a la Jules Winnfield.
Also, did you know washing dishes burns like, 12 calories? I'm glad I did more work yesterday that may help balance out today's complete lack of direction.
Yes. I'm cross posting. I'm that lazy today. In my defense, I have a cat sitting on me and I've lost feeling in my lower extremities. He's Happy, though, so I can't make him move.
Also, did you know washing dishes burns like, 12 calories? I'm glad I did more work yesterday that may help balance out today's complete lack of direction.
Yes. I'm cross posting. I'm that lazy today. In my defense, I have a cat sitting on me and I've lost feeling in my lower extremities. He's Happy, though, so I can't make him move.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Yesterday, I spent a while planning out what I would get accomplished today. That's how I roll, you see. I don't just DO stuff, I plan it for THE NEXT DAY. Granted, it's because if I didn't, I would have wasted all of today with mindless stuff and been ubertired YESTERDAY. That would have altered the molecular structure of a gnat and I can't be guilty of crimes like that right now.
Anyway. The linen closet is organized again and there's a massive amount of space left over and I can't figure out why. I discarded two small boxes (like, 7 inches by 7 inches small) and two towels and a pair of sheets. That's it. And somehow, there was enough space left that I could have left one of the shelves completely bare. Very strange. I don't know why it bothers me but it does. Maybe because I spent a long time organizing the closet a few months ago and I didn't find this excess storage room then. Where was it? Did the back of the closet move 10 inches? Is the hot-water heater on the other side feeling crowded now? So confused.
For weeks now, I've had a song from the Kill Bill soundtrack stuck in my head and I couldn't figure out what it was. All I'd hear was the refrain 'bang bang. my baby shot me down.' Nothing else. And I THOUGHT I had the soundtrack but apparently I had something else or just a partial or something and when I saw a track posted on the Noikle's Last.fm page, I remembered the song again and re-copied the soundtrack and THERE IT IS! Fucking Nancy Sinatra. How did I not remember that??? I'm so dumb sometimes.
Varsity Bowling. Chew on that. It's delicious.
Anyway. The linen closet is organized again and there's a massive amount of space left over and I can't figure out why. I discarded two small boxes (like, 7 inches by 7 inches small) and two towels and a pair of sheets. That's it. And somehow, there was enough space left that I could have left one of the shelves completely bare. Very strange. I don't know why it bothers me but it does. Maybe because I spent a long time organizing the closet a few months ago and I didn't find this excess storage room then. Where was it? Did the back of the closet move 10 inches? Is the hot-water heater on the other side feeling crowded now? So confused.
For weeks now, I've had a song from the Kill Bill soundtrack stuck in my head and I couldn't figure out what it was. All I'd hear was the refrain 'bang bang. my baby shot me down.' Nothing else. And I THOUGHT I had the soundtrack but apparently I had something else or just a partial or something and when I saw a track posted on the Noikle's Last.fm page, I remembered the song again and re-copied the soundtrack and THERE IT IS! Fucking Nancy Sinatra. How did I not remember that??? I'm so dumb sometimes.
Varsity Bowling. Chew on that. It's delicious.
Sunday, January 8, 2006
Vengeful mouse sets house ablaze
Sunday, January 8, 2006; Posted: 5:40 p.m. EST (22:40 GMT)
FORT SUMNER, New Mexico (AP) -- A mouse got its revenge against a homeowner who tried to dispose of it in a pile of burning leaves. The blazing creature ran back to the man's house and set it on fire.
Luciano Mares, 81, of Fort Sumner said he caught the mouse inside his house and wanted to get rid of it.
"I had some leaves burning outside, so I threw it in the fire, and the mouse was on fire and ran back at the house," Mares said from a motel room Saturday.
**Serves you right, old man. You don't throw a mouse into a fire without Consequences and Repercussions.**
Sunday, January 8, 2006; Posted: 5:40 p.m. EST (22:40 GMT)
FORT SUMNER, New Mexico (AP) -- A mouse got its revenge against a homeowner who tried to dispose of it in a pile of burning leaves. The blazing creature ran back to the man's house and set it on fire.
