How Has This Happened???

I have not included the link to this article in the title. I want you to read the entire article so I am going to copy and paste it here in it's entirety. Lately I've been grumbling under my breath because of lack of inspiration from the news and blogging community and I must admit I've been barely reading anything for the last week or so. Tonight, as sick as I am I have just been made sicker. I had to go heave three times before I could even sit down to share it with you. What has a generation's work been for, I ask you? I feel like we have just gone back to medieval times. Before I go off on too much of a tangent here is the article:

New Oklahoma Law: Women Seeking Abortions Must Have Ultrasounds Against Their Will
By Dana Stone, Alternet Reproductive & Gender Newsletter, April 30,2008

"The Oklahoma State Legislature is playing doctor again. Last year they dictated how specialists at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center may care for pregnant women who have medical complications. This week, despite intense lobbying efforts and the Governor’s veto, the legislature passed Senate Bill 1878, which mandates invasive and unnecessary medical testing for women.

Under the guise of obtaining informed patient consent, this new law requires doctors to withhold pregnancy termination until an ultrasound is performed. The law states that either an abdominal or vaginal ultrasound, whichever gives the best image of the fetus, must be done. Neither the patient nor the doctor can decide which type of ultrasound to use, and the patient cannot opt out of the ultrasound and still have the procedure. In effect, then, the legislature has mandated that a woman have an instrument placed in her vagina for no medical benefit. The law makes no exception for victims of rape and incest.

By existing law, women already must be told where to find information about fetal development and referred to locations for a free ultrasound before a termination can be scheduled.

Physicians learn to protect the doctor-patient relationship throughout medical training. We learn that this interaction is for the patient’s benefit, that the patient sets the agenda for the encounter, and the patient is entitled to refuse any treatment or testing. We are not there to impose judgment or our own beliefs on the patient. These protections are vital to maintaining the therapeutic nature of the relationship.

This new law inserts the government directly into the doctor-patient interaction and promotes the legislators’ personal values rather than the best interest of the patient. This sets a dangerous precedent that could be extended into other aspects of patient care, especially other controversial areas of medicine.

In a further reversal of standard medical practice, this bill defines failure to perform this unnecessary medical procedure as "unprofessional conduct" and suggests that the state medical board may remove the physician’s license. Failure to perform the ultrasound also leads to fines beginning at $10,000 and increasing to more than $100,000. By comparison, the highest fine for negligent homicide or driving under the influence in Oklahoma is $1,000.

This "Big Brother" assault by minority special interests on the doctor-patient relationship should repel all Americans. We must hold our legislators accountable for this very literal government intrusion into women’s bodies. Advocates for women’s health need to watch for similar legislation in their own states."

Dana Stone, M.D., FACOG


I ask again...How Can This Happen? Where is our own respect for our own selves? I know the new buzz word that everyone is using these days is "mysogyny" so I hate to use it here, but this is the best, or worst example of it in it's true form that I have ever seen. This is outright torture. Not only to the bodies of women but to their very psyche as well. How can this be allowed to happen? I know I am repeating myself but I just sit here in full blown astonishment, wanting to just bang my head against a wall repeatedly until the pain stops. I don't believe there is a woman alive that has an abortion for fun. They have passed this legislation as if it is necessary to make us think before having one. I don't know of a woman alive that needs to be told to think about it before doing it. That is all we do and all we will do forever after. To be told we must come face to face with our unborn fetus is the worst form of torture I have ever heard of in this country. Why don't they make it mandatory that the father's of these unborn fetuses must also be at that ultrasound appointment. I've said it before and I will continue to say it...If 100% of the men 50% responsible for the pregnancy were held as accountable for the care of the child as women then at the very least 80% of abortions would not be necessary.

Tittotes--A Must Have!! :)

Don't ask me how I found this page...I know I started out on a feminists blog then...click, click, click, etc and ended up here...I want the Anna Nichole or the Grace Kelly one :)

One of Those Mornings!

