Moving and Other Woes

I am so tired of packing. I don't have a lot of things, but apparently it's enough to drive a person crazy. Also, I don't want to pack something I might need or want in this last week here in Iowa. *tear*. I'm so going to miss Iowa. I already have a job and financial aid lined up. I haven't yet heard from my advisor, but I have plenty of time to start choosing classes for next fall (YAY!). Obama won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have a presidential candidate for the party! I'm not too sure about this whole Clinton as vice-president thing. Nick and I have been discussing Richardson or even Sebelius; but Clinton might bring in those voters that Obama doesn't appeal to and maybe even swing some of those crazy Republicans over to the good side hehe.
Those wacky anti-choicers are at it again with something called "Protest the Pill" day. Cause the pill is "bad." But it does prove that some of the pro-choice arguments are correct: that those arguing against the pill and abortion aren't anti-abortion, they're anti- women's reproductive freedom, anti-choice. Apparently, the claim is that, despite the medical definition of pregnancy as starting at implantation (cause we all know that doctors don't really know any science), pregnancy REALLY starts at fertilization. Which you can't detect. So the pill is somehow a chemical abortion - even though the medical dictionary describes an abortion (spontaneous or induced) as the "loss of a pregnancy." (www.medterms.com). I have no idea how someone who isn't pregnant (at least the actual definition of pregnancy, not the anti-choice one) can have an abortion by the pill.
The pill can prevent implantation, but that's preventing pregnancy, not ending one, because implantation is the definition of pregnancy. At least, medically. Not that it matters, cause science isn't really high on the list of important things to know when you're anti-choice. But I'm getting all sarcastic and I apologize. I just couldn't believe the ignorance and sexism that comes out of this and while I realize people in general don't agree with me on my pro-choice stance regarding abortion, I can't believe that a majority of people would agree with this anti-choice stance on birth control.
So a new subject to get off my high-horse and lecture: Nick is back from Paris. Apparently, he has bought me French chocolates (that's the only thing he would tell me he got me, the sneak!) Next summer, instead of Ireland, we may be heading to see my sister get married in San Diego. But I'm hoping that we might be able to find a cheaper international trip to Belize or Canada. Europe is so expensive lately thanks to our lovely dollar decline. Or maybe we could go to Budapest - it's pretty inexpensive in the former Soviet bloc, even though they're having a major revival. Any thoughts on this?

I just finished rewatching all of the Gilmore Girls on DVD. The last episode always makes me cry. And watching it got me to thinking...life seems somewhat imbalanced when it comes to rites of passage. They seem to take place more when you're young. For example: kindergarten, high school graduation, getting accepted into college, first kisses and sexual experiences, graduation from college, graduate school acceptance, graduate school graduation, first real job, first marriage, first kid...it all seems to be in those childhood, teenage, twenties years. After that, what exactly are the rites of passage - or do you just start like a rite-of-passage by proxy; you know, through your kids lives if you have any...and if you don't have any or don't want any, then what? Very maudlin thoughts. Well anyway.

Is anyone else excited about California overturning the gay marriage ban? It's so sad that only two states are willing to give everyone complete civil rights...still it's a step in the right direction I think. So yay California! You are totally awesome. Also, I have to think of something to wear on Saturday for a special occasion - nothing too fancy. I'm torn between two really fantastic ideas: a dress and a skirt/tank/cardigan outfit...I guess what will really matter is the weather. Well, I'm off. Sorry for the short post.

No Title

So I went to the army of god website today. Talk about crazy people. I'm not surprised; but I am horrified. Not that that has anything to do with my latest post. I got to see my sister graduate this weekend with her RN degree. YAY sis! Rick and Charlene and their kids came up so it was a fun family weekend. Went a little deaf at car races, but I think the kids enjoyed them. I'm still working on all of my financial aid stuff and hoping for an assistantship and maybe a lottery win. Still...I'm lucky it's just me. Well, and the cats, but basically just me. In this economic climate I am glad I don't have kids on the horizon. Though most of the people I know who have kids are doing just fine - go Sara and Brad!! Nora looks fantastic - of course, she has me as an honorary aunt, so she really can't do any wrong :-) I haven't heard anything lately about the investigation from the senate committee of abstinence-only education. Still, I was heartened by the fact that they even had one. I realize you can't lump all abstinence-only ed classes together, most seem to be about misinforming, ignoring science, and lying. And it really makes me angry. If anyone has heard any news let me know. Well, that's it. I'm getting ready to watch Voyager and play Trivial Pursuit with Nick - I totally need to kick his butt tonight cause he's one up on me in our tournament.