Luciano Mares, 81, of Fort Sumner said he caught the mouse inside his house and wanted to get rid of it.
"I had some leaves burning outside, so I threw it in the fire, and the mouse was on fire and ran back at the house," Mares said from a motel room Saturday.
**Serves you right, old man. You don't throw a mouse into a fire without Consequences and Repercussions.**
This is definitely my NHL. Two years ago, being down 3-0 in the first would be reason to not want to watch the rest of the game. This year, it's the reason to not leave the room. So freaking awesome to see come-back wins like this. 6 unanswered goals. It sucks to have Marty get pulled from two games in a row but when Hedberg can shut out the rest of the game, it's all for the best.
Saturday, January 7, 2006
If you haven't made a point of watching Firefly, you should. This will be brilliant once you do. And maybe even if you don't.
Chinese language catching on in U.S. classrooms
Monday, January 2, 2006; Posted: 1:17 p.m. EST (18:17 GMT)
PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) -- Twenty-four young faces in the kindergarten class at Woodstock Elementary School watch intently as their teacher holds up a construction paper cut-out of a large red circle, and waits for them to identify the shape.
Piece of cake for a roomful of savvy 5-year-olds, except that teacher Shin Yen is looking for the shape's name in Mandarin Chinese. It's the world's most widely-spoken language, but one that's only just beginning to surface in U.S. classrooms, especially at the elementary level.
Chinese language catching on in U.S. classrooms
Monday, January 2, 2006; Posted: 1:17 p.m. EST (18:17 GMT)
PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) -- Twenty-four young faces in the kindergarten class at Woodstock Elementary School watch intently as their teacher holds up a construction paper cut-out of a large red circle, and waits for them to identify the shape.
Piece of cake for a roomful of savvy 5-year-olds, except that teacher Shin Yen is looking for the shape's name in Mandarin Chinese. It's the world's most widely-spoken language, but one that's only just beginning to surface in U.S. classrooms, especially at the elementary level.
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
In years past, I would rearrange rooms monthly. I'd dump the contents of every dresser/bookcase/box on the floor and move all the furniture several times till something clicked. Or broke. Well, until I broke, anyway. And then I would spend a couple hours sifting through all of my stuff, tossing the bits and pieces I didn't want anymore and re-stashing everything I couldn't live without.
Today I'm using bhg.com's Arrange-a-Room. It's much easier.
Today I'm using bhg.com's Arrange-a-Room. It's much easier.
After moving the big ugly bookcase out of the bedroom and back into the office, I decided it would be a good time to see if my claim to have a couple hundred books was a lie. The easy thing to do would have been to count them as I put them away. That would have been simple. Instead, I also figured now was a good time to inventory everything. That's right, I made a spreadsheet of my books. It only took me about an hour and a half. I didn't organize it according to fiction/nonfiction or entertainment/edification. I should have. I probably will later. The last time the books were rearranged, they were grouped that way on the shelf. They still almost are but trying to keep track of that while listing them according to author/title was more than I felt like undertaking.
Anyway. Now I hate the bookcase even more because I'm seeing AGAIN all the gouges in it from the cats clawing it. Dumb cats. They only claw it because they can't read.
This is what I want:
or this:
I'm not picky.
Anyway. Now I hate the bookcase even more because I'm seeing AGAIN all the gouges in it from the cats clawing it. Dumb cats. They only claw it because they can't read.
This is what I want:
or this:
I'm not picky.
Birthday- Throw my own party. No one else is gonna.
Birthday- Throw the boy a party.
Books- Finish reading Meditations
Books- Try some of the books on my wishlist: Kerouac, Ovid, etc.
Books- Read books I've bought and stuck on the shelf
Cooking- use more real recipes
Cooking- plan out weekly menus
Cooking- master a new dish to make from memory
Creativity- Plan out and finish quilling projects: sell online or use in Dad's lamp ideas
Creativity- Knit more than scarves and blankets.
