IS IT POSSIBLE?

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT GOOGLE HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH BLOGGER ON COMMENTS?

NOT SURE YET, BUT I ACTUALLY THINK I WAS ABLE TO LEAVE A COMMENT ON BOB'S BLOG TODAY (WILL CHECK LATER). I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMMENT ON KELLY'S BLOG (WORDPRESS) BUT NONE OF THE OTHER PEOPLE I FOLLOW! I READ YOUR POSTS AND TRY TO COMMENT, BUT BLOGGER WON'T LET ME.

IT'S BEEN DISHEARTENING AND HAS SLOWED MY OWN EFFORTS TO POST. WILL TRY AGAIN THIS EVENING...PERHAPS I WON'T HAVE TO MOVE TO WORDPRESS AFTER ALL!

STAND UP... AGAINST TYRANNY

THIS

IS

A TRANSVAGINAL ULTRASOUND PROBE

What is it used for?

The test can be performed to evaluate women with infertility problems, abnormal bleeding, sources of unexplained pain, congenital malformations of the uterus and ovaries, and possible tumors and infection. The most prevalent use is in women who are not pregnant.

What is it not used for?

Examining the state of a fetus in utero is best done by a transducer, used over the abdomen. Most doctors recommend that the test be performed within the first 18-22 weeks of preganancy. A transvaginal probe is used only in very early pregnancy stages, when an ectopic or molar pregnancy is suspected.

So What Is Going On Now?

In inflicting politics and the law upon the relationship between a woman and her doctor, state legislatures in some states have decided that the perfect way to assist a woman to NOT make the decision to abort a pregnancy is to force her to get a transvaginal ultrasound. It does not matter that the test is medically not necessary. It doesn't matter that it will cause additional expense. It does not matter that the application of this particular instrument is humiliating for most women. It doesn't matter that the law will legislate that a doctor MUST perform this test on a woman who DOES NOT get a chance to consent to it.

Extremists have likened this to a form of legalized rape. Colorful language for a law and an unnecessary medical procedure that seems as though it is designed to inflict punishment on women. Why not just stone them?

The state of Virginia is such a state. They are on the cusp of making this the law of their particular land. Only the governor's signature remains. And then, the sometimes silent, incredibly vast anger of the women of the state of Virginia, and many of the men (55% of those polled are against this, ONLY 36% in favor) will begin the drumbeat of public outrage. The kind of outrage that Komen faced. The kind of outrage that OWS represents for another kind of situation. The enactment of this law will be the beginning of the end for Virginia governor Bob McDonnell, who can barely disguise his longing to be Vice President.

Because the kind of movement that is behind this bizarre legislation is the type of movement that has all along been thought to be anti-abortion. It had traction when it moved against procedures such as partial-birth abortion. It lost ground when madmen began to kill the doctors who performed abortions, which, I remind you, are lawful. It is now revealed to be "pro-family" (as defined in extreme), anti-contraception, anti-divorce, anti-homosexuality ... "the antis" go on and on. And as more of the extreme measures are revealed in states across the nation, the general public recoils at the thought that this type of social extremism not only exists in the 21st century, but that we have damn well made millionaires and political postulates out of some of the people who advocate it the strongest.

Check out McDonnell, with some of the text from his master's thesis:

he blasts... “the perverted notion of liberty that each individual should be able to live out his sexual life in any way he chooses without interference from the state”..... and refers to the family as: a “God-ordained government,” ... he is against all efforts to “redefine family by allowing special rights,” not just for “homosexuals,” but for “single-parent unwed mothers” . He touts leadership as: "Leadership, however, does not require giving voters what they want, for whimsical and capricious government would result. Republican legislators must exercise independent professional judgment as statesmen, the decisions that are objectively right, and proved effective. " He states that "the government must restrain, punish, and deter” not only drug abuse and pornography, but homosexuality.

I won't go into his restrictions on no-fault divorce and the existence of day care, which supports working women, which is ultimately detrimental to the family, in McDonnell land.

I recognize him. In 1920, he would have been against my right to vote. Now, he somewhat serendipitously wants to probe my uterus.

Will McDonnell sign the bill? Will it begin a chain of feminine protest (or just logical protest) the country has not yet seen? Tune in. It could happen in the next week. If he's foolish.

Get involved. There is a movement in this land to restrict our choice, strip our access to prenatal testing, contraception, in vitro fertilization... and make us pay for it. This is not the platform that most Republicans want or believe in, but they have ceded a lot of the stagescript to extremists that believe a woman's place is in the kitchen... or homeschooling a half dozen children while men make the decisions for this land of ours. It is a rollback in women's rights unprecedented in the modern world. Stand up and and change it.