Woe is Me and Other News

So far I haven't heard anything from Financial Aid and I'm always looking for new assistantships, so hopefully all will be well on the graduate school front. Please keep your fingers crossed, do a spell, pray, whatever that someone out there will say, "hey, let's give her a huge bag of hundreds!" Anyway, that's the woe is me part. Nick and I drove to Champaign-Urbana this past week and stayed over one night to find me an apartment. After two days, one of the last places we looked (naturally!) was a perfect fit. It's larger than the one we live in now; only slightly more expensive; has a balcony, a fireplace, and a bath and a half. There's even a special storage/pantry area that we can put the kitties beds and stuff so they have their own room. Oh, and the kitchen/dining area is huge. I'm very excited about my new place, though amazingly I'll miss this one. It has been my home for the past two years. Anyway, good luck to SML (you know who you are!) and thanks for the encouragement anyone who actually encouraged me. Now, I'm going to go drink a glass of wine, watch some Gilmore Girls and relax after my day of working hard.

Umm...

Pennsylvania primary people!! I'm very excited; although I don't really know why, cause it'll probably be a Clinton/Obama win - they're very very close in the polls. In other news, I now have an advisor so I can start picking out classes for next year! I haven't really heard anything yet about financial aid, but I'm still looking. I really don't have anything new to add or talk about except maybe that whole fundamentalist Mormon religion thing. Oh, and I read an article about an 8 year old girl who filed for divorce from her 30 year old husband. I'll try to find it; it's very depressing. Stupid religion. And ignorance. Really, it's the two combined with traditional cultural practices that people can't let go of that makes me so angry; mainly just because of situations like child marriage and genital mutilation and pedophilia. Anyway, on a happier note, I'm already one run ahead of my goal - I set a goal at Nike.com to run 10 times in four weeks. I've been doing great, and plan on beating it. Maybe. Wish me luck. And I hope you enjoyed seeing a new post. I know I do.

It's Been Too Long

It really has been too long since I posted. I wanted to kind of get away from my complaining about dental work - though it is the one thing I dread equally to snakes! - and talk about something else. But I don't know much about baseball, football, or other sports teams or any of their prospects so I am going to have to go back to my old boring standby of women's issues/politics. Who ya gonna vote for?
Anyway, today at work my boss asked me to read a section of a book about being Muslim. There was a chapter on women and a sub chapter called Genital Mutilation. So I read the section, even though it always gives me chills to read about that topic no matter how important it is to know, and he asked for my view. I told him it's one of those necessary evils; people, even teens need to know about world/women's issues and it wasn't extremely graphic or anything. But what he was really getting at was this: Would that section be offensive to Muslims, since SOME (not all, in fact, I don't think most Islamic sects believe in it cause it's not in the Qu'ran) practice it, especially in Africa? So I re-read the section and they totally stressed the part that it wasn't a mainstream practice and I assured him that I thought it wouldn't be offensive. He's getting a second opinion. So I thought maybe you all could weigh in. I know that you haven't read the actual section, but just offhand, with my assurances that it wasn't extremely graphic or anything, do you think that kids should 1) Know about this stuff (I'm not talking kindergartners or anything, but more mature young adults) and 2) What if something MIGHT offend a certain religion - should that be taken off the shelf or not put out in the first place merely because it MIGHT offend someone of that faith or should you wait to see if there's complaints and if there ARE, should you yank it?
I'm sure I'll cover censorship and ethics and community, etc. in some of my classes next semester, but what do you think?

