Tired

AG has way too much on her plate right now. Way. Too. Much!

Between the foreign trips over the next six weeks, the writing, the work, the social life, the whatever.

I owe more Stanek smack down, kitty photos, European and South America photos, a discussion of a possible trip to Cuba in late fall, and various other sundries to follow in late July. Until then -- check out Zombie's Summerfest blog and have an amazing Canada Day (MenDee) and 4th of July (the rest of you except, AIF. Sorry AIF. AG hearts you too. Happy festival of lights or something!) Light blogging ahead...

Does anyone else feel this tired? more...

Homosexuality in America

can all be understood here. Clearly The Family Research Council(FRC) has done their research and prove themselves worthy of the songs they are a singing. It was evident to me when I clicked on the center square for the PDF Homosexuality in Your Child's School. That is some quality goodliness baked into some nutter loaf and loon chips.

While the pot is simmering, just a few fun things from the "article":

Citing a USA Today article, clearly high standards there, they begin their argument by suggesting that gay and lesbian teens are marginally more likely to commit suicide than straight teens. Are you really comparing two studies four years apart that were conducted with very different methods? Of which, the article that I support is newer! Not according to my training, but what do I know? I wasn't trained in religion or hate.

They tackle tough issues like nature vs. nuture in the gay debate. The approach is typical of what we've come to expect from the fundies; make your own research up when you cannot find academic published journal materials to support your cause. In doing so, they quote research produced in-house by someone without a doctoral or medical degree in conjunction with someone who has a doctorate in religion. The aroma of Jonah Goldberg and Ann Coulter dances in my nostrils.

They even go so far as to complain about the term, homophobia, suggesting that it stigmatizes those with "traditional" values. Oh, I'm sorry. We didn't me to call the kettle black on that. How dare us for exposing their truths. They are hard working hate mongers who deserve a bit more respect, dammit. They even go so far as to suggest that those of us who are for homosexual rights are accusing those who are not of being mentally ill, when it is their own belief that homosexuals are mentally ill. Mea culpa again.

They loath gay-straight alliances because, gasp, they spend tax payer money in Massachusetts on these organizations that use it for pro-gay political activist and social events. Right, because the bible club here doesn't offend atheists, Muslims, or Buddhists, to name a few. I might wish to point out the sanctity in such outrage is the violation of church and state found in public high schools across the United States.

Onward the nutters rant. Onward they live in the closet. Afraid of a world where we all live together and yes, Heather has two Mommies. Can you imagine how painful it must be for them to sleep at night knowing that women love women and men love men and sometimes, they want children to love and care for?

Do you think a career at the FRC prepares you for an executive job here?

Sunshine Days and Nights

It was a Sunday morning like the rest that promenaded before. The air was lukewarm and light, dark shadows filled the room, and the Sunday Times was spread about the floor as though it had waltzed to the sounds of Fred and Ginger. As I rose to spy the cries of the innocent creature, I spotted something in the living room that made my lip curl. There, perched upon the hope chest that is filled with all my hopes and dreams, amongst Olive the Orchid; the beloved $40 beauty, next to the discounted terrarium filled with the splendors found at sea, artwork lurking above her head presented by friends, she was. Bathing in the sunshine as she laid like lettuce on a plate. All of the favorite things co mingled together left me with a feeling of delight and contentment. Today shall be a triumph day of more abstract writings and legal research. Good times await me for I am fortunate! more...

Odd Man Out

You have to wonder about Clarence Thomas sometimes. OK, more like a lot of the time. Even Scalia and Souter were not touching this one with a ten foot pole when the Supreme Court ruled Thursday in an 8-to-1 decision against strip searches in schools. Justice Souter, writing for the majority, said a search of Savana Redding’s backpack and outer garments did not offend the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches. But the pills in question, each no stronger than two Advils, did not justify an “embarrassing, frightening and humiliating search,”

Thomas' support of denying the rights of you people made me think a bit. I began to get the feeling that historical events like this will affect Arlen Specter (R-PA), no Republican is correct, when he seeks re-election here in PA. Largely because men and women like AG, are going to link this kind of left hand lubed up logic and the fact that the 1991 George H.W. Bush choice to replace Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court is the result of a tiny man. Despite Thomas' run being threatened by sexual harassment charges from Anita Hill, Specter took it upon himself to act as Thomas’ de facto defense attorney.

And the nutters have the chutzpah to call Letterman a perv?!

Divine Inspiration

Summerfestblog is active for 09, and the first day of the festival is down, ten to go. Although iWeb is acting goofy, and updates are weird on my end, although they apparently show up on the blog.

Irish punk with Flatfoot 56, The Tossers, and the Dropkick Murphys tonight. Normal visitors may feel inclined to check out what I'm doing, and post bail if necessary.

See you in a week or so. Be nice to them, AG.

OK, Wiseguys...

Here is your chance. Get on it! Make our resident DC boy, Chuckles proud!