Every morning I have this routine:

Somewhere around 5 am I roll out of bed, take the glasses out of the case and put them on, grab the inhaler and the ciggies, make a beeline for the bathroom, kicking cats out of the way as I go. I usually let the one cat that I love in the bathroom with me so he can eat. Yeah, he's so spoiled and he's a typical mama's boy anyway. He eats while I brush my teeth and pee. Then he lets me know if he wants to stay in and chill for a minute and if he wants to have fresh water from the sink left dripping for him. Once I know this I can go on about my day.

Then I open the door to the bathroom and have to fight with all the others because they are pissed that they aren't allowed into the "special" room and try to rush me all at the same time. You see, I used to leave the bathroom door open until they decided to use that room as their catbox. Nope, it ain't gonna happen. That's where my closet is and I have a paranoia about going out into the world smelling of cat urine anyway so the door stays closed and no one is allowed in there except mama's boy. He has respect for the clean room and never, ever pees in there.

After all that, I'm somewhat awake or so I think. I make my way to the kitchen to make that all important first cup of coffee. It is very important that I get this part right or the entire day is fried. This morning was one of those mornings that it did not go well. You see, Ive been sick so the kitchen is a total mess. Dishes everywhere because yesterday I had to declog the sink from me shoving all the wasted food in the disposal after the storm. Now I know that spinach dip will clog the disposal. I really hate it when I cannot get to the coffeemaker and then when I try to move stuff so I can get to it there is no counter space to move it to because of the piles of dishes already there.

So I finally get the coffee made or so I think, come in here to the computer to do my every morning thing...check sitemeter to see who visited the blog overnight, go to MyBlogLog to see who visited yesterday, where they came from and what they viewed. Here I must say that finally people are clicking the heart of this blog, the links I worked so hard to put together. Not just the links to the theories but to all the other stuff as well. This makes me happy. It took almost a year for this to happen but I'm happy that it finally has. Makes me feel sort of validated, ya know? I think sometimes that I should just shut up and let this blog flow on its own because while I was without power, phone and internet connection for those two weeks I had more visitors than I normally have. There has only been one other month that I've had more. I don't remember right now when that was, it was either the trauma month or the month I posted about the Anti-War grannies and Joan Wylie.

Then I check the email boxes to see if there are any comments I should publish and check the AlterNet headlines to see if there is anything in them that will stimulate me to post about it. Then go on to reader to start reading what all of you have blogged about.

Normally, the coffee has gurgled to me that it is ready about the time I get to the stats page on MyBlogLog, so I can have my coffee as I peruse the stats. Not this morning though. After the gurgling I go in there to find that I forgot to actually swing the coffee back under the water so it could drip into the pot. I have a fresh post of hot water. AAARRRGGGHHH!!! By this time I have had two inhaler hits and one ciggie so I really need the friggin' coffee! Judge me if you want to but it's my deal and I own it :) So I have to pour the hot water back into the well and stand there and mentally make sure that I have not walked away from the coffee until everything is in place for it to do it's thing.

So now I have said all of that to say this...Please link to my blog correctly! I've said it before and I will say it again and again. I do not mind you using the links I labored to find, in fact I am honored that you think enough of what I have done here to do so...all I ask is that you put friggin "Prin" in there somewhere to acknowledge me and the work I have done, K?

Now I said that to say this...there is a relatively new blog out there that is pretty cool. I applaud what she has done and think she deserves a mention here and were it not for the aforementioned faux pax I would have done so with it's own blog review that I normally do. With it's own titled post and such, instead of way down here at the end of the post. But I do think all domestic violence blogs should be mentioned here with the social work blogs and intend to do so as they are found. UAADV South Carolina is an up and coming domestic violence blog that has the potential for promise. I have subscribed to the feed and will monitor it and maybe later when I have a better morning will give it a formal review, but for now check it out, I do believe it is worth the time. You see, normally this wouldn't have bothered me as I normally have my coffee in hand before I check the MBL stats...that wasn't the case this morning. Now it's storming and raining...so much for the yardwork promised to me yesterday...see I told you the day was going to....... So I think I'll turn up the finetune player and go whip that "intermediate english" guys ass at online backgammon :)

Somebody Please Restrain the Man!!!