Tips on How to Lose Weight

Here's a good way to lose weight:
1. Go to the dentist and let them give you four shots to the same side of your mouth
2. Let them drill and polish and take out a filling for one tooth and put in a filling in another
3. Have dentist use nasty tasting fake cement stuff to put in temporary crown on broken tooth
4. Be terrified of losing said temporary crown and do not eat anything that is not in liquid or semi-liquid form : soup, yogurt, smoothies, nothing solid or chewy.
5. Have weird reaction to said shots and feel nauseous, dizzy, faint, and achy - too tired to eat.

By my next appointment, I should have lost about 5 pounds. I wonder if I can keep that off afterwards?

Question

So, I often read blogs. I think this is no surprise. But I've been thinking lately that in my reading and encountering experiences I have noticed that some Christians drop god's name every other sentence or word. And usually, though not always, I've found what they're saying or trying to say in these sentences is less and less intelligent the more they invoke god's name. I don't know if this means anything or not. Has anyone else had this experience? I mean, seriously, the arguments, the sentences, every other word?!! I get that some people are Christian. But what is with having to hit people over the head with it? What happened to humbleness, and meekness, and showing people by action not words? Is it really hard for Christians to ACT appropriately so they have to drop god's name in every which way so people will know that they consider themselves good people or something? Maybe I'm anti-Christian. I don't like to think I am, but more and more I tend to roll my eyes whenever I hear people talking about bringing their children up to be good Christians, or how they have such a good relationship with god, Christ, Mary, whomever. I find it so stupid lately. I don't think people who believe in the Christian god, or any god for that matter, are stupid though and that's what I have so much trouble with, cause I know some really good people who happen to be Christian. I also know some extremely horrible people who happen to be Christian. And it always seems that their religion is what enables them or makes them extremely horrible. That they're being horrible - or in some cases mildly mean: ignorant, close-minded, intolerant, judgmental, etc. - BECAUSE of what they believe. As though religion has closed off that part of the brain that seeks logical, rational, I've looked at this from every angle, learned what I could, etc. answers and instead just focuses on - well, my religion says this, so I HAVE to believe it; even if I don't necessarily agree with it, or like it, or have even thought about it enough to actually find out what I believe rather than what the church or the religion or the bishop, pastor, minister, rabbi says...
Does anyone else think this? Maybe I'm just hyper-focused on this all of a sudden and it'll go away. But I'd love to know what people have experienced? Is it possible that the more people invoke god, the more ignorant they are?

Update

It's been forever since I posted. Please forgive me, because I've been busy. Or lazy. Sometimes both, if that is at all possible. Anyway, I do have news and topics to discuss.

1. The most important thing - I got accepted into the best Library and Information program in the country!!!!!! University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Very excited and nervous (it's the best, and the fourth largest school in the nation, I think...yikes!). But they really liked me...now I just have to figure out how to pay for it. Going into debt though seems totally worth it, considering that after two or three years there I can pretty much write my own ticket for a job. How awesome is that?!

2. I'm reading several books - many are young adult fiction, because I like to know what the students are reading at the school I work and it's just fun. I also bought a book of essays about motherhood - the essays are all accounts of either stay-at-home moms or working moms, trying to figure out why it's so competitive and bitchy. If you're a stay-at-home mom you think working mothers are missing out; if you work, you think stay-at-homes are bored. Either way, not good for respecting and supporting choice, which I think is part of my whole pro-choice philosophy. Not that I'm immune to judgement. I tend to think that both sides are right to some degree; but I ALSO very much agree that working mothers are better for their kids. PROVIDED THAT THEY REALLY ENJOY WORKING and not because they HAVE to work. There's a big difference. Before anyone jumps down my throat, I thought maybe I'd ask people to weigh in then go into my reasons during the comments section.

3. I accidentally picked up a Christian romantic comedy. I didn't realize it was Christian until I actually started reading it. I try not to read Christian fiction, as it's usually too preachy for me. I don't want to be preached at in real life, much less in my fiction. But I tried to read it, figuring maybe I was being judgmental. In this particular case, I was totally right. Bible verses, descriptions of "good Christians," and all the humor was lost when some guy character started talking about "accepting Jesus into your heart." As in, asking someone else if they have. This drives me crazy - keep your religion to yourself. Christians seem to be far too eager to seduce people. And they don't stop either; this has just been my experience. I am not trying to diss Christians.

