Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly
- The Beatles

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Alexa lives in the far east with her son Tyler and their cat Brownie. She can be reached via email here


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Monday, October 31, 2005
 
Why women have abortions
The reasons most frequently cited were that having a child would interfere with a woman's education, work or ability to care for dependents (74%); that she could not afford a baby now (73%); and that she did not want to be a single mother or was having relationship problems (48%). Nearly four in 10 women said they had completed their childbearing, and almost one-third were not ready to have a child. Fewer than 1% said their parents' or partners' desire for them to have an abortion was the most important reason. Younger women often reported that they were unprepared for the transition to motherhood, while older women regularly cited their responsibility to dependents.

Hat tip: Christina


Alexa swing by at 1:22 PM

 
British woman gives birth to twins - from two wombs


Alexa swing by at 1:14 PM

 
Merry Samhain, y'all!

It's Samhain! Yesterday, we decorated the house with jack-o'-lanterns made out of pumpkins, and orange and dark candles, and leftover paper bags for luminaries which I had gotten from Martha's. And I made these too -- to put candies...



Aren't they lovely? Now let's just hope Spiderman munchkin will not reach up and try to pull the table cloth, yah? Speaking of the munchkin, he will be the one in the spidey outfit (sorry folks, the berry outfit didn't work out.. ). Some of our close friends will gather tonight and we will have some lamb and corn and colcannon and pumpkin pies and puddings and other devilishly delish treats.

Samhain (pronounced Sow-in, Sah-vin, or Sahm-hayn), known to most as Halloween (or Feast of the Dead, Feast of Apples, All Hallows) marks the end of the third and final harvest. It is a day to commune with and remember the dead, and is a celebration of the eternal cycle of reincarnation. Samhain is a time of reflection and coming to terms with the one thing in life which we have no control - death. You know, in Paganism, death has never been seen as an end, but a transition (the soul lives and retreat to another place known as 'Summerland'). In the European traditions, Samhain is the night when the old God dies, and the Crone Goddess mourns him deeply for the next six weeks. The popular image of her as the old Halloween hag menacingly stirring her cauldron comes from the Celtic belief that all dead souls return to her cauldron of life, death, and rebirth to await reincarnation.

It is believed that if you pare an apple all in one piece on Samhain night and allow it to fall to the ground unaided, it will spell out the initials of your future mate. Hang an apple from a string with a coin pushed deep inside and try to bite out the coin without using your hands. Succeed, and your pockets will be full throughout the coming year. And if you walk backward into a dark room while looking into a mirror and eating an apple at the same time, you will see your future mate's face in the mirror's reflection.

It is traditional on Samhain night to leave a plate of food outside the home for the souls of the dead. A candle placed in the window guides them to the Lands of Eternal Summer, and burying apples in the hard-packed earth "feeds" the passed ones on their journey.

Wiccans feel that on this night the separation between the physical and spiritual realities is it's least guarded and it's veil the thinnest. Because the veil between the realms of the living and the dead is at its thinnest on Samhain, it is also a prime time to attempt spirit contact. It is said to be the time when those of necromantic talents can speak with the dead and it is certainly a time to remember ones who have gone before us. Samhain is also the time for dimensional openings and workings, a time of endings of relationships and bad situations, and a time when one can see the glimmer of hope in the future.


Alexa swing by at 1:06 PM

Sunday, October 30, 2005
 
Christina examines the truth on coathanger abortions..

.. bringing into light stories like this one and those of the young woman who died as a result of attempting to abort with pennyroyal tea in 1994 -- both cases occurred when abortion is indeed legal in the country.


Alexa swing by at 3:17 PM

 
China forced abortion continues at an alarming rate, according to a new report by India's Sunday Telegraph:
Zhu Hong Ying and her husband, Xia Jian Dong, who are farmers in Zhai Tian Zhuang village near Linyi, and who already have one son, said they first heard of the forced abortions in March, when Zhu was five months pregnant.

"We panicked and ran into (Linyi) to hide," Zhu said in an interview that had to be conducted on the telephone as local police had sealed off her area in the wake of Chen's detention. "But to get to us, about a month after we left they arrested three of my sisters-in-law. So we felt very guilty and went home."

Zhu said what happened next went beyond her deepest fears.

Officials from the local family planning department took her to a clinic where a doctor injected her in the stomach. A day later Zhu said she delivered a still-born baby boy. Gazing at the corpse was "the most heartbreaking moment of my life", she said.

But there was no time to dwell on emotions.

Xia said a nurse came into the room and dumped the dead baby in a black plastic bag and asked him to throw it into the back of a truck parked nearby.

"It had a large container kind of thing at the back," said Xia, his voice quavering over the line. "When I opened the door and looked in it was full of black bags and blood."

What is even more appalling is, according to a Chinese lawyer whose unmarried client was forced into an abortion at seven months, the authorities took it upon themselves to decide a single woman had no right to have a baby.


Alexa swing by at 3:01 PM

 
Poll: Americans see more promise in non-embryonic stem cells

A new poll conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University has revealed that support for stem cell research favors sources other than embryonic cells.

When asked what they felt would yield the most promising results, 37% said stem cells derived from sources other than human embryos, whereas only 14% said human embryonic sources held the most promise for new medical treatments - a considerably different view than is reflected by most mainstream media coverage.


Alexa swing by at 2:58 PM

Saturday, October 29, 2005
 
12-year-old writes sex-ed paper for teens
Referring to abortion, Mercedes wrote that although "for some people it is very easy, after reading a book on the subject I would never do it" because abortion is nothing less than the "killing of a child, because he cannot escape from the womb, and he is much more vulnerable because his body has not yet fully developed."

Alexa swing by at 3:07 PM

 
This is a heartbreaking story of a woman who was violated and sexually abuse as a child, and then violated again later when she was forced into an abortion:
It is very difficult for me to separate the effects of the abortion and the sexual abuse. The abortion feels like an extension of the sexual abuse. I believed that I had no right to make my own decision; my body was again violated by someone else's selfish concerns. The feminist movement was working very hard on the legalization of abortion at this time. I now think that is why I got pushed so hard by the Parenthood counselor. I could have said "no" to my husband and I could have said "no" to the abortion but I had no resources for either.

Alexa swing by at 2:44 PM

 
Here's someone who contemplating on an abortion for her 18-year-old sister. She think abortion is the realistic thing to do since her sister doesn't have a job, a reliable boyfriend etc. The good news is, I think the sister wants to keep the baby...


Alexa swing by at 1:30 PM

 
Here's is an abortion story that you must read:
Abortion is wrong. It is not a political issue. Not an ideological value. Not a "choice". It is simply wrong. We are, literally, as women, as mothers, sacrificing our children for ourselves. As a mother of three vibrant, living children, I cannot ever imagine doing that. I would die for them in a heartbeat.

Yet no one told me this as a young woman. No one explained that the fact that I was thinking about my pregnancy in terms of a baby, my baby, a child, indicated a moral stance and a belief that I had already become a mother. What I was told, instead, was that most women looked back later in life and reminded themselves why they made that "choice".

How incredibly lame. Had I been more mature, less frightened, or felt like I had a "choice", I might have been able to see through that statement. I wasn't and I didn'T.

Abortion is not a "choice" for women who are taught to respect their hearts, their souls, and the part of them born to be a mother. Abortion is the antitheses of "choice". It is an ending. A brutal ending, whether for the unsuspecting mother or child. It is irreversible and damaging. What a far better thing to endure nine months of pregnancy than 18 years of self condemnation and a life time of grief that never completely goes away.

Hat tip: Emily


Alexa swing by at 1:16 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 1:13 PM

 
Births to the unmarried hit record

Nearly 1.5 million babies were born to unmarried women in the U.S. last year. And those moms were more likely to be 20-somethings than teenagers, according to new federal data released Friday.

"This is not a teenage issue," says Stephanie Ventura,. a demographer with the National Center for Health Statistics. "Women in their 20s are accounting for a huge percentage of these births."

The data show that 35.7% of all births were to unmarried women.


Alexa swing by at 1:05 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 12:59 PM

 
(This one's for you, Spiderman...)

We are soo going!



You can book your tix here :)


Alexa swing by at 11:53 AM

Friday, October 28, 2005
 
Please help

Some of us have been there before, and we know how hard it can be... so let's help.


Alexa swing by at 4:54 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 4:51 PM

 
Abortion for rape = Obstruction of justice?