Taken from Wikipedia "Medical restraints are generally used to prevent people with severe physical or mental disorders from harming themselves or others. A major goal of most medical restraints is to prevent injuries due to falls. Other medical restraints are intended to prevent a harmful behavior, such as hitting(embarrassing a nation)people." "Four-point restraints and fabric body holders and straitjackets are typically only used temporarily during psychiatric emergencies." In my opinion this is a psychiatric emergency."

I can't find the most current video of his dancing on YouTube but I did find these:



Same time but with hilarious editing...



One more...please forgive me...I'm delirious with fever...and it really does piss me off...



How can we ever recover any semblance of respect after 8 years of this idiocy?

Evidence-Based Juvenile Offender Programs: Program Description, Quality Assurance and Cost

For the full article click on the post title.

Feminist Majority Foundation--Career Center

Please click the title link to be taken to the most awesome social worker adaptable job listing/career center I've found so far.

Davka: Deer Girl Medicine

Weeks ago I meant to tell you of a blog I found. A major part of me wants to keep it all to myself because in reading her words I feel protected as though wrapped up in a soft, plush coccoon of webbing, safely padded, insulated from all of life's cruel realities. As you read her words you might find them harsh. I find them so very comforting. It's like there's only me and Davka in the world. I hear nothing else, no other thoughts intrude on me when reading her words.

Today I feel I must share Davka: Deer Girl Medicine with you. She needs prayers. Her mother is gravely ill. If you can find the time to offer up a prayer for Davka and for her mother it would be greatly appreciated. If you know that bond that only mothers and daughters can share and understand what a loss of that magnitude can do to you then please offer up a prayer. Thank you.

Here's a couple of videos for you and your mom Davka girl:

Taj Mahal--Sweet Mamma Janisse



Taj Mahal--Take a Giant Step

Raccoons...

First, I have to thank Mark C. from Comcast's executive offices that left a comment offering to help me with my problem. Had I known that Mac and blogger decided to get along after I left and go ahead and publish that post I might have contacted him. It's probably just as well I didn't know. We all know junkies are not very nice people when deprived of their drug of choice. :) Anyway, Comcast has been nothing but nice and helpful and sympathetic when I called and I am totally happy with the service when I have it. Until I got the digital phone service I did not know what a clear call sounded like. It even makes other people's lines that I could not hear in the past, clear as a bell. My only worry is that I do live in a storm prone area and we do have tornadoes and hurricanes on a regular basis and I just wonder if this will be a regular occurrence. I guess I will just have to wait and see and cross that bridge when I come to it. I sure don't want to go back to Bellsouth.
Now getting to the raccoons... We've had raccoons for a couple of years now. They are buddies with the cats.... or at least some of them. Now we have to pay 31.99 to get the wires in the attic replaced because not only are they birthing babies up there and pooping, they are chewing on the cable wires. This is a lovely discovery, especially after having lost all the food in the freezer, lived in the dark for 5 days, lived without cable, internet, and phone for 14 days. We've had professional trappers out here, roofers and all sorts of other professionals trying to find where they are coming in. We even had to knock a hole in the sheetrock one time because one of the babies fell down between the sheetrock and the wall and the mother couldn't figure out how to get him and was screaming and was going to continue screaming until she got her baby back. We had to knock the hole in the sheetrock and grab him up with a large blanket so he wouldn't get our scent on him and take him out to the back yard and just hope she found him. She did, because before long the sound of running elephants was back in full force.
Well, that's my story for today. Just wanted to let everyone know we're almost back to normal...now, we just have to worry about flooding. Vicksburg has already lost hundreds of acres of homes and farmland and the Mississippi river is still rising. That means that sooner or later the Pearl river that runs right smack dab through the middle of Jackson will also flood. Hopefully, when the Corps of Engineers went in after the last flood, and dug the river out almost to Tennessee that did the trick. I guess we'll know when we know. I hope you all are staying safe and dry where you are. Thanks for keeping my little blog alive while I was incapacitated :)