Alone again, naturally

Tom moved out at 19, but he moved back in again a couple of times. Between June, 2005 and February, 2008, I rented a small house from friends. Tom never lived there...so he was gone a good while. I moved to my current townhouse in February, 2008, and he was a big help moving me in. I wasn't alone long.... his engagement broken, he had difficulty living with his sister and her S.O., and came here that spring. He moved out once, but after a devastating car accident, he came back to stay with me while he mended. About a year ago, he started dating Alicia (above, with Tom at a hockey game). I could be wrong, but I think she's "the one". Such a wonderful girl.

Anyway, as these things often go, they've got an apartment, and have been moving in gradually over the last 2 weeks. But they've been spending the last two nights there, and effectively (there is still debris here!!), Tom is on his own again, and I am, too. I'm looking forward to being completely independent again, but I'll miss him. Note: Their apartment is 4 blocks away... I guess we'll still see a lot of each other.

:)

Komen.

I really can't sum up the events of last week and my reaction to the actions of the Susan G. Komen foundation any better than Helen Philpot (of the hysterical Margaret and Helen blog) did. You'll have to sit thru her diatribe of the Virginia legislature in the first paragraph, to get the whole picture. Enjoy.

....Three cheers for Virginia State Senator Janet Howell who gave the Old White Guys Club a taste of their own medicine. Virginia law makers are trying to pass their own version of the Texas law that requires a woman to have an ultrasound before terminating a pregnancy. Good ‘ole Senator Howell added an amendment that would require men to have a rectal exam and a cardiac stress test before obtaining a prescription for erectile dysfunction medication. I like how that lady thinks. Considering most of them have their head up their ass, a finger up the butt just might knock some sense into their brain. I wish politicians would figure out how to run the country rather than trying to run my uterus. Am I the only one to notice the hypocrisy of the Republican party? They want smaller government all right… just small enough to crawl up my vagina!

And shame on the Susan G. Komen Foundation for letting some Republican nut case from Georgia convince them to start picking on Planned Parenthood. With men like those Virginia State Legislators in the world, we women need to stick together. The folks at Komen might want to remember that is wasn’t all that long ago that breast cancer was another one of those women’s health issues that was feared and discussed in hushed tones, as if it were shameful. Women should be allowed to make medical decisions with their doctors and not with their politicians. Planned Parenthood is one of the largest providers of breast cancer screenings and mammogram referrals in the nation, and that asshat Karen Handel over at Komen is about to find out that Planned Parenthood is also one of the most trusted names in women’s healthcare. I surely would like to introduce Ms. Handel’s ass to my boot. A boot, I might add, that walked in many a Komen Race for a Cure. Now the only walking I’ll be doing is from my door to my mailbox to drop a check in the mail to Planned Parenthood. Women turning on other women when we already have the likes of Rick Perry to deal with… Well I never.

Maybe we should stop Walking for a Cure and start Walking for Respect. I mean it. Really.

http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com/

Live Blogging the Superbowl

Haven't done this before, and, while I'm enjoying a close, tough game (rooting for the Giants), I was skeptical of the Madonna halftime show. The reality is, Lady Gaga has done what no other female artist before her ... made Madonna irrelevant.

But the queen of blonde really put on a show tonight, with some of her most memorable songs, and appearances with LMFAO, Nikki Minaj, and, in an NBC programming moment of genius, Cee Lo Green -- who follows up the show with his turn in year 2 as one of 4 judges in NBC's "The Voice". I watched quite a bit of "Voice" last season, really enjoyed it, and am looking forward to it again. NBC also slid in one of the other judges, Blake Shelton, who did a great opening "America the Beautiful" with wife Miranda Lambert, followed by a vocally perfect Star Spangled banner by Kelly Clarkson. Thus, for a change, the entertainment was as good for me as the game. (The Patriots just scored, so my opinion of the game could change.)

And the commercials? Loved the new E-Trade baby slot, and laughed and laughed again at Betty White in the Kung Fu commercial for "The Voice". Betty made that bathrobe look good. So far, though, the most impressive is Clint Eastwood, appearing for Chrysler in a 2 minute mini-documentary that inspired about the future. Not sure why Clint replaced Eminem in this slot, but Ihe's damn well think he's more inspirational! The ad was to "give the nation a pep talk"... and it succeeded with me. Photo from the ad below.....