Ah, good point, Adam...
When people talk about doing abortions because of rape, they're generally thinking with there emotions rather than their brain. In addition to the evidentiary concern with catching the rapist, add to that, the emotional and physical damage done by abortion with increased chances of miscarriage, stillbirths, mental illnes, and suicide, it becomes obvious that even if you put the moral objections to killing a child because the Father was a rapist, you're doing something incredibly unwise. You're basically saying, "You've been through extreme emotional trauma. Lets go ahead and put you through some more and by the way, we'll make sure that we dispose key evididence that could be used to catch the person who did this.

Alexa swing by at 4:06 PM

 
Why is abortion not genocide? It targets a specific group, doesn't it? The unborn, the "unwanted", the defenseless, the voiceless...

Let's argue this out...
The brouhaha has focused on the tastefulness of the display more than its message, obscuring the substantive question of whether abortion is indeed genocide.

That, of course, hinges on whether abortion is even murder - the matter at the heart of the decades-long abortion debate in this country. And, as anyone who's ever gotten into an extended argument over abortion knows, it's very difficult to convince someone else to change his or her mind on the issue.

The debate over abortion being genocide, however, is a matter of terminology rather than philosophy and theology. That puts it into a realm where there can be give-and-take without striking at the core of people's personal beliefs about what is moral and when life begins. Moreover, I think it's possible to disagree over whether abortion is murder but agree that it certainly isn't genocide.

Alexa swing by at 4:01 PM

 
Cheryl Ford has released a book on Terri Schiavo...


Tim has more here or you can visit Cheryl's website Fight4Terri to order.


Alexa swing by at 3:40 PM

 
Abortion. Depression. No credible evidence? Duh?!!


Alexa swing by at 2:58 PM

 
Texans have mixed reactions to Miers' withdrawal...
Harriet Miers' friends and colleagues, including both Texas senators, expressed disappointed Thursday at Miers' decision with withdraw as a U.S. Supreme Court nominee, but Democratic detractors say the former Dallas attorney made the right decision.

Southern Methodist University business law professor Ala Bromberg, who taught Miers when she was a student at SMU in the 1960s, say the withdrawal is a great loss both to the court and to the American people.

But Texas Democratic Party chairman Charles Soechting of Houston says Miers wasn't qualified.

Soechting says he hopes the withdrawal will be a signal to the Bush administration that the practice of cronyism has got to stop.

Miers detractors argued that she was nominated not because she was qualified, but because of her loyalty to the President.

But former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice John Hill says Miers has had plenty of experience dealing with constitutional issues, especially in her five years at the White House.
[...]

"Harriet Miers is a good friend and devoted to her nation," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.

"I remain confident that Harriet Miers would have made a superb Supreme Court justice. She is and will continue to be a trailblazer in the legal community. My admiration of her has only increased because of this action," she said.

"She made this decision because she believed it was right for the president and the country. While I am disappointed she will not be on the bench, we must begin to focus on filling the vacancy to the high court. This is a task so critical to our nation that partisan politics must be set aside," she said.

"I'm disappointed that Harriet Miers has asked the President to withdraw her nomination to the United States Supreme Court," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Alexa swing by at 2:20 PM

 
Reactions to the Miers' withdrawal

Arlen Specter on Miers' withdrawal:
I'm sorry to hear that Miss Miers has decided to remove her name from consideration. I think that this is a sad episode in the history of Washington, D.C. ... The way Harriet Miers has been treated is really disgraceful.

Alexa swing by at 2:17 PM

 
Harriet Miers withdraws...

Here's how it happened according to NRO's Bryon York:
According to informed sources, this is how the last day of the Miers nomination played out. Yesterday morning, President Bush met with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, and others at the White House, where they discussed the problems facing the nomination. There were staff conversations between the majority leader's office and the White House throughout the day. There was a meeting in Dick Cheney's office in the afternoon, with the vice president and nomination strategists taking part, in which the fading support for the nomination was discussed. And then in the early evening, Frist had a phone conversation with White House Chief of Staff Andy Card in which Frist gave what's being called a frank assessment of the nomination's prospects. Not long afterward, a final decision was made, and Miers called the president at 8:30 p.m. to say she would withdraw, and the formal announcement was set for this morning.

Here's the letter to the President

See statement from President Bush here


Related: list of press releases in response to Miers's decision to withdraw her nomination to the Supreme Court

Bush stung as Miers withdraws nomination


Alexa swing by at 10:39 AM

Thursday, October 27, 2005
 
Suddenly when you can't afford them, Country Road has a whole range of skirts and dresses that I like and want to buy. And those dresses. Christ. I'm too depressed to even talk about them because I can only afford one miserable dress right now. (Come Christmas I'll buy the entire shop!) But I did get myself a gorgis little number at Island Shop (can you believe how unbelievably pricey their stuff is suddenly?), thanks to the lovely sales assistant. The ethnic-inspired tube dress comes in two colors, white and brownish red and I settled with the white-- for now (and I suspect I'll have the red one too, as soon as I'm significantly minted).

Funny, eh? I keep telling myself that I don't want so much money anymore. Money is bad. Money is the root of evil. Money makes a good girl like me bad. Socrates said that wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing. I want to be good. I don't want to be one of those people who lives and breathes Prada and Gucci. I don't need a lifestyle, I can't find my happiness there. So why is it that when I've been shopping all day and I'm laden with bags and I feel so damn great? Why do I feel like I've achieved something? And why don't I feel whole when I have no money?

We spent so much of our lives devoting ourselves to acquiring as much money as possible, and similarly reputation and honor and everything else, and give no attention to truth and understanding and the perfection of ourselves. Trouble is, money's easier. And reputation. In a world where goodness isn't even a virtue anymore, why bother? Hell, materialism is God, worshipped at its feet. Apparently there's a void in our soul that can't be filled with dosh, but fuck it, we'll all be dead soon.


Alexa swing by at 4:20 PM

 
Poll: 75% of British youths want gestational limit on abortion lowered significantly
Eight in ten adults in Great Britain regard Britain's annual count of 200,000 abortions as too many and want ways to be found of reducing that figure, says a new poll conducted by CommunicateResearch on behalf of campaign group Alive & Kicking.

A representative sample of 1005 GB adults was polled, by the professional polling company from October 21-23.  The findings, published to mark the eve of the Abortion Act's 38th anniversary yesterday, noted that young people and women were strongest in their support for reduction of the gestational limit of 24 weeks, until which abortions are considered legal in England.

The poll found that of those offering an opinion more than six in ten (62%) believe the 24-week abortion limit should be lowered 'significantly' given that more than 80% of babies born at that age survive. Among the 18-24 age group support rises to 75% and among women support stands at 66% (compared to 58% of men).

Also attracting massive support (89%) was the proposal that the government 'should put in place an automatic regular review of abortion law to account for advances in medical knowledge'.

Alexa swing by at 4:09 PM

 
Valerie Lynn Oskin who was attacked on October 12 gives up baby


Alexa swing by at 4:07 PM

 
Internet ads that save lives

Ads direct women facing crisis pregnancies to those who can help..


Alexa swing by at 4:01 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 3:59 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 3:54 PM

 
PETA bans breakthrough in breast cancer treatment..

because animals were used in the testing process.


Alexa swing by at 3:52 PM

 
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Arlen Specter meanwhile, served a notice Wednesday and said that he plan to question Miers on Guantanamo Bay Policy...


Alexa swing by at 2:56 PM

 
Conservatives decry Miers' 1993 statement on abortion

Former Republican presidential candidate Gary Bauer reprinted Miers' statements in his regular "End of Day" email alert:
"In July of 1993, Miers gave a speech entitled, 'Women and Courage.' She offered glowing praise for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's ascension to the Supreme Court and Janet Reno's appointment as the first female attorney general," Bauer reported. "Not many conservatives were excited by either fact."

Only months earlier, Miers spoke to the Executive Women of Dallas. Bauer noted that this was "more than a decade after her religious conversion and four years after she filled out a pro-life questionnaire."

"Here is what she said about abortion," Bauer continued. "'The ongoing debate continues surrounding the attempt to once again criminalize abortions or to once and for all guarantee the freedom of the individual women's right to decide for herself whether she will have an abortion.'"

Bauer complained about Miers' terminology.

"Notice how she described the issue," Bauer wrote. "'criminalize' versus 'guarantee the freedom of women.' The pro-life side never talks about 'criminalizing abortion.' We don't want to send women to jail."

Alexa swing by at 2:47 PM

Wednesday, October 26, 2005
 
After all that...

American Girl says



Alexa swing by at 12:43 PM

 
Says Hillary to Harriet: 'Please tell us one thing you disagree with the president on'


Alexa swing by at 12:31 PM

 
Rachel's Vineyard promotes post-abortion healing in the newspaper of the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin:
Jody had two abortions, one when she was 22 and one when she was 26. She chose both abortions out of fear and confusion. Never before had she felt so angry and alone.