4. Does anyone really have a rational, good reason for gay marriage to be illegal? Something NOT based on the Bible or their own personal horror at the concept. I mean, the whole love the sinner hate the sin thing might work, but considering that means discrimination on a whole group of people, whom even the Catholic Church admits doesn't CHOOSE their sexuality - unless I read the Catechism wrong -always possible!-(though why god, if god exists, would make a whole group of people that most Christian religions and societies discriminate against and in general do not provide acceptance is beyond my comprehension. That smacks of unjustness.) Asking this leads me to one of my favorite episodes of the West Wing. I think we all know what I'm talking about and if you're like me, just revel in that episode and smile and laugh.

Okay. So I'm ready for congratulations and well wishes and honestly, hopefully death threats of some sort. Also, please use the link titled, I'm Not Sorry. If nothing else, it will start some good debates or posts on other people's blogs.

Yes We Can (Si Se Puede!)

This intrigues me. Any opinions on this?

New York Times Article

February 25, 2008
Americans Change Faiths at Rising Rate, Report Finds
By NEELA BANERJEE

WASHINGTON — More than a quarter of adult Americans have left the faith of their childhood to join another religion or no religion, according to a new survey of religious affiliation by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

The report, titled “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey,” depicts a highly fluid and diverse national religious life. If shifts among Protestant denominations are included, then it appears that 44 percent of Americans have switched religious affiliations.

For at least a generation, scholars have noted that more Americans are moving among faiths, as denominational loyalty erodes. But the survey, based on interviews with more than 35,000 Americans, offers one of the clearest views yet of that trend, scholars said. The United States Census does not track religious affiliation.

The report shows, for example, that every religion is losing and gaining members, but that the Roman Catholic Church “has experienced the greatest net losses as a result of affiliation changes.” The survey also indicates that the group that had the greatest net gain was the unaffiliated. More than 16 percent of American adults say they are not part of any organized faith, which makes the unaffiliated the country’s fourth largest “religious group.”

Detailing the nature of religious affiliation — who has the numbers, the education, the money — signals who could hold sway over the country’s political and cultural life, said John Green, an author of the report who is a senior fellow on religion and American politics at Pew.

Michael Lindsay, assistant director of the Center on Race, Religion and Urban Life at Rice University, echoed that view. “Religion is the single most important factor that drives American belief attitudes and behaviors,” said Mr. Lindsay, who had read the Pew report. “It is a powerful indicator of where America will end up on politics, culture, family life. If you want to understand America, you have to understand religion in America.”

In the 1980s, the General Social Survey by the National Opinion Research Center indicated that from 5 percent to 8 percent of the population described itself as unaffiliated with a particular religion.

In the Pew survey 7.3 percent of the adult population said they were unaffiliated with a faith as children. That segment increases to 16.1 percent of the population in adulthood, the survey found. The unaffiliated are largely under 50 and male. “Nearly one-in-five men say they have no formal religious affiliation, compared with roughly 13 percent of women,” the survey said.

The rise of the unaffiliated does not mean that Americans are becoming less religious, however. Contrary to assumptions that most of the unaffiliated are atheists or agnostics, most described their religion “as nothing in particular.” Pew researchers said that later projects would delve more deeply into the beliefs and practices of the unaffiliated and would try to determine if they remain so as they age.

While the unaffiliated have been growing, Protestantism has been declining, the survey found. In the 1970s, Protestants accounted for about two-thirds of the population. The Pew survey found they now make up about 51 percent. Evangelical Christians account for a slim majority of Protestants, and those who leave one evangelical denomination usually move to another, rather than to mainline churches.

To Prof. Stephen Prothero, large numbers of Americans leaving organized religion and large numbers still embracing the fervor of evangelical Christianity point to the same desires.

“The trend is toward more personal religion, and evangelicals offer that,” said Mr. Prothero, chairman of the religion department at Boston University, who explained that evangelical churches tailor many of their activities for youth. “Those losing out are offering impersonal religion and those winning are offering a smaller scale: mega-churches succeed not because they are mega but because they have smaller ministries inside.”

