Debbie Downer

Look, I know it's been forever and this is a totes sad thing to post after a long hiatus, BUT:



Sesame Street explains death. It's really touching because the actor the played Mr. Hooper actually did die, so the cast gets really emotional. As I get older, I realize how much I watched Sesame Street as a kid and what a true innovation it was. There's a new book out about the development of Sesame Street called Street Gang and the author is making the NPR rounds, so that's what brought this to mind.

This Is Fucking Stupid

Oh jeebus.

"The Bush administration today issued a sweeping new regulation that protects a broad range of health care workers -- from doctors to janitors -- who refuse to participate in providing services that they believe violates their personal, moral or religious beliefs.

The controversial rule empowers federal health officials to cut off federal funding for any state or local government, hospital, clinic, health plan, doctors' office or other entity if they do not accommodate employees who exercise their "right of conscience." It would apply to more than 584,000 health care facilities.

"Doctors and other health care providers should not be forced to choose between good professional standing and violating their conscience," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a statement.

The regulation, which was issued just in time to take effect in the 30 days before the change of administrations, was sought by conservative groups, abortion opponents and others as necessary to safeguard workers from being fired, disciplined or penalized in other ways."

Um, what about this...

The Geneva Declaration

At the time of being admitted as a member of the medical profession:
I solemnly pledge to consecrate my life to the service of humanity;

I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude that is their due;

I will practise my profession with conscience and dignity;

The health of my patient will be my first consideration;

I will respect the secrets that are confided in me, even after the patient has died;

I will maintain by all the means in my power, the honour and the noble traditions of the medical profession;

My colleagues will be my sisters and brothers;

I will not permit considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient;

I will maintain the utmost respect for human life;

I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat;

I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honour.

Where exactly does one draw the line here? By catering to the anti-choice right, Bushie has opened the door to all sorts of interpretation.

This isn't about freedom of conscience. Of course people have freedom of conscience. But if your conscience prevents you from performing a professional task in your profession, then you have the right to exercise that freedom by LEAVING that profession. I can't be chef in a steak restaurant if my conscience prevents me from cooking animals.

And do the conservatives even think through the consequences of their own actions? This won't just affect women. What happens when a nurse who's a Jehovah's witness refuses to perform a blood transfusion on Tony Perkins' child? Does he realize that the rule George Bush just put into effect would allow this?

Horrible

Laura Bush was on Meet the Press last Sunday talking about Afghanistan and her work with women there. She briefly touched on the acid attack that occurred when 15 girls walking to school had battery acid sprayed in their faces. She publicly condemned those acts when they happened and used it to demonstrate just how much help is still needed for Afghan women.

Meanwhile, the New York Times features an Op-Ed about "Personal Terrorism" against women in Pakistan. There is also accompanying, stomach churning video. While it may be tough to sit through, we owe it to these women to understand what they have been through so that we can end this practice.


Check yourself, take a few minutes and view the video: click here

Not that I'm better than you...

But I just made a donation to the American Red Cross of Greater Chicagoland - and you should, too!

From Chicagoist:

For once, Gov. Blagojevich seems to be doing his part. While visiting a Des Plaines shelter for flood victims, he declared seven counties disaster areas: Cook, DuPage, DeKalb, Grundy, Kane, LaSalle and Will. Blagojevich also took to the air to survey the damage. His declaration "allows the state to supply assets and emergency workers to areas affected by the flooding, and also opens up the opportunity for the state to ask for federal disaster assistance."


I'm sure you'll get to it when you and Richard Daley stop bickering like schoolboys, but the Red Cross has been there from the start providing shelter and supplies - so help 'em out today.

Donate Now, yo! (Barack Obama would approve this message)

dearest laura,

while i am somewhat frustrated to hear that you are f*cking matt damon, i feel that it is incumbent upon me to be completely forthright with you. i've been f*cking matt damon for years. maybe we should work out some sort of alternating day schedule.

what's making me laugh today

love,
alex

Dark Days

Maybe it's the desire for cupcakes, or maybe I woke up and heard that the world was going to end this morning but I'm getting a really bad feeling about the election. Adam McKay has written a scary-but-true piece for Huffington Post "We're Going to Frickin' Lose This Thing" .

And I have no response! It's my worst nightmare, but it's definitely coming true with the seemingly-bullet proof Palin as the REAL Presidential nominee for the Repubs. I feel the darkness surrounding me. I honestly don't know how I'll be able to function in such a shamed and broken country that I forsee under a McCain administration.

I can try to console myself with the coverage that Palin doesn't understand basic economics - in particular that deregulation her party claims to love so much... but it's no use. Four more years of hell - here we come.



UPDATE:

I'm still bummed, but here are pictures of Edward Norton being awesome and attractive at a photo shoot for Breil - for whom he will be a spokesman for something like three years!

I am Jack's suave je nais se quoi.

I am Jack's huge watch.

Even alex has to give it up!

World Issue Alert: Congo

Today's World Issue is brought to you by the Diane Rehm Show from WAMU in Washington. I started listening to Diane Rehm on the world's tiniest NPR Station in Oxford, Ohio. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Chicago Public Radio, but I miss Diane's book reviews and Friday news round up... (Don't we all?)

I miss, therefore I podcast. Diane went for the serious issues on Monday, tackling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the terror that is everyday life for women in the Congo. John Prendergast and Linda Jackson were featured as her guests and, while I had hear whisperings of the atrocities, Linda's new film The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo is telling the story of survivors who have been abused and mutilated in a war that has claimed over five million lives. We can contribute by informing ourselves about what's happening to these woman and the context of all of this violence. Listening to the podcast is a great place to start - both panelists offer a concise history of the problems in Congo and refer to additional resources and NGO's that are working for these women and children.

Organizations to Look Into:

Women for Women International

ENOUGH Project

Amnesty International

I know that this blog is all over the place, but that's how life is. I might work in the non-profit sector and lean to the left politically, but I can also be frivolous, into material things and have a weird hobby. I think that's the paradox of being an informed individual in Western society. I've spent years feeling guilty, but now I just try to do what I do when I can and I'll try to work it all out into a nice little package later.

From Women to Women's Mother's Day Card Campaign