"In my heart of hearts, I knew what I was doing was wrong. But I justified it, buried it, saying: 'it's legal, it must be okay,'" she said.

"I don't remember much after the (first) abortion, except a sense of relief at being over the crisis," she said. "My mom recently told me that in the car on the way home I had cried and said that I felt like the life had been sucked out of me. I attempted suicide a couple months later and ended up in drug and alcohol treatment."

During the second abortion, "it was as if a part of me shut down that day," she said. "I look back and wonder how anyone can experience the trauma of abortion and not shut down. Abortion goes against the very mystery of what is loving, beautiful, and sacred about being a woman. I was deeply wounded. I had no awareness of how my entire life, my entire being had been affected."

After resolving to keep the baby if she became pregnant a third time, Jody miscarried after 10 weeks.

"I began hearing an ad on the radio that said: 'Why when I wanted it, it was a baby and when I didn't, it wasn't?'" she said. "My heart broke into a billion pieces. That was the beginning of a very powerful conversion to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. God was replacing my heart of stone with a heart of flesh."

Road to healing

Jody attended her first Rachel's Vineyard retreat about four years ago, then a second retreat with her mom a couple years later. "During the retreat I was aware that I was being led by the light of Christ, the love and encouragement of the (retreat) facilitators and the other retreatants," she said.

At the first retreat, all the feelings Jody had buried for years came rushing back - guilt, regret, confusion, sorrow, anger, helplessness and hopelessness, despair. But as the retreat weekend progressed, those feelings were replaced by feelings of forgiveness, peace, acceptance, hope, and love, she said.

"I connected with my children. I recognized their humanity and uniqueness. I offered myself as their mother. I welcomed them as my children. I knew that they'd forgiven me, as Jesus had. I have never cried so much - such healing, healing tears," she said.

Rachel's Vineyard gives women and men a safe place to grieve and to begin the journey to wholeness after abortion, Jody said. "I encourage grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, and siblings of aborted children to attend a retreat," she said. "I want to encourage women and men to 'be not afraid,' as our beloved John Paul II said.

"Let us not linger, but go forth with the light of Christ and the love and support of so many into the darkness of our pasts. We can be forgiven and set free, free to help others who are struggling, too."

Sarah's story

Sarah's (not her real name) abortion took place 26 years ago in January, 1979. She was a sophomore in college and dating a young man she thought she would marry after college.

When her fears about being pregnant were confirmed, Sarah was very afraid, she said, and felt as though she couldn't admit to her parents her mistake of becoming sexually active and still have their love.

She did not share the news of her pregnancy with her parents but instead turned to her boyfriend for support and protection.

"I still remember being shocked at the suggestion my boyfriend made that an abortion was the solution, as he was not ready to be a father," she said. "I felt hurt and rejected and just checked out emotionally at that point."

Sarah's boyfriend made all the arrangements, paid for the procedure, and accompanied her to the abortion clinic. Blocking the abortion from her mind, Sarah said it seemed like a vague, bad dream from her past.

"From my present vantage point, it is clear to me that I lived in deep denial for the next 23 years of the trauma my abortion was to my body, my mind, and my soul," she said. "I was able to function well in my life as a wife and mother to four beautiful, healthy children; however I see clearly now how my relationships with those closest to me suffered from the heavy but unnamed guilt, unworthiness, and shame I was carrying all those years."

Sarah attended a Rachel's Vineyard retreat in November of 2002 in Madison at the urging of her husband, with whom she was finally able to share her past after 21 years of marriage.

"The retreat weekend was the perfect setting I needed to pour out this long-held grief, regret, anger at myself and others, and to replace that with the unconditional love our merciful and forgiving Father offers us through His Son, Jesus.

"I can never undo the horrible damage that was done that day to my innocent child, to myself and my boyfriend, but most of all to the relationship I had with my God, but I do understand now, through the gift of this weekend that Jesus does want to forgive me, and he wants me to forgive myself and others for what occurred," said Sarah. "To a large part I have accepted these gifts of forgiveness for myself and others, something I would never have allowed for myself without experiencing a Rachel's Vineyard retreat.

"Rachel's Vineyard restores hope in lives that feel at times hopeless," she said. "It restores life - not the life of the child, who is at peace now with Jesus, but the life of the mother or father who have been lost, sometimes for years, in the lies surrounding abortion."

Hat tip: Emily


Alexa swing by at 11:16 AM

 
Chinese population control officials assault blind activist again

Chen Guangcheng has been kept under house arrest at his home since he met with reporters for Time Magazine and the Washington Post and exposed the scandal in Linyi, China.

When Chen tried to leave his home, he was punched and kicked by about nine officials and told to go back inside.

"(They) started beating and kicking him. He fell to the ground five or six times. He is a blind man. He could not see them," Chen's cousin Chen Guangli told Washington-based Radio Free Asia.

RFA said the attack left Chen bleeding in the right temple area. His left eye and left temple area also hurt and he could not bend his fingers, it said, adding that officials refused to let Chen seek medical treatment.


Alexa swing by at 10:59 AM

 
She refused to have an abortion, so he beat her up


Alexa swing by at 10:43 AM

Tuesday, October 25, 2005
 
Cindy Sheehan wants to tie herself to the White House fence...


Alexa swing by at 6:58 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 6:33 PM

 
Abortion argument unravels...

Deborah at Choose Life links to this fascinating article from the September-November 2005 issue of Creation magazine, where author Alex Williams details for us how the unborn child defends itself against its mother, confirming that it is a separate human being from the start.


Alexa swing by at 12:47 PM

 
Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer's Karen Malec says that "Eventually, cancer fundraising businesses will have to acknowledge the elephant in their living room - the abortion-breast cancer (ABC) link."

But the disclosure Malec refers to, that there is indeed an abortion-breast cancer link, hasn't yet come, and meanwhile women continue to swallow the corporate establishment line that abortion is safe and it has nothing to do with breast cancer. Yet two U.S. women have already successfully sued their abortion providers for neglecting to disclose the risks of breast cancer and emotional harm, and cancer businesses continue to raise billions for breast cancer.

Read more here


Alexa swing by at 12:42 PM

 
Meanwhile, abortion survivor Gianna Jessen visits campus...

This is her story.


Alexa swing by at 12:40 PM

 
A new SurveyUSA poll released Tuesday indicates Californians overwhelmingly support Proposition 73, the Parents' Right to Know and Child Protection Initiative. Support for Proposition 73 leads by 22 points, with 60% of Californians support the measure and 38 percent oppose with just 2% undecided.

According to survey data, Prop 73 has increased support across the political spectrum. More than 44 percent of pro-choice voters support parental notification (a swing of seven points). Women support the ballot measure 60 percent to 38 percent (a swing of eights points). The strongest support comes from Hispanic voters, 71 percent in favor and 26 percent opposed (a swing of 17 points). Black voters favor the measure 70 percent to 28 percent (a swing of 28 points). Union members support Prop 73 at a slightly higher rate than non-union members; 63 percent favor and 35 percent oppose (a swing of six points).


Alexa swing by at 12:30 PM

 
Abortion and child abuse link revealed

A new study published in the medical journal Acta Paediatrica has found that women who have had an abortion are 2.4 times more likely to physically abuse their children.

The study, led by Priscilla Coleman of Bowling Green State University, looked at data taken from a survey of 518 low-income women in Baltimore who were receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children and who had at least one child aged 12 years or younger. The data compared rates of child abuse and neglect among women who had experienced either an involuntary (miscarriage or stillbirth) or voluntary (induced abortion) pregnancy loss.

The results showed that women with a history of one induced abortion were 2.4 times more likely to physically abuse their children than women who had not had an abortion. In addition, the increase in risk among women who had experienced an abortion was more significant than the increase among women who had experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth.

The authors suggested that "emotional difficulties and unresolved grief responses" from pregnancy loss, whether voluntary or involuntary, could have a negative impact on women's mental health and lead to unhealthy parenting responses. Past studies have linked pregnancy loss to an increase in grief reactions, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, all of which can have a negative impact on parent/child relationships.

In addition, induced abortion has been linked to an increased risk of substance abuse and suicidal thoughts, and a 2002 study published in the Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology found that children whose mothers had a history of abortion tended to have less supportive home environments and more behavioral difficulties.

The current study showed that although a single involuntary pregnancy loss did not significantly increase the risk of child abuse or neglect, physical abuse was more common among women who had experienced multiple involuntary pregnancy losses. However, women who had repeat abortions were not more likely to abuse their children than women who had one abortion, although abortion increased the risk of physical abuse overall.