The percentage of Catholics in the American population has held steady for decades at about 25 percent. But that masks a precipitous decline in native-born Catholics. The proportion has been bolstered by the large influx of Catholic immigrants, mostly from Latin America, the survey found.

The Catholic Church has lost more adherents than any other group: about one-third of respondents raised Catholic said they no longer identified as such. Based on the data, the survey showed, “this means that roughly 10 percent of all Americans are former Catholics.”

Immigration continues to influence American religion greatly, the survey found. The majority of immigrants are Christian, and almost half are Catholic. Muslims rival Mormons for having the largest families. And Hindus are the best-educated and among the richest religious groups, the survey found.

“I think politicians will be looking at this survey to see what groups they ought to target,” Professor Prothero said. “If the Hindu population is negligible, they won’t have to worry about it. But if it is wealthy, then they may have to pay attention.”

Experts said the wide-ranging variety of religious affiliation could set the stage for further conflicts over morality or politics, or new alliances on certain issues, as religious people have done on climate change or Jews and Hindus have done over relations between the United States, Israel and India.

“It sets up the potential for big arguments,” Mr. Green said, “but also for the possibility of all sorts of creative synthesis. Diversity cuts both ways.”


Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

The Language of Flowers

You know what would be cool? To bring back the Victorian tradition of sending messages by flower bouquets. Every flower has a meaning: yellow roses= friendship, etc. So a really cool thing would be to have a flower shop that specializes in sending message bouquets.
Say I wanted to send a bouquet to a friend. I don't want to pick some flowers that mean heartache, jealousy, and vengeance do I? Well, maybe if you wanted to tell your friend you now hated them or something. But that's my point. It's so cliche to send a dozen red roses on Valentine's Day or just to say I'm sorry or something. We need something more creative I think. I mean, yeah, ok - sending her/him their favorite flower is saying I'm paying attention - but what if you could send a bouquet that says, Will you marry me? Just by the blooms you pick.

Just a thought.

Different Post

Well, I'm home from Missouri. It was fun girls! I had no idea how much I missed having time with my friends until just now - my whole life somehow seemed lighter and more fun. I need to make some friends here - though they could never be Sara and Kay - and maybe that feeling will keep. Sadly though, it's a lot harder than in kindergarten, when all you had to do was share a crayon. The weather here is awful. It's like zero all the time with a wind chill factor of -20. I wish spring would hurry up. I am disappointed that today we're expecting more snow. Not a lot, but more. Anyway, sorry for the boring post, but I just wanted to see something different up on my blog.