Annie, Get Your Gun

Coulter appears to have become morally bankrupt and hit rock bottom. Murder is now not murder, according to her. It's termination without regard to birth. With that line of thinking, when I have an abortion next week it won't be a termination of a fetus --- it will be an omelet.

Another Nutter for the Bin

Go here and look at the top right corner underneath the moveable text. This site reminded me of a 50th birthday party I attended in Brooklyn a few years ago. The party was held at a Russian nightclub by my then Ukrainian neighbors. At the end of the night we were all loading into their SUV as some Hasidim approached us with some Jesus-is-Magic materials. Just as we're about to close our doors, one of the Hasidim men approach an employee of my neighbor. The Hasidim tells the man to take the leaflet because he must answer to his employer. To which the Ukrainian replies while pointing at my neighbor, "This guy is my employer and he has no more work for me tonight." The Hasidim shakes his head and as he begins to walk away, the Ukrainian says to him, "Are you going to the unemployment office?"

Good times. Now go order your free bottle of Jesus becuase you know you totally want to! more...

What?

I just heard my little girl snore.

She's so cute and we're having a blast. more...

Was Anyone Alive?

Sure, sure, sure. You've heard about the Big Letterman kerfuffle by now, no doubt. Sure, sure, it's unclear whether Olive Garden has or hasn't pulled ads from the show.

I think what I find most interesting about the Olive Garden drama starts around 0:58:



Despite Regan being president in 1984 when McCain was born, let's talk about what conservatives have said over the years:

Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."

-- Sen. John McCain, speaking to a Republican dinner, June 1998.

"We just want Jews to be perfected, as they say."

--Ann Coulter making the argument Americans should all be Christians.

--I was going to have a few comments about John Edwards but you have to go into rehab if you use the word faggot. --at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference

--Ann Coulter running her mouth off.

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, falsely claimed that a hate-crimes bill that adds gay, lesbian, and transgender Americans to the list of protected groups would also protect those who commit incest, necrophilia, pedophilia, bestiality, and a host of other perversions. See post below to better understand how conservatives make this kind of magical connection.

Glenn Beck, for describing Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court as, "Hey, Hispanic chick lady! You're empathetic. ... You're in!"

Radio host Jim Quinn, for repeatedly calling NOW the "National Organization of Whores."

My fellow Americans. I'm pleased to announce that I've signed legislation outlawing the Soviet Union. We begin bombing in five minutes.

--Ronald Regan joking during a mike check before his Saturday radio broadcast

Cincinnati-based radio host Bill Cunningham, for alleging that "Obama wants to gas the Jews."

[Sarah Palin] represents a fatal cancer to the Republican party." ―conservative columnist David Brooks

I think Letterman's joke was gross, offensive, and wrong. To that end, so did Letterman. He apologized twice. I don't think that makes his behavior OK, but it makes it more easy to swallow and move on. Conservatives need to spend a little more time reading up on the French Revolution and their own injustices and less on the likes of David Letterman whose job is like many other comedians -- to offend for the laugh. His words were meant as humor, albeit unfunny humor, but humor. The just sampling of comments above were generally not meant as humor. Thus, people who live in glass hypocrisies may want to put away the support for weapons of mass destruction, because much like Iraq, they got nothing.

I mean, it's not like I stopped shopping at Barnes and Noble when they decided to sell Jonah Goldberg's book. The book offends me as a Jew and a researcher. It makes offensive statements and contains non factual information and unresearched claims. Yet, I do not call for boycotting the publisher, the seller, or even the readers. I just spend my time hiding it or putting it where it belongs in bookstores and libraries: in the fiction section.

You Sir, Offend Me!

John Eichelberger (R-30) is the latest Pennsylvania representative that AG has to spend time outing. The Ducansville, PA resident (near Altoona) entered politics in 1995 after a career in the insurance industry. Staying true to the GOP course of hate and bigotry, he is currently sponsoring a bill in PA to re-write the state constitution to ban gay and lesbian couples from forming unions.

He and Daylin Leach (D-17) were featured recently on NPR talking about the gay and lesbian marriage debate in PA. Go here to listen to the podcast. If you cannot hear the whole podcast, here's the highlights you want to know about:

21:15
Leach: How would he [Eichelberger] want to encourage stability in gay couples?

Eichelberger: I wouldn’t. I mean they can practice whatever sexual activity they like to practice, but there’s no reason to give them special consideration. We don’t give them special consideration in Pennsylvania for any reason. Why in the world would we allow them to marry?

22:05
Leach: How would he want to encourage stability in gay couples?

Eichelberger: There is no reason to encourage that type of behavior in Pennsylvania.

24:20
Eichelberger: That comes back to the definition of family and that’s where we differ. We can call all kinds of things families. I mean, we can say a 3 party marriage is a family, or 7 or 8 people or marrying younger and younger children these days .