In addition, neither form of pregnancy loss was linked to child neglect, leading the authors to speculate that mothers with unresolved losses may be able to "go through the motions" of meeting their children's basic needs but have difficulty coping with issues such as anger or parent/child conflict.


Alexa swing by at 12:23 PM

 
According to Bloomberg, President Bush has refused to hand over materials on Supreme Court Nominee Harriet Miers to the US Senate.
"They've asked for paperwork about the decision-making process, what her recommendations were," Bush told reporters after a Cabinet meeting. "That would breach very important confidentiality and it's a red line I am not willing to cross." Disclosing that material "would make it impossible for me and other presidents to be able to make sound decisions," he said.

Alexa swing by at 11:41 AM

Monday, October 24, 2005
 
Somewhat nostalgic :)


p.s. Hey, think I'd like to feature more birth stories here, so if you have any lovely stories to share, do send it to me at sablevixen@yahoo.com :)


Alexa swing by at 1:56 PM

 
Fatherhood... more than a paycheck
Fathers are the missing ingredient for many children. The results of father absence are staggering. An analysis reported in 2001 of nearly 100 studies on parent-child relationships found that, in some studies, father love was actually a better predictor than mother love for certain outcomes, including delinquency, substance abuse and overall mental health and well-being.

In other studies analyzed in the 2001 report, after controlling for mother love, researchers found father love was the sole significant predictor for certain outcomes such as psychological adjustment problems, conduct problems and substance abuse. The importance of Edwards's commitment to his wife and his children is born out by research. Fathers do matter. They matter a lot.

Alexa swing by at 1:36 PM

 
Bad news for pro-lifers?
Karlyn Bowman, who studies public opinion for the American Enterprise Institute, has compiled poll data about abortion from several years into one handy document. Her conclusion is that public opinion on the issue has been "remarkably stable." When Gallup asked whether abortion should be available under all, some, or no circumstances, respondents split 21-54-22 in April 1975. In May 2005, they split 23-53-22. That is impressive stability.

Yet there has been some movement. In some respects, opinion seems to have shifted first in a pro-choice direction and then in a pro-life direction. The high tide for the pro-choicers seems to have been in the mid-90s. In February 1995 the split was 33-50-15. (Scan pages 6-7 of the document yourself and you'll see that none of these three dates were outliers. Each was consistent with the findings of other polls taken around that time. The trend appears to be real.)

p.s. Check out also a discussion on this here


Alexa swing by at 1:28 PM

 
Mommies-to-be, eat fish!
Women who eat fish during pregnancy may help increase their infants' cognitive abilities, says a Harvard Medical School study.

The finding, published in the October issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, suggests that recent guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advising pregnant women to limit the amount of mercury-containing fish they eat may have the unintended effect of depriving fetuses of essential nutrients found in fish.

The researchers noted that while excessive mercury intake during pregnancy can harm neurological development in fetuses, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients in fish may play a crucial role in the neurocognitive development of infants.

Alexa swing by at 1:20 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 12:54 PM

Sunday, October 23, 2005
 
(Cross-posted for the good of mankind)

I have to say this or risk imploding. Nothing (I mean that) nothing pisses me the hell more than people-- holier-than-thou oh-I'm-soo-perfect-and bloody-religious people (or "saints" as they like to think of themselves) who think they are better than you. In their eyes you are the sinner (stray ones, you know) because all you do is break the rules and disobey God. And somehow they seem to think that it is their "duty" to "educate" you and save you from the hell fires. Grateful? Hardly. I think that person in question can go skrew her/himself. SHUT UP. SHUT UP. SHUT UP ALREADY. Christ.


Alexa swing by at 5:57 PM

Saturday, October 22, 2005
 
I have some wonderful news about Baby Charlotte, folks... Charlotte's order has been lifted!



Good bless you, Baby Charlotte.. and Happy 2nd Birthday, babygirl!

Congratulations on the victory, Darren and Debbie!


Alexa swing by at 4:58 PM

 
Clinton-like women problem, no?

The right chicks seem to have a problem with Harriet Miers..


Alexa swing by at 3:29 PM

 
"I don't think she's going to be withdrawn."

Arlen Specter talks about Miers
"During the recess, I took home a large compendium of cases that she'd been involved in and I studied them, and I found out they were very complex," he says. "She had an underground easement case which was very complicated, she represented Disney in a jurisdiction issue in Texas, she represented Microsoft in a patent case. She represented a woman, pro bono, on Social Security [and] a criminal defendant in a habeas corpus case. And I could see as I went through her legal record that she's a good lawyer. She deals with complex, conceptual issues and, I think, demonstrates the capacity to handle a wide variety of issues, including constitutional issues."

Alexa swing by at 2:56 PM

 
From the LA Times:

"If Harriet E. Miers were a soft drink, she would be New Coke: a carefully marketed product that no one is buying. The Bush administration deserves most of the blame for this clumsy campaign, but part of the problem is the confirmation process itself."


Alexa swing by at 2:53 PM

 
Annie has a five-part series on Crime and abortion that I think you folks should check out.

Part 5 can be found here.


Alexa swing by at 2:47 PM

 
I got followed by a black man in Little India yesterday and damn, I was scared shit! No kidding. Things like this have happened before which is why I'm scared in the first place. (Well, maybe I would have stopped and bat my eyelids had the bugger looked like Denzel Washington or Craig David..) I ran, and I ran and I ducked into the shops behind the achis, bloody hell, I've never ran so fast in my entire life! Needless to say, I was all hot and sweaty (how unglam! URGH) by the time I arrived to pick up the pizzas (which was just yummy) at Big Momma's (who made the laksa, BM? Orgasmic, you know.. Oh, and I so bloody regret not taking more of the delish sugee, ack).

Dammit, I'm never going to Little India alone again unless I'm in an achi disguise (YOU HEAR?).


Alexa swing by at 2:33 PM

Friday, October 21, 2005
 
Weeding out society's undesirables?

Former Washington Post writer Patricia E. Bauer in this article addressed the rarely-discussed pre-natal testing issue. Bauer is the mother of teenage Margaret--a child born with Down syndrome, and a constant reminder of what she sees as the slanted cultural view of children born with disabilities.
Whenever I am out with Margaret, I'm conscious that she represents a group whose ranks are shrinking because of the wide availability of prenatal testing and abortion. I don't know how many pregnancies are terminated because of prenatal diagnoses of Down syndrome, but some studies estimate 80 to 90 percent.
She cited an overwhelming medical view, which suggests that parents have an obligation to undergo prenatal testing to determine whether their child might have a physical or mental disability, and therefore need to be terminated. She quoted an unnamed Ivy League ethics director who said that it was immoral to bring a disabled child into the world knowing "the kind of suffering he or she would have to endure."

Bauer, who lives with her family in California, lamented:
As Margaret bounces through life, especially out here in the land of the perfect body, I see the way people look at her: curious, surprised, sometimes wary, occasionally disapproving or alarmed. I know that most women of childbearing age that we may encounter have judged her and her cohort, and have found their lives to be not worth living.

To them, Margaret falls into the category of avoidable human suffering. At best, a tragic mistake. At worst, a living embodiment of the pro-life movement. Less than human. A drain on society. That someone I love is regarded this way is unspeakably painful to me.

via Catholic News agency


Alexa swing by at 1:17 PM

 
IVF embryos found to carry higher than expected genetic defects

A series of groundbreaking studies has found that embryos created in fertility clinics contain far more genetic defects than previously thought, even if they are created from eggs donated by young, healthy women.

The discovery, which has alarmed fertility specialists, suggests that routine screening of embryos for defective DNA before they are implanted could dramatically reduce rates of miscarriage and multiple pregnancy.

Fertility clinics have always known that genetic damage builds up in the eggs of older women, and is carried through to their embryos, but eggs from younger women were assumed to be healthy and defect-free. The finding suggests that on average, 42% of eggs from all women have serious genetic defects that could prevent embryos being carried to term.


Alexa swing by at 1:15 PM

 
Prenatal exposure to alcohol may cause visual problems in infants, study says


Alexa swing by at 1:12 PM

 
Now, this is the kind of mommy that oughta be neutered.


Alexa swing by at 12:30 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 11:49 AM

 
Partial-birth Abortion Ban goes to Federal Appeals court

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments today as the Bush administration asks it to reverse a ruling by U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton of San Francisco.

Hamilton struck down the ban saying it didn't comply with a 2000 Supreme Court decision saying such bans should have a health exception, even though doctors say the three-day long abortion procedure is never needed to protect a woman's health.

During the trials, Dr. Curtis Cook, an OB/GYN and Michigan State University professor who specializes in high-risk pregnancies and pregnancies with complications, told the court he didn't believe partial-birth abortions were ever medically necessary.