Creativity- Organize a craft area in the house: second desk in office?
Creativity- Sew placemats/napkins for mom
Creativity- Make new curtains for office/bedroom
Creativity- Find/fill all picture frames.
Creativity- Make new curtains for kitchen - retro print
Education- Find photography classes
Education- Find yoga classes
Education- Visit the museum more.
Education- Use "French for Dummies"
Exercise- Pilates or yoga routine at least three times a week
Exercise- Start running with Puck
Exercise- Get bike from the parents' house and bike with the boy
Family- Have pictures taken and framed
Family- Start scrapbooks
Family- New patio furniture for the parents (IKEA)
Friends- Make more time for friends: Girls Night, etc
Friends- Roadtrip with Nicole and Jill
Friends- Dinner party - wine and everything.
Friends- Go camping!
Friends- Visit Justin or see if he can come down here
Good of Society- Donate to SPCA
Good of Society- Volunteer somewhere: entrap friends if you have to
Good of Society- Donate unused books to local library
Good of Society- Crochet/knit and donate baby caps
Good of Society- Donate clothing to Goodwill
Good of Society- Vote!
Health- Find a balanced diet that works for both of us
Health- Whiten teeth
Health- Make appointment for the boy with the behavioral health doctor
Health- Workout with the boy: good for morale, good for me
Health- Stay on top of teeth!
Holidays- Host 4th of July?
Holidays- Send xmas cards first of December
Holidays- Halloween party - new/better theme ideas
Holidays- Put tree up day after Thanksgiving
Home- Finish half-bath
Home- Patch hole in kitchen
Home- Replace doors in laundry room/paint
Home- Paint bedroom
Home- Patch holes in living room and paint
Home- Find out about leveling house
Home- Hang picture frames in living room/office.
Home- Replace floor in office
Home- Comforter for bed: IKEA: also,comforter covers
Home- Baskets for under futon: storage
Home- New bookcase for living room
Home- Transplant Mimosa
Home- Put shelving up in shed
Home- Organize movies/games better - new bookcase from IKEA?
Home- Paint house
Home- Get tv out of bedroom
Home- Replace doors to AC/hot water heater closet
Home- Rewire washing machine connection
Love- Read/practice strip-workout lessons
Love- Make more dates
Love- Find a dance class we can take
Love- *personal*
Love- *personal*
Movies- Watch Goonies
Movies- Watch A Christmas Story
Movies- Watch Chicago
Movies- Watch at least one foreign film
Music- Go to a concert
Organize- Backups! Pictures/music/documents
Organize- Sort pictures into categories
Organize- Dressers/closet
Pare Down- Get rid of unused kitchen items
Pare Down- No more sentimental-hanging on - ditch old toys/notes/pictures
Pare Down- If you haven't used it in 6 months, it's time to find a new home for it.
Pare Down- Throw away old mail/magazines/etc.
Pare Down- Throw out old shoes BEFORE buying any new ones
Pare Down- Clean out closet in office: if it's outdated, you can't upgrade with it
Pets- Take Puck to the vet for updated shots
Pets- Clip Puck's nails weekly
Pets- Tag animals: collar for Nermal, ChiChi
Pets- Clip Nermal's claws once a week
Pets- Get shots for Cats
Pets- Make a pillow for ChiChi so she's not on the lovesac all the time
Random- Start uberlist for next year in October
Site- Redesign soap website
Site- Figure out hosting if 1&1 isn't going to be free anymore
Vacation- Mexico?
Vacation- Canada - see hockey game while there?
Vacation- Colorado?
Vacation- Vegas?
Vacation- Galveston? Take Heather?
Work- Get job situation sorted out
Work- Become indispensable
Work- Look into schooling that will make job searches easier
Yard- Clean up dead branches
Yard- Plant Daffodils
Yard- Empty pots with only dirt in them
Yard- Level out dips in the front and back yards
Yard- Replace plants in the side flower beds
Yard- Organize front porch flower pots
Yard- Find a bigger pot for the wisteria
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