25:00
Host: Are you saying that by their very nature homosexual relationships are dysfunctional?

Eichelberger: [Pause] Ummmm. I guess I would say that. I would say that.

38:50
Eichelberger: This changes the definition of marriage, allowing same-sex, and then like I said, 5-10 years from now it’ll be polygamy, marrying younger people, it’ll be whatever…It won’t be a 6 year old, it’ll be a 15 year old, then it’ll be a 14 year old, then it’ll be a 13 year old.

49:40
Leach: Should our only policy towards [same-sex] couples be one of punishment, to somehow prove that they’ve done something wrong?

Eichelberger: They’re not being punished. We’re allowing them to exist, and do what every American can do. We’re just not rewarding them with any special designation.

Totally Did!

AG totally met Atrios tonight, thanks to Brandeis!

He's super nice and it was a lot of fun.

You can be jealous of that and that I got a webcam at work to play with. I have become the official blogger and superuser of the organization.

Yep, swimming pools and movie stars!

A spoonful of burger love

Watch CBS Videos Online

I especially like that the larger you are, the more likely you get something for free. My arteries are hurting just by looking at that. more...

Things realized

Waiting for Momma...


I become a mother this weekend. The transition occurred over the past few weeks as everyone around me had some sort of advice or tip that would help me reach this moment. Oy gevalt! What have I done? Despite all the sound advice and me trying to back out of all of this, here's what I learned:

1. I don't care what anyone says, I am getting her de-clawed. I watched her chew her hind nails yesterday in an attempt to sharpen them for hurting me more. Not less. I am not paranoid, she did it ostensibly for my bloodletting.
2. Yes, I can get her a scratch box but she's insane and I swear she has been observing me sleep at night in an effort to plot my death.
3. I am not ready for a child. Probably not now, or ever! I want to put some food out and be done with it. Brandeis looks at parenting differently. He holds her, loves, and comforts her even with the slightest chirp. (Yeah, she apparently is on the Twitter because I heard her tweet yesterday.) He will have a needy child, I will have an ambivalent mini AG. I'd like to avoid either one of those scenarios. AG's womb is officially closed to all creatures, ideas, and goys (they fall in category #1, but wanted to make it super clear).
4. Don't pick your cat out until at least 8 weeks post birth. Not only did AG get a Manson signed Tabby cat, AG got one that is not gray tiger. This is not what I saw a few weeks ago. No refund for AG! Wah. Wah.
5. Buy lots of toys for your kitten and give them to her the first night she is home. She'll learn to play on her own, have a grand time, and you do not have to dial down the amount of old vine you consume on night #1. (Mental note: stop at liquor store on way home tonight and buy wine by the case from today forward.)
6. I am pretty much fucked. Anyone want a cute but diabolical kitty?

More photos to be added shortly. more...

Stick to what you know best

Rabies is a major public-health problem in developing countries such as China. So much that rabies took the lives of more people in China than any other infectious disease between March and September of 2006, according to China.org. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that approximately 55,000 humans die annually from rabies. Furthermore, WHO estimates that 2.5 billion people are at risk in more than 100 countries.

Today there are 50000 to 60000 human deaths annually, although effective vaccines for post-exposure treatment are available at a cost of approximately $50 USD per treatment. Developing countries account for the majority of all reported human deaths, with the greatest concentration of reports in tropical countries or regions in Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania. During the period 1993–2002, North and South America reported a decrease of 82% in the number of human cases, with cases falling from 216 in 1993 (mortality rate of 0.03 per 100000 inhabitants) to 39 in 2002 (mortality rate of less than 0.01 per 100000 inhabitants).

Rabies is can be a source of economic loss for individuals and nations. More importantly to developed nations, it hampers the movement of animals between countries or regions of the word, which can impact the free market system since some countries are currently rabies free and desire to remain so. PupH., above, knows all too well about this.

Rabies, also known as hydrophobia, is a viral neuroinvasive disease that can result in acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic (transmitted by animals), most commonly by a bite from an infected animal, but occasionally by other forms of contact. If untreated, it is fatal.

The virus is carried in the nerves and saliva of a symptomatic rabid animal and is usually transmitted by bite. The virus travels to an infected animal’s brain via peripheral nerves. The incubation period of the disease is generally consistent with the duration of time and distance that virus must travel to attack the central nervous system. Generally, it spans several months. Once the virus reaches its target and invades the CNS, the disease will turn fatal within days.

Why AG’s sudden interest in rabies? DeWitt is at it again in his weekly column. Not only does he purport to practice law without a license, he questions public health laws, and encouraged misuse of a veterinarian’s medical license. The most amusing part about his claims are that he fails to understand the pedantic English in the following sentence from the 1975 Alabama law that was in effect at the time of the alleged incident:

Home quarantine may be granted at the discretion of local public health officials or the state public health veterinarian if the following conditions are met:

(a) The exposure was provoked and was not an aggressive attack.