Cook said the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is on record as saying "there is no situation where they can think that this is the only option available."

Federal judges in Nebraska and New York also struck down the ban. The Nebraska case is already making its way to the Supreme Court while another appeals court will consider the New York case.


Alexa swing by at 11:18 AM

Thursday, October 20, 2005
 
Princes advertise for wives

Hmm. Think I should apply?


Alexa swing by at 6:23 PM

 
"I just shot Chavanna.. I got her in the trunk, and the bitch won't die."

The "Chavanna" in question here ladies and gentlemen, was Tony Fountain's pregnant 17-year-old girlfriend whom he beat, strangled, stabbed and shot. The bastard then dumped her body in a marshy area on the far South Side in April 2002. Thankfully however, he now stand trial for the murder of Chavanna and her unborn child.


Alexa swing by at 6:08 PM

 
Baseball bat abortion boy agrees to cut ties...


Alexa swing by at 6:02 PM

 
Ann Coulter on Miers


Alexa swing by at 6:00 PM

 
"The man is not stupid. He knows what he is doing. This is not a case of 'trust me.' It's a case of 'watch me and you'll see'."

Hmm. Here's a little tidbit on the whole Miers thing..


Alexa swing by at 5:49 PM

 
JivinJ links to this article written by pro-choice college student Zoe Williams. In this flawed article, filled with contradictions,
I stand behind abortion rights because I believe that no one can serve as a better governing body over an individual than that person. I believe individuals have the ability to discern what they will and will not do, as they are autonomous beings. For this reason, I am also vegan, against the death penalty, opposed to state power and fully supportive of individual sexual decisions.

Miss Williams bashes pro-lifers and showed very little understanding of the human/fetal development
One may ask about the self-determination and autonomy of a child. Once a child is born, I wish it nothing but the best. I would love to see every child have an education, food, shelter and medicine. However, I fail to see how a mass of cells the size of a kumquat, with no nerve endings, or a potentially viable fetus that is so deformed it has no chance of surviving (plus, it may kill the woman carrying it) can qualify as self-determined individuals. I fail to see how one can even consider the aforementioned cellular growths to be humans.

I think JivinJ summed it up best in his comments here...


Alexa swing by at 5:43 PM

 
When the value of human life changes at the birth canal:
Our highest court claims not to know that any unborn child is actually human and alive. Roe holds that a change in location, passage through the birth canal, can turn a potential human being into an actual human being.

But this makes no sense. What something is does not depend on where it is. How something is perceived may change with location, but not what it is in itself.

Dr. Richard Stith makes a good point...


Alexa swing by at 4:47 PM

 
Support choice, not Roe
the very basis of the Roe v. Wade decision -- the one that grounds abortion rights in the Constitution -- strikes many people now as faintly ridiculous. Whatever abortion may be, it cannot simply be a matter of privacy.

That right of privacy, first enunciated in 1965 in Griswold v. Connecticut, once made sense. It overturned a state law forbidding the use of contraceptives by married couples. The average person could easily understand that a right of privacy was at issue here. If the government telling you what you can and cannot do in your own bedroom is not about privacy, then what is?The Connecticut law had to go. If the state legislature wasn't going to take it off the books, then the court had to.

Abortion is a different matter. It entails so much more than mere birth control -- issues that have roiled the country ever since the Roe decision was handed down in 1973 -- and so much more than mere privacy. As a layman, it's hard for me to raise profound constitutional objections to the decision. But it is not hard to say it confounds our common-sense understanding of what privacy is.

If a Supreme Court ruling is going to affect so many people then it ought to rest on perfectly clear logic and up-to-date science. Roe , with its reliance on trimesters and viability, has a musty feel to it, and its argument about privacy raises more questions than it answers.

Alexa swing by at 4:31 PM

 
Okay, first thing first: I heard that the divine Miss M (you minx!) is apparently in town *gasps* and lurking around. Hmm.

D, I heard from Boobs that you may be in need of some of my TLC, so please hor, wherever you are, if you're reading this, please text, call or gimme a holler.

Nice people we are, and we certaintly don't bite (although I scratch sometimes). Aren't we, Boobs?

Speaking of nice, something not very nice happened to my little friend Sarah. You see, Sarah is five and is a little heavier than most kids her age. She is lovely, and thoughtful and smart, but you know what? Her classmates not only refused to befriend or partner with her, but they also call her names. Why? Because she is fat. Kin, her mom (cried herself silly over this yesterday) says she's been observing this for sometime now says Sarah has to "bribe" them with sweets and stuff to make them like her. Kin is very upset and so am I, as any parent would be. Should be. Because in this brave new horrible world we live in, it is one thing to want to have the right to vote, or be liberated or have equal rights, it is another to have your pre-schooler come home from kindergarden to tell you that no one wants to befriend her because she is fat. Blame it on the media, on the whole notion, on those women's magazines that teaches us that perfection is God. That we are not worth a second look, that we are not good enough or perfect unless we are slim or bloody beautiful.

Think those shallow kids will ever know what a lamb Sarah is? I don't know. But I'll pray that someday they'll learn to see and appreciate beauty and goodness for what they truly are, beyond and above all that.


Alexa swing by at 3:14 PM

Wednesday, October 19, 2005
 
Operation Rescue's new billboard..




Alexa swing by at 3:32 PM

 
Don't fall off your chair now..

Amid calls to pressure American Girl to end its support for the pro-abortion organization Girls, Inc. comes the startling revelation that Supreme Court Nominee Harriet Miers actually led Girls, Inc's advisory committee in 1987...
1987: Chair, Advisory Committee, Girls, Inc. of Dallas, a national non-profit youth organization. Contact: Cecilia Boone, Dallas Chair, (214) 654-4530.

Alexa swing by at 3:21 PM

 
Just when is abortion "elective"?

Join in the discussion here.


Alexa swing by at 2:45 PM

 
No respect!

The Kiwis are using eyes from aborted babies for experiments


Alexa swing by at 2:22 PM

 
Former Texas justices endorse Miers
The six former justices, all of them men, said they had worked with Miers while she was a lawyer in Dallas and they endorsed her Supreme Court nomination.

"I'd trust her with my wife and with my life," former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice John Hill told reporters on the White House driveway after a meeting with President George W. Bush.

The White House has some major work to do to shore up Miers' chances of Senate confirmation. Some conservatives want Bush to withdraw her nomination and pick an experienced judge with known conservative views who could shift the balance of the nine-member high court firmly to the right.

"I think this is an excellent choice by the president of the United States and I think when people get to know her and understand her like we do, they'll find her an excellent choice. And she'll be a legend on that court before her career is finished," said former Texas Supreme Court Justice Craig Enoch.

Alexa swing by at 1:51 PM

 
Here's your answer, folks..


Alexa swing by at 1:43 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 1:36 PM

 
And thank you, Jelts


Alexa swing by at 12:50 PM

 
Massive thanks to Boobs for sharing this story.

People always judge you for what you are outside. Because you don't adopt the orthodox views of the world or way of life, you are no good. Because you are not religious or don't worship the same God, you are no good. Because you disobeyed God and get pregnant out of wedlock, you are no good. And it's sad you know, because they failed to see that what really matters is what you are on the inside and at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what they think because they are not the ones to judge us.


Alexa swing by at 12:43 PM

Tuesday, October 18, 2005
 
Seriously now...

I think I may have ADHD :|


Alexa swing by at 5:51 PM

 
An update on Baby Charlotte


(Thanks, Hannah!)


Alexa swing by at 4:56 PM

 
Tom and Katie's scary Scientology birth plan


Scientology's "silent-birth" doctrine holds that children should be delivered in an atmosphere of total quiet, without any groans, screams, or sounds of pain from the mother, or even the audible exchange of information among hospital personnel... Has Katie, a good Catholic girl and longtime advocate of saving it for marriage, gone completely out of her engram bank? I'm not saying she should go for an AA or anything, but maybe it's time to deaberrate. Giving birth hurts; that's evident to any Operating Thetan through simple obnosis.

Alexa swing by at 3:51 PM

 
Miers is pro-Roe?
Word out of the White House this morning is that in prep sessions for her hearings, Miers has been working on outlining her arguments that Roe. v. Wade is "settled law."

Hat tip: Paul


Alexa swing by at 3:40 PM

 
Extreme makeover... White House-style


Alexa swing by at 3:37 PM

 
Only 52 votes for Miers?


Hat tip: California Yankee


Alexa swing by at 3:15 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 3:14 PM

 
Another storm?