A Rebuttal

Alright. So I promised to address WHY I think The Silent Scream is propaganda. When I first saw the film, back before I'd actually thought through the issue of abortion and just went along with the crowd I had always hung out with, and called myself anti-abortion, I was just as horrified as the makers wanted me to be. I, in fact, had to re-watch the film and find out the facts before my whole thinking the issue over was done.
That being said, once I stepped back, I could tell that it was made to 1) Hit that sensitive, emotional chord in all of us, and that made me suspicious, because I know that if all you have is emotion than there might not be anything to back it up. and 2) that led me to finding out the scientific facts about the film - I figured if they backed up the emotion than I was in for more deep thoughts.
But the scientific facts DIDN'T back up the emotion. An abortion is always sad to me; but it's because of the loss of potential and because I feel bad about some of the situations women find themselves in. I get that people don't agree.
So, I looked up what the experts said. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, teaching faculty from hospitals, etc. I tend to believe experts, they know what they're talking about.
So I looked stuff up: about 12-week old fetuses (actually, the fetus in the video was 11-weeks, but we'll just go with a week further in development, as that's what the scientists/doctors did)
The video claims:
1) The 12-week fetus experiences pain.
Facts: At that stage of pregnancy, the brain and nervous system are in the earliest stage of development. The beginnings of the brain stem, which includes a rudimentary thalamus and spinal cord, is being formed. Most brain cells aren't developed. WITHOUT A CEREBRAL CORTEX, PAIN IMPULSES CANNOT BE RECEIVED OR PERCEIVED.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists made a statement on pain of the fetus: "We know of no legitimate scientific information that supports the statement that a fetus experiences pain early in pregnancy. We do know that the cerebellum attains its final configuration in the seventh month and that mylenization (covering) of the spinal cord and the brain begins between the 20th and 40th weeks of pregnancy. These, as well as other neurological developments, would have to be in place for the fetus to receive pain. To feel pain, a fetus needs neurotransmitted hormones. In animals, these complex chemicals develop in the last third of gestation.
2) The 12-week fetus makes purposeful movements(e.g., agitated movement in an attempt to avoid suction cannula)
Facts: At this stage of prenancy, ALL FETAL MOVEMENT IS REFLEXIVE IN NATURE rather than purposeful, since the latter requires cognition, you can't perceive and know without a cortex - or a covered spinal cord and attached nerves. The same type of response ("frantic activity") would occur with any external stimulus. IN ADDITION, EXPERTS IN ULTRASONOGRAPHY AND FILM TECHNOLOGY HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE VIDEOTAPE OF THE ABORTION WAS DELIBERATELY SLOWED DOWN AND SUBSEQUENTLY SPEEDED UP TO CREATE AN IMPRESSION OF HYPERACTIVITY. -I would like to add that THIS really made me feel that the video was propoganda!
3) The ultrasonogram depicts the open mouth of the fetus.
Facts: The mouth of the fetus cannot be identified in the ultrasound image with certainty. It COULD be the mouth though, I'll give them that. BUT
4) The fetus emits the "silent scream."
Facts: A SCREAM CANNOT OCCUR WITHOUT AIR IN THE LUNGS. Although primitive respiratory movements do occur in the later stages of gestation, crying, or screaming cannot occur even then. In fact, a child born prematurely at 26-27 weeks' gestation (24-25 weeks fetal age) cannot scream but occasionally emits weak cries. No scream- no film.
5) A fetus is indistinguishable from any of the rest of us.
Facts: A fetus at 12 weeks cannot in any way be compared to a fully formed functioning person. At this stage only rudiments of the organ systems are present. The fetus is unable to sustain life outside the woman's womb, it is incapable of conscious thought; it is incapable of essential breathing. It is instead an in utero fetus with the potential of becoming a child.
6. Fetal head at 12 weeks requires the use of "crushing instruments" for extraction.
Facts: At 12 weeks gestation (10 weeks fetal age) and eve 1-2 weeks beyond, instrumentation other than a suction cannula is not required when abortion is properly performed.
- "Brain waves have existed for six weeks" in the fetus displayed on the screen.
*Experts say that there are some electrical impulses recorded as early as 10 weeks gestation, but GENUINE BRAIN WAVES DO NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE THIRD TRIMESTER.
- "Fetal heart rate rose from 140 to 200, which is abnormally high and reflective of fetal response to "imminent mortal danger."
*Experts say that the heart rate of the fetus portrayed in the film didn't rise significantly, BUT, A fetal heart rate of 200 is within the normal range (180-200 beats per minute) for this stage. It is also unlikely (though not impossible) that the fetus even HAD a heart rate of 140 that rose to 200 because a rate of 140 is generally noted in the latter half of the pregnancy.
- The large, well,developed fetal model intermittently picked up and displayed during the narrative of the porcedure is representative of a 12-week fetus.
* Experts say that the fetal model displayed during the abortion procedure is MUCH LARGER than a fetus of a 12-weeks gestation model visualized by ultrasonography. The model compared in size to a fetus of 18 weeks gestation.
- "Many women who have an abortion suffer severe and lasting psychological damage.
* Experts say that serious emotional problems following abortion are uncommon. (Though that doesn't mean impossible either) Most women report a sense of relief, although some may experience temporary depression. Serious psychological disturbances after abortion occur less frequently than after childbirth (postpartum depression anyone?)
This is getting long, so I'll skip the stuff about the number of illegal abortions, the crime syndicate stuff, etc. If you want me to address them, I will. Just ask and I'll add it to my comments page.