(b) The victim lives at the same home as the animal.

(c) The animal is currently vaccinated against rabies.

(d) The animal is examined by a veterinarian 10 days following the incident.


It is my hope that someone from Tuscaloosa County Department of Public Health reads his bravado in the local paper and dusts off some cobwebs on the file cases. The actions of his vet are punishable, at the very minimum. Sadly, DeWitt's ignorance and obstinacy is another cog in the growing chain of illegal and flagrant behaviors of misinformed citizens and will likely result in others thinking they are above Judge Wapner's rulings.

*Photo above copyright of Gregor Samsa and totally taken without his permission. If he has a problem with that, he can come over here and address AG vis a vis his old damn self!

Where Were You?

Now, I don't mean to interrupt AG's epic series on abortion politics (impressive though it is) but I thought I would toss in a quick musico post for my last remaining reader (you out there Zelmo?) and because I never managed to get out the Friday Random Zombie Musical Spew.

Today, I triggered an iTunes Genius playlist starting from the Mekons "Now We Have The Bomb", sung by Sally Timms, natch. (Small aside: the Mekes did a pro-choice anthem called "Born To Choose" on a benefit disc a few years back).

The Genius came up with an this semi-random:

1. Mekons, Now We Have The Bomb, live from Grant Park.
2. Neil Young, Powderfinger, Weld.
3. Kinks, Celluloid Heroes, To The Bone
4. Bowie, Heroes
5. Springsteen, Backstreets
6. Dire Straits, Down To The Waterline
7. The Who, 5:15
8. Velvet Underground, Rock n Roll
9. Talking Heads, Life During Wartime
10. Zevon, Lawyers, Guns and Money (one for Brando!)
11. Mekons, Millionaire (also sung by Sally) 25th anniversary acoustic live
12. Tom Petty, Even The Losers
13. The Band, The Night They Drove Old dixie Down
14. REM, South Central Rain
15. Tom Waits, Ol' 55

Mostly old stuff, I know AG will bust my chops for that, but it still sounds good.

Now here's my question: How does the search paradigm lead from the Mekons into that? It works, but it ain't natcheral.

Sitting on a perch

Now that we have some background on politics in the US, abortion procedures, female genitalia, and pregnancy, it’s time to get down to the business of discussing Jill Stanek. This is the first of four planned posts:

On June 3, Stanek wrote something on her eponymous titled blog that would appear to leave her liable to claims of medical malpractice. She does this through her wonkery of claims that third trimester abortions are never medically necessary. Perhaps she was not taught in nursing school about placental abruption, ante partum hemorrhage, or death of a fetus with unknown etiology, to name but a few. I, on the other hand spent my day discussing these sorts of medical issues with a certain team of licensed medical physicians.

Fact #1: Third trimester abortions are medically necessary from time to time. See sampling of medical events above that pose a threat to the woman and may require an abortion.

Stanek goes on to claim that 90% of healthy babies are able to survive labor and beyond, post 28 weeks. Sure, healthy babies generally survive because um, well, they are healthy. Not a novel concept here. She also boasts to claim that it is ‘just as easy, if not easier and safe to deliver a late-term’ fetus. You’ll note she refers to them as “babies”, a derisive vehicle in the vilification of women who have abortions and abortions themselves. And yet, they are fetuses until they are out of the womb. While she can refer to them however she so desires, for the purposes of our intellectual and medically correct debate, they are fetuses.

Fact #2: The March of Dimes reports that approximately 96% of babies born post 28 weeks survive. If propaganda is going to be peddled here, I will correctly exert the effort to persecute others.

Fact #3: AGI reports that less than1% of women report complications from a medically safe abortion. The US average for complications from labor and delivery births is approximately 20%. Through said evidence, abortion is most certainly safer than childbirth.

Stanek goes on to show pictures of a clinic where former George Tiller’s medical colleague, LeRoy Carhart, practices. Apparently showing photos of someone’s workplace presents some sort of fun for her. Especially since she cares so deeply about woman and preserving our health, right?

Fact # 4: There is as much about Stanek on the internet like her home address, complete with a Google map to show her McMansion, her nursing license number, and her daughter's postings on YouTube. The difference is that I am not hostile or angry enough to post pictures of someone's workplace or intimate details in a vain attempt to feel good about myself. I get that at Ikea. I have to put it together myself, but it's less expensive.

Fact #5: Direct from the Stanek writings: “...the third trimester of pregnancy begins at 28 weeks.” Yet, at this point in her writing, she starts talking about abortions post 21 weeks as though they meet the criteria for third trimester. I am left wondering if we are talking about second trimester or third trimester abortions because week 21 is in the middle of the second.

Now that she has changed the rules of game, she claims it is unknown how many abortions are performed in the third trimester. She quotes Carhart, without any background or cited reference, as claiming to personally conduct 75-100 late-term abortions a year. Again, we need to define exactly how many weeks post last menstrual period that he is supposedly claiming to have conducted them. Since I have not personally spoken with Carhart or have reference to this quote, I am not going to spend time on it. Hearsay is neither academic or merit worthy in this argument.