Alexa swing by at 3:06 PM

 
I've thought about a lot of things, had a few random contemplations along the way. I've been scared shit, I've been at my lowest and I've gained some clarity at the same time. And you know what? Maybe life is not as scary as I thought they'd be after all. Sure, I've made mistakes, but like many, I'm not perfect and I've come to realise that it is perfectly okay not to be. It is okay to be me. After all, life is about taking chances. And just because things hadn't turn out the way they should be doesn't mean that you've failed. Borrowing a line from the Catatonia song "Dead from the Waist Down", Victory is empty/ There are lessons in defeat. As Desiderius Erasmus once said, the highest form of bliss is living with a certain degree of folly. So skrew what the bitches think.

Tuesday, tuesday. It's CSI and Arrested Development night. Am I the only who thinks they are stupid for showing both shows (same station, different channels) at the same timeslot? The bitches up there must think it's bloody fun switching in between channels like every few seconds.


Alexa swing by at 2:47 PM

Monday, October 17, 2005
 
Alexa swing by at 2:51 PM

 
"I looked down into the toilet and saw my baby hanging from me by the umbilical cord"

Cindy's story:

"The counselor took all the girls (25) into a room and taught us about birth control. That was the last I saw of her. Then we changed clothes and were given shots of Demerol every four hours. Around midnight, the doctor came to my room injected saline into my uterus using a large syringe and long needle. I was so frightened. He barely spoke to me. The nurses never spoke to us any more than necessary, either. No one told us what would happen.

Sometime later, I went to the bathroom to have a bowel movement. I looked down into the toilet and saw my baby hanging from me by the umbilical cord. I began screaming for help hysterically. My roommate turned on her call light and after 15 minutes she went to the nurses station and got a nurse. God bless her for her mercy. I could hear the nurses talking and laughing at the nurse's station. The nurse came and I begged her to "take it away" but she refused saying she couldn't until I passed the placenta. She made me walk back to the bed with the baby dangling between my legs. I lay in bed for one to two hours, my legs bent and knees up trying not to touch the baby, screaming and crying hysterically. Finally they removed the baby.

At the abortion clinic, I wore new house shoes that my mother had bought me. They had blood on them from my walk from the bathroom to the bed. After I returned home, I wrapped them up in a towel because I couldn't wash off the blood and hid them under long dresses in the back of my closet. Every time I moved between dorm rooms and apartments after college, I moved them and hid them at the back of my new closet. After several years, I washed them but still couldn't look at them because could still see the blood. Finally, it came to me that I could throw them away."


Alexa swing by at 2:48 PM

 
Amnesty International to declare abortion a human right?


Alexa swing by at 2:32 PM

 
Miers will overturn Roe, according to her friends...


Alexa swing by at 2:29 PM

 
In defense of Miers

Condi defends Miers...


Alexa swing by at 2:26 PM

Sunday, October 16, 2005
 



Alexa swing by at 5:38 PM

 
Pamela Hennessy has a great article on living wills here:
Since the court-sanctioned death of Florida's Terri Schiavo, the conversational media and written press have predictably and (almost) obediently echoed sentiments of self-proclaimed bioethicists in touting living wills as a measure to ensure that one's own autonomy and personal directives are observed and held fast to in times of medical crisis.

Using the unfortunate Terri Schiavo as their unconsenting poster child, a good many media outlets and bioethics 'experts' have screamed from the rooftops that no one should ever allow a fate such as hers to befall them. In other words, sign your life away now so that no one can fight for it later, should you become unable to speak for yourself.

Traditionally speaking, a living will is an excellent mechanism for denying yourself unwanted medical treatment, so-called heroic medical measures or resuscitation in the event of a healthcare catastrophe. They, however, do not address the needs, sovereignty, personal choices or desires of those of us who aren't in a gratuitous dash to let someone else decide our fate.

It's a pity that the mainstream press and media overlooked the fact that Terri Schiavo, while still in full capacity, could never have consented to the removal of enteral nourishment upon the event of a profound neurological insult. Indeed, it wasn't until 9 years after Schiavo suffered her injuries, and at least a year after her husband and guardian petitioned the court for the authority to withdraw her tube-provided food and water, that such an act could take place and - even then - only under certain circumstances. It is, therefore, unreasonable and disingenuous for columnists, bioethicists and 'scratch' attorneys to promote the idea that a simple piece of paper would have circumvented the predicament that the Schiavo case triggered. It is also completely false to say that a living will, in the traditional sense, is a document crafted to protect the patient's best interests. It's anything but.

In sum, a great disservice upon the general public has been committed by those promoting the idea that a living will is a means to ensure personal autonomy. Understanding that each of us holds dissimilar values, beliefs and desires, ushering people into signing their lives away under duress is something I view as a criminal act and not in keeping with the intent of the laws that allow us our own privacy and decision-making.

A living will has nothing to do with living. It, instead, has everything to do with dying. It has to do with granting permission to others to withdraw medically necessary care from you so that you can either die naturally or die quickly - whichever comes first. For many people, the provision of artificial life support when death is eminent can seem unreasonable and unwanted. That's certainly understandable. But, consenting to such a thing can be a hazard inasmuch as it opens the door for the removal of medically necessary treatment when death isn't eminent.

Alexa swing by at 4:33 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 4:25 PM

 
Here's the testimony of Gianna Jessen, who survives an abortion.


Hat tip: Denny


Alexa swing by at 3:32 PM

Saturday, October 15, 2005
 
"A little life, not a little loss"


I see it in your eyes
The pain you keep inside
It's slowly tearing you apart
Though you've run away
Reminded day by day
You've stumbled and you've fallen
Still He's calling
I believe that He loves you where you are
I believe that you've seen the hands of God
I believe that you'll know it when
You're back in His arms again
I believe that He never let you go
I believe that He's wanting you to know
I believe that He'll lead you 'til you're back in His arms again
Glad I found you here
'Cause in between the tears
Something in your eyes shows hope
And I stand before you now
As one that knows about
Coming to Him open and broken
And I know that He's callin'
He's callin' you Home
One life, one love, one way Home
And when you rise and when you fall
He will see you through it all
He is waiting, you are called, back in His arms again.

- Mark Schultz, "Back In His Arms Again"



Alexa swing by at 5:04 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 4:14 PM

 
Lookie who's in trouble... again.


Alexa swing by at 3:58 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 3:46 PM

 
Only God can give us a song in the night

- Clara Hinton


Alexa swing by at 2:40 PM

Friday, October 14, 2005
 
UNFPA: Save the earth...

with contraceptives


Alexa swing by at 3:13 PM

 
Parents of disabled unborn children are concerned that doctors are increasingly pressuring women carrying babies with physical or mental handicaps to have abortions. The concerns come after a leading pro-life senator highlighted the issue during the hearings over Supreme Court nominee John Roberts.

Pro-life Sen. Sam Brownback discussed the problem during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings to confirm John Roberts for the Supreme Court.

Brownback told Roberts about a disabled man named Jimmy who runs the elevators that shuttle members of the Senate from the Senate floor to their offices.

"His warm smile welcomes us every day. We're a better body for him," Brownback said.

"And, yet, we're ennobled by him and what he does and how he lifts up our humanity and 80 to 90 percent of the kids in this country like Jimmy never get here," Brownback said of abortions of disabled babies.


p.s There is this autobiographical tale I read some time ago which tells of the magical, luminous journey of an academically oriented Harvard couple who conceive a baby with Down's syndrome and decide to carry him to term. All I'll say is if you've ever loved a special child, go pick up this book. In the author's words herself: "When he got home, the sun came out."


Alexa swing by at 2:33 PM

 
Is India becoming another China?


Alexa swing by at 2:29 PM

 
Another sicko tries to steal baby

A woman hit her pregnant neighbor over the head with a baseball bat, drove her to a secluded area and cut her belly in an attempt to steal her baby that was thwarted only at the last minute, authorities said.

Police said Wednesday's attack on Valerie Oskin was stopped before her baby was taken only because a teenager on an all-terrain vehicle came across the women in the woods.

Peggy Jo Conner, 38, of Ford City, was arraigned Thursday on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and aggravated assault of an unborn child. She was being held without bond.

An emergency Caesarean section was performed on Oskin, 30, at Allegheny General Hospital. State police said Thursday that the baby was in stable condition and the mother was in the trauma ward, but hospital officials said they couldn't release any information about either patient.

State police said that after hitting Oskin, Conner drove her about 15 miles to a secluded, wooded area in Armstrong County, about 50 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, and cut Oskin across her abdomen.

"She was sliced over an old (Caesarean) scar and severely bleeding,'' Trooper Jonathan Bayer said. She probably would have bled to death had the teenager not found her when he did, Bayer said.