Questions and Other Problems
Q: Does a first-trimester abortion take so long to perform - it seemed to go on for a very extended period of time?
A: no, an uncomplicated first-trimester abortion usually takes less than ten minutes to perform

Q: Is it appropriate to refer to a fetus as unborn child, with the same rights as other human beings?
A: No. Constitutionally, a fetus has no rights of personhood. most legal precedent in English law attributes personhood with a live birth.

Q: What about the woman who needs an abortion? She is conspicuously absent from the film.
A: The film ignored the plight of the woman seeking abortion and tries to shift focus to the fetus. Women WANT abortions - even before Roe v. Wade, why? (that's just my own little aside - are all women really morally defunct as the anti-abortion people apparently think, throughout all these centuries, when it was legal, and then illegal. Legality makes no difference except in deaths of women's lives.

Q: What about the dead fetuses in the disposal containers?
A. Most of these fetuses are so large and in such a state of deterioration that THEY ARE ACTUALLY STILLBORNS rather than aborted fetuses. It is possible that some were the result of late-term abortions but it would be rare - late-term abortions constitute less than 1 percent of all abortions and are the result of fetal abnormalities that can only be diagnosed later in pregnancy or other extreme hardship cases (why don't anti-abortion people acknowledge the small number of these. Do they not understand the law they're trying to abolish or what?)

So, I've answered why I think the Silent Scream is pure propaganda. I realize that people will read this and just snort in disbelief and derision, but I thought it through, I went to people I believed would know (medical experts) and found answers to MY questions. That doesn't mean I expect anti-abortion people to agree, just that I have the right to my opinion, obviously.
Also, I know the film was made by an anti-abortion doctor. I think that skews his credibility and also - why would someone SO anti-abortion actually FILM an abortion HE WAS PERFORMING? That seems to be rather hypocritical since he believes that abortion is murdering an unborn person, but I guess he also believes that the ends (showing propaganda to hurt women in my opinion) justifies the means (performing a procedure he says is a murder). Just a thought.

Everyday Heroes

Sex Workers

I have been thinking hard about a new topic of discussion. Something that may bring about some interesting comments. Something that may get people riled up. Something that isn't abortion. And then I hit upon it! Yesterday, while Nick and I were driving home, I got to talking to him about morality and legality. Or rather, prostitution. I was wondering whether or not it should be legalized because then it would be better regulated, safer, and sex workers could have unions - like they do in Amsterdam! And so we discussed WHY something that's the world's oldest profession and is obviously NOT going to go away would be illegal. Is it because having sex is illegal. No. Selling things that you own illegal. No. Now, I'd agree that if someone were forced to become a prostitute that should be illegal. But if I decided to go out tonight and sleep with some guy for a hundred bucks WHY should I be arrested? Did they guy force me? No. Do I not own my body? Well, I consider it mine. Certainly if the guy raped me that would be a crime - because no one should force you to give up your body without your permission right? So WHY is prostitution illegal? Should it be or is it just because people are willing to force their morality on others? And what about those women (or girls) who don't have any skills and are so desperate that they become prostitutes? Isn't that a form of force? But then, if it's legal, there could be regulations regarding age and situation, etc. It's just an interesting question.

New Year

Well, a new year is upon us again. I think this one is going to be a hard one. Big decisions, possibly some tragedies. But I also think there will be some fantastic moments because
I have a new job.
My family is planning a huge reunion in the Black Hills in July.
I am planning on doing some kind of traveling, though I don't know where yet, or even with whom.
I will be starting a grad school and finally starting to finish up with school and becoming a librarian.

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!
I got a new job today. I will be working at a Junior High School library as a library assistant. How awesome is this!

Depressing Thoughts

Just for the sake of seeing something new, I'm posting. Here's a thought for you: at what point in your life, when things seem really, really bad and that you are just the stupidest person that ever walked the earth (everyone has days like this, when everything seems to be going wrong and you just can't get a break) at one point to you say, screw it, life will just have to go on whether I get this work done, or break up with someone, or fail this test, whatever. Who do you turn to - real people wise Kristi, no Jesus stuff, cause I think that's a given in many case. And here's another depressing thought - if you can't turn to that person or to those people, THEN what do you do?
I realize this is depressing, but I think because of the ice storm, I am having depressing thoughts.