Fact #6: AGI estimates that approximately 21,000 abortions in the US are performed during the third trimester. 1% of the total number of abortions performed annually. Given that the majority of third trimester abortions are medically necessary to the life of the pregnant woman, they are mainly performed in hospitals. As such, are there 100 women every year that travel to Kansas just to have an abortion that could be conducted closer to home in a hospital? It is possible that many women are unable to gain access to abortion services for reasons on their saving their own lives, but to surmise about this without speaking to Carhart is futile.

Stanek cites that while the number of physicians who are willing to perform an abortion post 28 weeks is dwindling, by stating that “no self respecting” physician would do so, she makes no reference to whose these individuals are. Another unfounded claim that suggests Tiller, Carhart, and others do not respect themselves. Without personal statements from every physician who performs abortion, she’s got little to hang her hat on.

She bleats about Carnhart in an LA Times article. Given that the LA Times is not Carhart's personal blog where I am assured what he did or did not say, we are not going to take this to SCOTUS or hold him on the hook for the Times. She doesn't miss a beat by then knocking him down over an arson fire at his home and takes offense that he claims it was apparently set to blaze by anti-abortion individuals.

Fact #7: A letter was received at the Omaha clinic where he practiced suggesting that there was a link between his medical activities and the deeds of arsons at his home in 1992. Thus, apparent seems apropos given the letter. (From my understanding, Carhart was made aware that this book would be published and has been given ample time to reply to any fallacies contained within. This is rarely how popular press operates or books published by Jonah Goldberg and Glenn Beck.)

Stanek ends her poorly constructed series of paragraphs with an incredible display of insensitivity to the Tiller family and friends by asking her readers to get out their violins. She tops it off with a quote by Amie Newman of Reality Check on the loss of Tiller and precedes to makes accusations that pro-lifers love children and women. But pro-aborts can’t.

Fact #8: My mother taught me two things in life: if I have nothing nice to say that I should learn to say it out of her earshot and no matter how much I dislike someone, taking shots at the deceased is heinous and an indication of your lack of self worth.

Fact #9: There is no such thing as a pro-lifer and pro-abort. Either you are pro-abortion or anti-abortion. Life has nothing to do with the issue. It has to do with a woman’s right to control her own fertility and a physician’s right to practice medicine in accordance with the Hippocratic Oath and his or her training.

Fact #10: If the anti-abortion crowd cared about women AND fetuses, it would not have Stanek front lining for them. I make this claim because from where I sit, she speaks out of incorrect or lack of education, self-hate of her own genitals, and a mouth piece for the religious right, wherein the patriarchy reigns unfettered. more...

Charles Manson has a brother?

Jesus has bunk beds and isn't good with the electronics.

Thank Goodness for Pulling Levers in Other Ways

Did she stick her head in the Easy Bake Oven?

I Knew It!

Around minute 5:20, research is beginning to suspect that the show set the stage for the New York Times and Barack Obama when it comes to addressing illegal immigrants in the United States

Dilation and Extraction

Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) is the gold standard abortion procedure conducted during the second and third trimester of pregnancy (16 weeks and beyond). The D&E procedure, when used as a mean of terminating an unwanted pregnancy, is safer at any point in a pregnancy than the only alternative available to the pregnant woman: childbirth. That is to say that research suggests that the risk of injury or death from childbirth and complications is much greater than an abortion procedure.

In a California based study conducted about a decade ago, researchers found that approximately 20% of births in the state were reported in conjunction with at least one obstetric complication to the woman during labor and delivery. The numbers increase to about 25% for women of color. Whereas the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) reports less than 1% of women report complications during an abortion. AGI also reports that the risk of death associated with childbirth is 10 times greater than the risk of death from an abortion. AGI supports the findings that abortion is safer than childbirth. Perhaps, there in lies the argument that anti-aborts should be chasing. But we'll get to that in later posts.

Below are basic descriptions of D&E and intact D&E. These are meant to provide us with some background for our discussion about Stanek's webpage. Please do not take these for medical advice or guidance. You should consult a licensed medical physician for information and advice on abortion services. The reasons for, the adverse side effects, and the procedures themselves are basic and are not all inclusive.

The Procedure

The medical prep work for a D&E begins 24 hours prior to the actual procedure. One day prior, a medical professional inserts laminaria or a synthetic dilator into the cervix. The following day, the provider will begin the procedure by attaching a tenaculum to the cervix to keep the uterus intact, while cone-shaped rods of increasing size further the dilation process. A cannula is then inserted to clear and remove tissue from the lining. With a curette, the lining of the uterus is scraped to remove remaining residuals. If needed, forceps may be used to remove larger parts, which is often the case in late abortions. The final step is suctioning to make ensure fetal contents are completely removed. The removed tissue is examined to confirm a complete abortion has been performed.