Alexa swing by at 2:17 PM

Thursday, October 13, 2005
 
Well, there is just no such thing as a happy ending, innit? At least that is what I believe. Because nothing last forever. I see a beautiful couple and it makes me sad because I know they won't last forever. Like Brad and Jen, or Tom and Nicole, or Bruce and Demi. We've seen it all, haven't we? No matter how good things are, no matter how strong they are, they almost always end up in a slush pile of mush. And I know that because? Because that's what happened to my mother's thirty years of bloody marriage. As does every other relationships in the family. Which is probably why I avoided any form of emotional attachment (so please tell me why that even happens with you, Jay) where possible. You see, I don't do relationships. Not that I break out in a rash or something. Maybe I don't do too well in my past involvements.

*sigh* You meet someone who sweeps you off your feet and then he breaks your heart into tiny pieces and you have to get yourself back together, pick up the broken pieces and start all over again. Then another one came along, you know.. the same bloody thing happen... it's a vicious cycle, not to mention emotionally and absolutely draining. In every sense of the word. I'm not saying that you have to have a man to be happy. I think that one can be happy if you have a good social life, a support structure of friends and family around you. But life can be lonely on your own sometimes.

Thanks for the new frock, Jules.. but I'm depressed (doesn't help that this song keeps playing in my head ARGH..) and no amount of frocks or Gaps or Jimmy Choos can help (maybe a million bucks will, so why don't you try sending?) *sigh* One of those days I guess, go figure. Spiderman thank you for the Batman and Spidey outfits, but really, I have plans for him to be dressed in the berry outfit (scroll down to yesterday's post) if you don't mind. Still, thanks for the package -- now I have absolutely no fucking excuse to dance naked under the moon. *pouts*


Alexa swing by at 4:37 PM

 
In defense of cronyism:

cro· ny· ism n. Favoritism shown to old friends without regard for their qualifications, as in political appointments to office.

cro·ny n. pl. cro·nies A longtime close friend or companion.

n : a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities [syn: buddy, brother, chum , pal , sidekick]


... Jonah Goldberg tells us why picking your friends isn't always a bad thing


Alexa swing by at 4:06 PM

 
Michigan Radio Station honor the Schindlers..


Alexa swing by at 3:55 PM

 
I. Don't. Know. What. To. Say. To. This.


Alexa swing by at 3:41 PM

 
Auustralia is imposing the 48 hour abortion wait


Alexa swing by at 3:38 PM

 
The chairman of the UNFPA on Wednesday attacked President Bush during his annual presentation of the status of the population agency. He blasted Bush for withholding $34 million in taxpayer funding of the UN operation because of its involvement in the forced abortion population control program in China.

Joris Voorhoeve, a former minister of defense for the Netherlands, said the money President Bush has withheld from the agency four times could have been used to prevent unwanted pregnancies by promoting contraception and birth control.

He accused Bush of withholding the money out of "domestic politic concerns," according to an Expatica News report.

"This blockade by Bush is counterproductive. He is against abortion but withholding money from the UNFPA results in more illegal abortions in developing countries," Voorhoeve claimed.


Alexa swing by at 3:33 PM

 
Pro life 'Roe' Norma McCorvey to challenge former lawyer who argued landmark case..


Alexa swing by at 3:23 PM

 
The abortion issue: Politics vs. common sense
Two of the things we hold most sacred in America, two things which are at other times on the same side of the fence, are at odds: the rights of the individual and the lives of our children.

Sadly, this issue could have been resolved decades ago were it not for the involvement of self-serving politicians and a number of extremist groups. As is usually the case, the involvement of the aforementioned people has caused the issue to become clouded and divisive, and from that divisiveness has arisen bitterness and violence. Most Americans are plain, old fashioned, nuts and bolts, common sense people. We sit in the coffee shops after work and discuss the issues of the day, and wonder why the "Damn Politicians" can't seem to solve whatever pressing problem is dominating the morning's headlines.

So... Is abortion murder, or should a woman truly have the right to end her pregnancy? To fully understand the situation, one must look at all sides of the issue and understand the agendas of both the Left and the Right in this regard. More than ever, both Conservatism and Liberalism are dominated by their respective extremists, and it is the extremists who often set the agenda for both groups, although one could make the argument that the extremists have become the mainstream where the Left is concerned.

Alexa swing by at 2:38 PM

 
So who's getting the late Laci Peterson's insurance money?

Stay tune.


Alexa swing by at 2:32 PM

 
Oh wow.. 16 (Hmm.. I'm trying to visualise 16 little munchkins running around... ah)


Alexa swing by at 2:23 PM

 
Okay. Confirmed. Crony.

The Harriet and.. George! letters


Hat tip: Matt Drudge


Alexa swing by at 2:12 PM

Wednesday, October 12, 2005
 
Ooh the myth!

Forget the cereal and those boring, boring mashy stuff.. feed your munchkin curry!


Alexa swing by at 5:22 PM

 
The miracle that ends in heartbreak:
between his mother's last breath and his first, Nicolas Khyree Figueroa went a few critical moments too long without sufficient oxygen. He suffered irreversible brain damage and remained on a respirator at the neonatal intensive care unit as his aunt visited him day after day after day.

"Hoping, hoping, hoping," Johnson would say.

The 32-year-old aunt remained willfully optimistic. She rubbed the baby's chest and sang to him and spoke to him of his mother. She read three books to him over and over: "God Loves You So Much," "I Love You Forever," "Angels A to Z." She sang to him as she had to her own four children.

"The Barney song," she recalled.

The boy more than doubled in size, from 2 pounds, 8 ounces, to 5 pounds, 10 ounces, but his neurological condition remained unchanged. He developed an infection and other complications. The doctors said the Miracle Baby was beyond hope.

Alexa swing by at 5:16 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 3:35 PM

 
Was Terri's autopsy the final word?
Pinellas-Pasco County chief medical examiner Dr. Jon Thogmartin confirmed Terri Schiavo died of "marked dehydration," even though he listed the exact cause of death as "complications of anoxic encephalopathy," or brain damage. He declared Terri's heart to be strong and estimated she would have lived another decade if not for the feeding-tube removal.

Thogmartin couldn't provide an answer for the $64,000 dollar question, although the media were largely persuaded he had and variously reported the autopsy "backed Schiavo" in his longtime assertion that his wife was in a persistent vegetative state, or PVS.

Thogmartin and consulting neuropathologist Dr. Stephen Nelson stressed in the autopsy report that PVS is a clinical diagnosis made through physical examination of a living patient ? not a pathological diagnosis made postmortem. Still, Nelson reported that pathological and anatomical findings, such as her shrunken brain and dilated ventricles, were "consistent" with the PVS diagnosis reached in the court. He pointed out that Terri's brain weighed 615 grams, which is less than half of the expected weight for an adult her age. He also pointed out Terri's brain weighed less than her famous vegetative predecessor Karen Ann Quinlan.

Thogmartin conceded it is unknown how much the long duration of dehydration contributed to the shrinkage of Terri Schiavo's brain.

At the press conference held to announce the autopsy findings, Nelson went further in lending support for the court's diagnosis of PVS. He emphasized the pathological findings were "very consistent" with PVS, but admitted he could not rule out the possibility Terri Schiavo was in a minimally conscious state, or MCS, because there are no published studies on pathological correlations to the clinical diagnosis of MCS.

In a critique of the autopsy posted on her weblog, ErosColoredGlasses.blogspot.com, physician and scientist Dr. Sherry Eros called it "medically reprehensible" for Nelson to have stated to the press that the autopsy results are either "consistent with" or "not inconsistent with" a PVS diagnosis, without emphasizing "that it is illegitimate to use postmortem findings to retroactively make the clinical diagnosis of PVS." Eros further questions the relevance of findings that are "consistent" with PVS.

"When the scientific and medical data is equally consistent with both x and non-x as in the Schiavo case, then it is utterly meaningless to suggest ... that it supports or establishes one or the other as true," she wrote. "It is only when the physician or the ME can use data to "rule out" something, by finding that the data is 'not consistent with' such a diagnosis, or cause of death, that something meaningful has been said." Eros further derisively equated Nelson's phrase "very consistent" with the nonsensical "very pregnant."

Alexa swing by at 3:22 PM

 
The abortion/breast cancer link:

China breast cancer cases up by 40%, more women die, says The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer
The Chinese Ministry of Health says 3.53 out of every 100,000 Chinese women died from breast cancer from 1990 to 1992.

The fatality rate of breast cancer in the 1991-2000 period rose 38.7% for urban Chinese women, and 39.1% for those in rural areas.

The disease is affecting younger women aged 45-49, 10-15 years younger than their counterparts in the United States..

Here is the AFP article on the situation.


