Al Gore no longer thinks I’m Beelzebub

Last weekend I traded in this

For this

And now Al Gore decreases my ranking from an above average to a below average contributor to global warming. My payment is only $10 more (and even less months) and I’m sure I’ll be paying even less than that in gas so it all balances out.

Next up: figuring out how to lower my power bill!

No Plan B for Rape Victims in Connecticut

Opponents of a Connecticut bill that would require hospital workers to offer emergency contraception (EC, Plan B, the morning after pill) to rape victims are calling it a “restriction on religious freedom”.   Others are saying that it is “ludicrous” that Connecticut “apparently needs a state law to force hospitals to provide” EC to rape survivors.

40% of rape survivors who make it to a counselor in a Connecticut hospital are not offered emergency contraception or were not given the full two doses of the drug, according to Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services.

Not surprisingly, the largest opponents of the bill are Catholic Hospitals, who currently test to make sure a woman is not ovulating before agreeing to give EC.  In other words, they only agree to give EC if they are sure there will not be a pregnancy in the first place.

And the point of that is?

The Catholic Church equates the prevention of implantation as abortion. It is little known that most fertilized eggs pass through a woman without implanting, EC or not.  In fact, ACOG (the main body that governs Obstetricians and Gynecologists) marks the beginning of pregnancy at once the egg implants into the lining of the uterus.  So EC does not cause an abortion.  In fact, it prevents one from happening later.

Even if you do not buy that EC is not abortion, let’s examine the ethical dilemma in question.  Are doctors having to compromise their religion by offering the morning after pill to rape victims?  No.  A doctor’s job is to give accurate information on both sides of a coin and allow a patient to decide the best treatment for themselves.  In other words, it is not the doctor’s (or counselor’s or hospital’s) ethical or religious delimma at all.  It is the woman’s.

The withholding of EC and information about EC from rape victims is happening in Catholic hospitals outside of Connecticut as well.

Can anyone say “personal agenda”?  Holy hell.

Breastmilk: It’s not just for babies anymore!

Have you heard the news? Jennifer Laycock over at the Lactivist is out claiming that breastmilk is not just for infant consumption.  In fact, we all should be drinking it.

Or that’s what the attorneys at Fagre & Benson and the National Pork Board would have you believe she meant with her “The Other White Milk” t-shirts for sale at her CafePress.com store.  And namely one Jennifer Daniel Collins, esquire, an associate attorney who was paid to write this letter to Jennifer, accusing her of trying to confuse us into consuming breastmilk instead of pork products, as pointed out in this quote from the cease and dissist letter:

“In addition, your use of this slogan also tarnishes the good reputation of the National Pork Board’s mark in light of your apparent attempt to promote the use of breastmilk beyond merely for infant consumption, such as with the following slogans on your website in close proximity to the slogan “The Other White Milk.” “Dairy Diva,” “Nursing, Nature’s Own Breast Enhancement,” “Eat at Mom’s, fast-fresh-from the breast,” and “My Milk is the Breast.”

I can’t help but feel sorry for the young Ms. Collins.  She seems like a nice girl.  She has an impressive education and a good start in her budding professional life.  But now, I imagine she has now been reduced to turning out boring trademark infringement letter after letter like this so she decided to have a little fun and throw in the above laughable paragraph.

Luckily, thanks to bloggers and readers, the Pork Board has now given the Lactivist an apology and they are working towards a resolution.  Hooray for the online community!