The procedure normally spans about 30 to 60 minutes. It is preferred that the procedure be conducted in a hospital setting because of the potential for side effects, however a D&E can be conducted in a stand-alone abortion clinic. The woman is able to return home shortly after the procedure is complete, if no complications are noted.

If there is a concern with the fetus or it is too large, an intact D&E is performed. Intact D&E procedure is:

Much like the other method of D&E, preliminary procedures occur first over a period of two to three days, to gradually dilate the cervix. The drug pitocin is sometimes administered to progress the process. Much of the goal of this exercise is to prepare the woman for removing the fetus and during an intact D&E, largest portion of the fetus, which is the head, is reduced in diameter to allow vaginal passage.

Once the physician is satisfied the woman is dilated enough for the procedure, the fetus is positioned for a footling breech. Through the use of ultrasound and forceps, the physician grasps the fetus' leg. The fetus is then turned to a breech position, if required, and the physician pulls both legs out of the uterus. The physician subsequently extracts the rest of the fetus, usually without the aid of forceps, leaving the head and sometimes the shoulders intact inside the birth canal. At the base of the skull, a tiny incision is made and a blunt dissector (i.e. Kelly Clamp) is then inserted. The clamp is inserted directly into the incision and opened to widen the opening, and then a suction catheter is inserted into the opening. Lastly, the brain and matter inside the skull are evacuated. This causes the skull to collapse and allows the fetus to pass more easily through the birth canal, which is the primary goal of intact D&E. The placenta follows shortly thereafter and the uterine wall is vacuum aspirated using a cannula to remove any remaining debris.

The procedure itself takes spans about 12 hours from start to recovery of the woman. The crux of the debate for Stanek and like is that some fetuses can remain alive for up to six hours after the procedures, but will cease to function on their own. We'll get into this debate shortly. However, this is the fallacy of the so called "partial ban abortion" debate.

There are three main reasons why either form of D&E is conducted:

1. The procedure may recommended when the fetus that has severe medical problems or abnormalities.
2. A woman who is pregnant as a result of rape or incest may not confirm the pregnancy until the second or third trimester because of her emotional response to the traumatic cause of the pregnancy.
3. A woman who lacks access to an affordable abortion specialist in her community or whose access is slowed by legal restrictions may take several weeks to have a planned abortion.

According to WebMD, the risks of dilation and evacuation (D&E) include:

• Injury to the uterine lining or cervix.
• A hole in the wall of the uterus (uterine perforation, rare), which most commonly happens during cervical dilation. Bleeding is usually minimal, and no repair is necessary. If bleeding is a concern, a laparoscopy (a procedure that uses a lighted viewing instrument) can be used to see whether it has stopped.
• Infection. Bacteria can enter the uterus during the procedure and cause an infection. This is more likely if an untreated disease, such as a sexually transmitted disease (STD), is present before the procedure. Antibiotics given during and after the D&E procedure will reduce this risk.
• Moderate to severe bleeding (hemorrhage), which is sometimes caused by:

• Injury to the uterine lining or cervix.
• Uterine perforation.
• Uterine rupture. In rare cases, a uterine incision scar tears open when a medicine is used to induce contractions.
• Tissue remains in the uterus (retained products of conception). This can cause recurring cramping, abdominal pain, and bleeding within a week of the procedure. Sometimes, prolonged bleeding is not evident until several weeks after with the reasons for this are unknown.

Medical risks are higher for surgical abortions done in the second trimester of pregnancy than for those done in the first trimester, particularly if they are done after 16 weeks of pregnancy.

Other rare complications may include:

• Tissue remaining in the uterus (retained products of conception). Cramping abdominal pain and bleeding recur within a week of the procedure. Sometimes prolonged bleeding does not occur until several weeks later.
• Blood clots. If the uterus doesn't contract to pass all the tissue, the cervical opening can become blocked, preventing blood from leaving the uterus. The uterus becomes enlarged and tender, often with abdominal pain, cramping, and nausea.
A repeat vacuum aspiration and medicine to stop bleeding are used to treat retained products of conception or blood clots.

Abortion is one of the most common operations in the United States. An indicator of its prevalency suggests that is it more common than tonsillectomy or removal of wisdom teeth. (The most common procedure in most pediatric hospitals today.) Wenberg and colleagues state that legal abortion is safer than a tonsillectomy, an appendectomy, and a shot of penicillin. Thus, abortion serves as a healthy means by which to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, more so than a live birth. more...

Anatomy and Pregnancy

We're going to have a quick anatomy refresher:





We'll need these diagrams for further discussions. more...

Anti-Abortion Laws: How They Gain Standing

Stanek’s writings are the gift that will keep on giving for years. As such, I’d like to share my commentary to Stanek’s comments over several days and construct a researched argument. This means, your weekend should be spent here because other than some grant writing I need to do during the days and my usual party girl evenings, I will be around this weekend.