Alexa swing by at 3:18 PM

 
Ladies, watch your sugar..

Diabetes in pregnancy increases risk of stillbirth, a study says

Babies born to women with diabetes are nearly five times more likely to be stillborn and nearly three times likelier to die in their first month of life.

The Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH) study also found that babies born to diabetic mothers are nearly twice as likely to have major congenital malformations.


Alexa swing by at 2:39 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 2:37 PM

 
The American Girl scandal:

Parents as you can see are upset about their "I CAN" campaign -- which promotes Roe.. Actually Ashli did talk about this some time back...


Alexa swing by at 2:34 PM

Tuesday, October 11, 2005
 
Here's a poll: What are your thoughts on the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court?


Alexa swing by at 5:43 PM

 
From the NYT today:
"You are the best governor ever - deserving of great respect," Harriet E. Miers wrote to George W. Bush days after his 51st birthday in July 1997. She also found him "cool," said he and his wife, Laura, were "the greatest!" and told him: "Keep up the great work. Texas is blessed."

Alexa swing by at 5:41 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 5:26 PM

 
Infant remains alive after being taken off life support

An Indianapolis infant remained in critical condition Sunday at an Indianapolis hospital after being taken off life support. Hamad Sanda, 5 months, was alive Sunday at Methodist Hospital, two days after a judge ordered life support removed. The infant boy had been on life support since he was sent to the hospital emergency room with a fractured skull.


Alexa swing by at 4:52 PM

 
Obviously doctors aren't always right:

When Amy Brankin was pregnant doctors suggested she had an abortion because they believed her baby-to-be would be badly deformed and stood no chance of survival.

Determined to take the risk she and partner Colin McQueen ignored the advice and 15 months ago their child Harry was born.

Today, the couple from Queen's Way, Wymondham, are reaping the benefits of their tremendous inner strength as Harry learns to walk and talk with no signs of deformity.

They are furious with doctors at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital who they claim tried to convince them to terminate and have warned other expecting couples to be on their guard against erroneous information.

Hospital bosses today confirmed abortion was put forward as an option the couple, but insisted they had not made any recommendations.

Twenty-one-year-old Miss Brankin first found out something was wrong with the foetus during a routine scan when she was 12 weeks pregnant.

"After that I had to undergo loads of further tests and scans which the doctors said showed the foetus had holoprosencenphaly," she said. "Basically they told me my son would look like the Elephant Man and would probably not make it through full term.

"They said there was nothing that could be done about it and advised me to have a termination. Every time I went in they used to tell me, 'we really recommend you have an abortion'."

But Miss Brankin and Mr McQueen, 22, refused to listen to the advice.

The baby I was advised to abort


Via Elena


Alexa swing by at 4:26 PM

 
Overheard at The Corner today...

I've always wondered: Are those who are anti-fur also pro-life? Or are they anti-choice on fur and pro-choice on fetuses?

Hmph. The mind boggles.


Alexa swing by at 4:22 PM

 
The question here is..

Do boys need Dads?


Alexa swing by at 3:38 PM

 
Alexa swing by at 3:34 PM

 
When Mommy rules..


Alexa swing by at 3:28 PM

 
Eat fish!


Alexa swing by at 2:34 PM

 
Tell me again how long it has been since I've actually written something here? Guess my life isn't nearly half as interesting as the divine Belle de Jour. Or the ever happening Mr L. No sexploits to share, no one to step on my tail or bitch about, I've actually even stopped stalking and bitching about the ex (don't count on it, darling - I'm on 'hiatus'). (Then again, I did promised him that I'll "tone down" if he 'be nice'.. ) Still, everyday is an adventure. Taking Spiderman out to the playground or the pool is an adventure. Leaving him in his nursery while I get on the computer is an adventure. Going to the mall is.. haw, haw, haw... Think Lynette Scavo, you'll know what I mean. Hey, who says juggling a superhero, a runaway Smelly and a Fish is easy?

Oh, have I mentioned I've become lactose intolerant? After thirty years and gallons of dairy products later. Weird.

Hmph. Today is warm. Very, very warm. I'm going out of my wits. I'm not a hot weather girl. I don't mind storms, just don't leave me in a hot weather day.


Alexa swing by at 2:18 PM

Monday, October 10, 2005
 
I linger in the doorway
of alarm clock screaming
Monsters calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops
as they're falling tell a story


Alexa swing by at 11:55 AM

 
Stem cells from amniotic fluid repairs windpipe defects in womb..


Alexa swing by at 11:35 AM

 
DIY euthanasia..

in Britain.


Alexa swing by at 11:31 AM

 
Harriet Miers: The urban myths


Hat tip: SpecatorGirl at Redstate


Alexa swing by at 11:23 AM

Sunday, October 09, 2005
 
Good God, I'm a.. Kitty!

You Are A: Kitten!

kitty catCute as can be, kittens are playful, mischevious, and ever-curious. Like you, kittens hate getting wet. Kittens are often loving, but are known to scratch or bite when annoyed. These adorable animals are the most popular pets in the United States--37% of American households have at least one cat. Whether it is your gentle purr or your disarming appearance, you make a wonderful kitten.

You were almost a: Bear Cub or a Monkey
You are least like a: Duckling or a LambWhat Cute Animal Are You?



Hat tip: Rebecca the Lamb Hee..


Alexa swing by at 5:29 PM

 
Here is an abortion story that I think you folks should read.


I'll save my comments for later.


Alexa swing by at 4:45 PM

 
For the best?
I was scared for my baby and that's why I aborted it. I was scared it would have a terrible life. I was scared of being depressed. Before I had the abortion I spoke to the baby. I told him that I loved him (I think it would have been a boy) and to please come back to me later.

I felt that I was doing the right thing for the baby and for me, but I very much wish I was in a different place in life, not so afraid. I love my baby and thats why I aborted it, so it wouldn't grow up to be sad like me.

Alexa swing by at 4:31 PM

 
Enough already, somebody put these people in jail, can?


Alexa swing by at 4:08 PM

 
Judges are not politicians who can promise to do certain things in exchange for votes

- Justice John Roberts
Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings, Day One


Alexa swing by at 3:33 PM

 
Augustine at Redstate tells us why it doesn't matter if Harriet Miers is pro-life:
While it is certainly not a bad thing to be a Republican, an Evangelical, or personally pro-life, this does not mean that Ms. Miers has a judicial philosophy that will lead her to reject the extraconstitutional law-making of Roe , Doe, and Casey. The vast majority of members of Congress describe themselves as personally pro-life, but are actually opposed to overturning Roe or amending the Constitution - including a majority of the members of the Judiciary Committee (and a few names that might surprise folks). Many Texas Republicans - some maintain that list includes the President , who still believes that "the culture" needs to change before such things can happen - fall into this category. In fact, as ludicrous as it may sound, many of the original authors of Roe were personally pro-life.

Alexa swing by at 3:20 PM

 
This is where I'm getting my lips/cheeks pierced...

.. as soon as I get over the squeamish part, that is. Heh.


Alexa swing by at 3:15 PM

 
Hmm. Who need pick lines when you can do this?
"Dr. Smith's medical treatment included intercourse in which he told plaintiff was needed to help alleviate plaintiff's lower back and lower extremity pain"
- From the court document f an Oregon woman whose doctor convinced her that he could cure her lower back pain by having sex with her. She suing him for $4 million.


Hat tip: The Evangelical Outpost


Alexa swing by at 2:24 PM

 
Jonah Goldberg on Bill Bennet's hypothesis
My first objection is more of a delicious irony. Notice how so many righteously offended liberals keep referring to fetuses as people. In the New York Times, Bob Herbert proclaims that Bennett considers "exterminating blacks would be a most effective crime-fighting tool." Schultz and McAuliffe say Bennett wants to exterminate "babies."

Funny, I thought the bedrock faith of pro-abortion liberals is that fetuses aren't babies. Isn't it interesting how this lynchpin of liberal morality evaporates the moment an opportunity to call Bennett a racist presents itself? Talk about utilitarianism. [...]

Which raises the point missed by so many Bennett detractors, often deliberately. His argument wasn't about race at all. His point was to discourage even pro-lifers from demeaning the cause by making abortion into an acceptable governmental tool for social policy. [...]

The former philosophy professor picked a hypothetical that he thought would make the horror of such utilitarianism obvious to everybody. Murder a whole generation just to lower the crime rate? Disgusting!

Bennett's real mistake was in thinking people would be mature enough to get it.

Alexa swing by at 2:20 PM

 
"I was putting forward a bad argument in order to put it down"

Bill Bennet defends black abortion remarks..


Alexa swing by at 2:16 PM

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