Comcast Triple Play

Maybe Comcast's Triple Play isn't such good idea....especially if you live in storm prone areas like I do :) Yep, you guessed it...still no cable, internet or phone. As a friend of mine used to say AAACCCKKK!!!! Twelve days!!!! and no end in sight. I'm here at the library where they have Mac's. Apparently Mac's and blogger on a public computer don't get along very well...as I think the moderator ate the comments that I tried to post. Just wanted to come in to post that we are ok, albeit a touch insane from the lack of communication tools. Great...the Mac just told me it could not contact blogger...so this may post...it may not. If you posted comments and don't see them please post again...if you can remember what you said :) If you're like me you can't...so don't worry about it. I'm still here doing the best I can. I've gotten some great studying in though :) Just about ready to take the test. That's about it for me today, I was on a roll but now thanks to comcast...I think I lost my momentum. Hopefully it won't be much longer. Have a great day!

Whew!

We had a slow moving front come through here on Friday that lasted most of the day and left in it's wake devastation almost as bad as the devastation of Katrina...at least here in Jackson. We have not had power or cable since about 2pm Friday. We have some outside help in here to help with repairing the lines but not nearly as much as with Katrina so it's moving a bit slower. It might be as late as Wednesday of next week before we get up and running again. I am checking emails and posting comments on my son's computer at work. It's Sunday afternoon and most of the guests have checked out so I can do this. I might not be able to do it again. I just wanted to let everyone know what's going on...I'm not neglecting the blog just can't get to it :) I hope all of you are having a better week!!!

Joan Wile's New Book: Grandmothers Against the War: Getting Off Our Fannies and Standing Up For Peace

I can't wait to read it! Here's part of an email she sent to me this morning...

"Here's all the dope:

GRANDMOTHERS AGAINST THE WAR: Getting Off Our Fannies And Standing Up For Peace
Author: Joan Wile
Foreword: Malachy McCourt
Pub. Date: April 29, 2008
Publisher: Citadel Press
Pre-order from amazon.com or bn.com

First signing: May 5 at Barnes & Noble 82nd and Broadway, Manhattan

One Person CAN Make A Difference!



Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night thinking, "I've got to DO something," but felt like you were just one person who couldn’t bring about change? Well, Joan Wile woke up one night thinking she had to do something about the war in Iraq.



Little did she know how far she would go…



Joan founded Grandmothers Against the War in 2003. In this outspoken memoir, she tells the amazing story of the courageous, spunky women who stood up for their beliefs and refused to back down. From staging a protest in Times Square and getting thrown in jail, to marching to Washington DC, to speaking and protesting abroad, these activists are sure to inspire you with their hope and determination against all odds.



It’s never too late to change your life—and take action!



Joan Wile is the founder of Grandmothers Against the War and has been devoted to it since 2003. She is also an award-winning singer/songwriter with an extensive background in recording studios and cabarets. She has written six musicals, four of which were produced off and off-off Broadway. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, www.commondreams.com, www.michaelmoore.com, Opednews.com, and many others. She attended the University of Chicago, and is the mother of two children, and grandmother of five. Visit her at www.grandmothersagainstthewar.org. or her blog, www.joanwile.blogspot.com. Or, listen to her granny anti-war song on youtube -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXVAsHtitW0."

Tell GM to Offer Real Hybrid Solutions

Seems as though GM has decided to have an open dialogue with consumers about what we want in a vehicle. Please click the title of this post to go to the page and send a letter to GM. The letter can be edited...so, tell them what you really think. Like, how about building a real solution with all wheel drive and for under $15,000 would be great :)