Before we speak of Ms. Stanek’s words on a screen, we first need to talk about abortion law in the US. The conservatives have overtly and somewhat successfully been chipping away at abortion laws since the early 1990s. The specific changes to the laws are not necessarily important to this post. Germane is the understanding that the major change in the law has been the increasing willingness of Congress and the Court to disregard the health of pregnant women and the medical judgment of their physicians. Sigh.

We have to understand why Washington listens to Stanek or anyone for that matter on this very private medical matter. I believe there are three broad areas of reason that drive US abortion politics. (1) There is little doubt that a politician’s personal ideology affects his or her interests in the sponsorship and referral of initiatives. One’s party is pivotal to the personal ideology. (2) Externalities matter a great deal in politics. A vote in the House is the result of commonplace political concerns of legislators, such as public opinion and media commentary. As such, the work of politicians is driven by not only their image but their career. (3) Legislators are sensitive to their strategic opportunities in the House.

Where am I going with all of this? Stanek is a conduit of the right. While I am still unclear how her she gained standing, she has become a vocal mouthpiece for the right. This is evident in her daughter who does not appear to have the backing of a serious ivy league or particularly impressive credentials, but was a senior staff writer for George W. Bush. She, like her mother, has been given a space upon which to preach at World Net Daily and continues to further mom’s agenda.

What is striking about all of this is that this is how fundies rise to the top and affect legislation. Through nepotism and involvement in politics, anti-aborts are able to further their agenda. It does not matter whether they tell the truth. It does not matter that people like Kennedy and Alito have no business dictating physician’s profession. What does matter is that folks like Stanek have set the bar very high by spreading a wealth of false information that has brought the attention of the masses to create a political climate that is tolerant of these falsehoods. As such, folks like Stanek matter because she influences policy and debate.

A Day Late and A Dollar Fifty with Inflation Short

I worked on my Stanek post last night but got side tracked by some other things. I will have the first of several posts up later tonight. In the meantime, below is one of my favorite videos ever. Barak Olivo ran an unsuccessful campaign in the 9th Congressional district of Missouri and this is him speaking from the campaign trail.




He truly is the gift that keeps on giving!

Is this Barbara Loe Fisher's Daughter?

This is serious. Go here.

I will be commenting tomorrow.

Seriously. We must be vigilant about this kind of writing.

Good Times

It occurred to me this morning that it's been 18 years since I went to the first series of Lollapoolza concerts. Yes, I was a mere baby and yes, the parents' credit card was totally used.

I was reminded of this as I was setting up something on Pandora today. While clicking some buttons, I felt a sweeping memory come over me that I did not get to see Siouxsie and the Banshees that night. To that end, I get rubbed on this by one of my oldest and dearest friends who not only saw Lolla I, but he saw the first actual show in Tempe, AZ. He knows I still burn with envy about him seeing SB and has no problem reminding me of that whenever he gets the chance. He also has no problem starting a mosh pit at any given time, without regard to acceptableness, and knocking me tall tuckus to the ground in the process, still today.

This memory would have been trivial if it had not been for a conversation I recently had about my feelings of high school reunions and my decision to restrict my Facebook friendships to no more than three high school classmates and two have to be boys that I was interested in schtupping during those days of raging hormones and frequent mall trips. I am safe having them on the FaceCrack because they are both the big ‘mo (hidden from the masses) like all the other men I dated before Brandeis. What can I say; I am a sucker for a guy who likes clothes and bottom feeding as much as I do.

High school was both an incredible and agonizing time in my past. I was popular and I flittered between the prep school world and public. I was captain of the track team, graduated in the top 10% (a feat I am proud of because I found high school harder than any of my ivy league education.), and I had already attended more than one frat party before I was 16 years of age. The thing is though, I was bored. Bored fucking stiff. Think a San Francisco born PhD educated lesbian residing in some small town in Kansas where you have to drive thirty minutes to the nearest grocery store for jacked up prices. I was loath to teach my classmates one more time how to titrate up and down during an assay, shopping at Benetton went out with the condom ads in circa 1991, I was far too mature to care about things like prom, the OC, or curfews that others had, I was offended living in a staunch Republican county, and boarding in the backwoods of New Jersey was not for this big city girl. All I wanted was to wear black, tune in, turn on, and drop out.

To that end, I pretty much did. My last week of high school I let it be known that the previous four years were nothing more than fake friendships, false pretentions, and all of the events leading up to that week had made it possible for me to attend art school some day if I so desired because I truly had suffered. I suffered. Suffice to say, I did not walk in graduation that Friday night. Though the reasons for that had to do with a Jewish doctor and my refusal to back-down to AG Momma, I had no regrets then and now that I have never seen more than one of them since that week.

I was a wanna-be loner then and now. I understand this is common in true socialites and incredibly brilliant people. The phenomenon behind this syndrome suggests that we are so in, that we cannot relate to very many and therefore, we want to be so out. To this end, I spent my last three years in Boston doing the same to my myriad of Boston friends that I did to my New Jersey friends and telling untruths to both the new and old Boston friends about each other’s existence. I think for me then and now, I just wanted to be left alone. By dropping people without their consent and denying that I even knew them once, it made my space dark and peaceful. I needed that downtime during those years given the frenetic nature of my professional life in the early 2000s.

I think I am an enigma that way. I suppose the reason is mainly because I am like Cher’s character in Mermaids. I do not live in the same place for an extended period of time. Boston was the longest stint I’ve had in my adult life and I had six different addresses and three different states during the years that I count as my Boston life and one of those mailing addresses I owned almost the entire duration of that time period!

I am not much one for bringing my past with me. As such, I began erasing my previous Boston life six months ago. And the weeding continues. I would like to say that I hate this habit about myself. I’d also love to say it’s pathological or that it’s curable. It’s not though. I am a rolling stone who gathers no moss. I am a girl about town who has an incredible future waiting for her and the issue is that my future will involve my ability to be nimble and turn on corners like a dime. I am a woman who lives in the moment but when the curtain falls, I am onto the next casting call. I think for the most part, we are all like this to some extent. I am just more self-aware, purposeful in action, vivacious, and provocative when I bow.

The only thing for certain is that a little AG in your life will go a long way. At least I think she does after soul searching and figuring out what I learned from being anything but myself during those final years in Boston. Now that I have both the pouplar girl and the loner girl on the same path, I have figured out how to temper my social world with me burning desire to be a recluse. I am blazing forward and this time, I may take you all with me (instead of the usual of a very unpredictable select few)into the next chapter. As for the pimple faced friends of yore, they got each other. They do not need me to sign their yearbooks.

US Media: Epic Fail!

Yes, I am sure you've heard. Anyone with a Facebook account and/or a newspaper has heard by now. I think even the late great George Carlin has heard by now and I know that Helen Keller may have seen it too. I'm not going to say too much about the tragedy itself largely because I have addressed the issue of abortion and how people think about it countless times on and off the blogs. I will say that my heart goes out to Dr. Tiller's friends and family. I hope they know how much women like me valued his work and dedication to my reproductive rights and the oppression of women. I am grateful for everything he did for women and I will be making a donation in his honor to Planned Parenthood later this week.

Instead, I am going to address another topic I speak of frequently, which is the failures of the journalist community. Sure, Dr. Tiller provided abortions. Sure they made 'em and he scraped 'em. Sure he wore a white jacket and removed fetuses from women at the woman's request. He also saw women for a host of other gynecological and family planning reasons. Hell, he might even have looked at a scar or two and written a prescription for toenail fungus. He did have a DEA number, mind as well use it now and again, right?

While the mere mention of him providing general gynecological services to women is missing from the news because he is a LATE TERM ABORTION DOCTOR, the more flagrant violation and injustice of information is that less than 1% of all US abortions are performed during the last trimester of pregnancy. Of those late phase abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, 99% of them are because there was a problem with the pregnancy and it was in the interest of the mother and/or fetus to terminate the pregnancy. Thus, it's rarely that irresponsible teenager who didn't make it to the clinic on time or the slutty African American mother from the projects, or whatever bad stereotype that goes through an individuals minds when she or he reads the newspapers or digests sound bytes.

Media is focused on him being an ABORTION DOCTOR. The media outlets are citing that he provided late term abortion. Yet, I am not clear whether this includes second or exclusively third trimester abortions. What I am certain about is that those of us who study reproductive ethics consider late phase abortions to be third trimester only. Thus, I will exclusively speak about third trimester abortions here.

From my cursory review of this terrible tragedy thus far, media has failed to recognize that worldwide 50% of pregnancies are unwanted and approximately 50% end in abortion annually. More locally, 40% of pregnancies are terminated via elective abortion in the US annually. A rare few are terminated during the third trimester and the majority are terminated because of a medical concern for woman and or her fetus.

In 2005, the Guttmacher Institute reported 1.2 million legal abortions in the US. Calculations suggest then that annually there are approximately 12,000 abortions during the last trimester of pregnancy. Thus, a man who performed on average no more than 100 late term abortions annually (it's Witchta, KS folks!) and possibly during the course of his medical career, in women whose pregnancies had gone terribly awry, is being coined a LATE TERM ABORTION doctor.

It would be useful for media to present what I have just said. Unfortunately they won't. If they did, think about the potential for documenting that abortion does not have a causal relationship to breast cancer, neither does vaccinations to autism, and oh yeah, you only need a pap smear every three years if you have a history of normal paps.

Media once again shines the light on news and abortion incorrectly. My hope is that you will share this post with at least one other person you know. Maybe then, we can undo the harm that media continues to bestow upon us. more...