I am hoping that Justin Bieber just blanked out or couldn’t get past the accent. Please! Otherwise I think this hurts my heart;). This is why I am glad I am raising my daughters on David Tennant and The Avengers and the like!
Category Archives: headlines
Arkansas and Their New Abortion Law
So, Arkansas has done the revolutionary. They have passed a new abortion law that is banning abortion past 12 weeks. It is called the Human Heartbeat Protection Act because 12 weeks is when the heartbeat can consistently be detected by abdominal ultrasound. Not only did the bill originally pass the Arkansas legislature, the Senate also over rode the veto of Governor Mike Beebe by a vote of 20 to 14.
If it stands this will be the most restrictive law on the books anywhere in the country. But of course there are already lawsuits in the works. The claim is that this new law violates the limit set by the Supreme Court of 24 weeks based on viability. I am not sure that I am familiar this supposed 24 week minimum allowance set out by the Supreme Court but I do know that other states have been allowed to place higher boundaries but I wasn’t familiar a minimum viability rule…
If this law stands it will be a wonderful step for the pro-life lobby and babies!!
(HT: New York Times)
Why I am Pro-Life All the Time
Yes, I realize that I am sticking my head into a lion’s mouth. I understand that this is controversial. But I feel this is a subject I have to address.
There is so much fighting out there about pro-life/pro-choice. It gets ugly. It gets personal. It is a war on women, imposing morality on others, so on and so forth. But if you are pro-choice do you really understand why someone like me is pro-life? Do you think it is because I like kids? Do you think it is because that I think that having kids is something that everyone needs to do?
No. It is because I don’t believe killing a baby. Be it due to duress, inconvenience, inability to provide or anything else. And I believe that for all intents and purposes life begins conception. Babies are born at 22 weeks and go on to become completely healthy, normal children. We know that they are moving in response to their environments before then. So how can we say that isn’t life?
Yes, then comes the whole “what about incest and rape” thing. Well, those who know me well know that I try to be logical. So if I believe life begins at conception it is logical for me to believe that is still a baby. Would it be logical to kill a baby due to someone else’s crime? Not in my opinion.
Stop! Don’t freak. Hear me out. I understand that pregnancy is a result of rape. I am not an idiot like Akin. But, did the baby do anything that it deserves death? No. Yes, the woman didn’t do anything wrong either but I saying that she should carry this child to term. Why should she be asked to suffer? Well, crime is crime because of the victims. Â This is another part of that victimization but it isn’t the child’s fault. I am not asking that woman to raise that child because there is always adoption and she can’t love that child due to the violence that brought about, please place the baby for adoption(often you can choose the adopting parents!). But that isn’t the child’s fault. We don’t allow post birth babies to be killed even when they are used as a reason for a crime committed against someone do we? Like domestic violence where the connection between an abuser and victim that can’t be severed is the child? (And yes, I really believe that. If know someone who is in that situation who needs help finding and actually choosing a home for that unwanted child let me know and I will help.)
So all that said. I value life and I consider pregnancy to be life. I am not asking you to agree with me but to respect that. Can you? Can you go beyond your own values to believe that I actually believe mine? If so don’t ask me to pay for it. I am not talking about outlawing it, just don’t make me pay to help you end what I consider a life. Can you understand that? I am not talking about arresting people or anything like that. I am just asking that my government not use my money for it. And that includes the schools transporting girls to abortion clinics.
Period….
(Post Script: I am not talking about what to do if a mother’s life is in danger. I am not qualified and those situations are unique. That is a medical situation and not always a choice. Just thought I would include that.)
(This may sound odd but I have also written political posts over on LabelDaddy, feel free to check those out as well. They sponsored a political post. The subject was my choice and my opinions alone.  But these are my views and not necessarily LabelDaddy’s views)
Foreign Campaigns for President of the US?
Do you know what is a great way for Obama Campaign to celebrate the Fourth of July? A great way to show us, the voters, that he wants to be reelected President of the United States on this great nations birthday?
To go campaigning in Europe……
Seriously, Obama’s Campaign kicked off his European Presidential Fundraising campaign in Paris yesterday. I understand wanting campaign money where ever you can get it I guess but it that really how a candidate for President, not to mention the sitting President, should be celebrating his country’s birthday? Usually I believe these kind of holidays are private and personal events but this an official event. It seems crazy.
Then there is the whole European Presidential campaign thing. Really? I seem to remember something about not wanting foreign entities to influence our elections being mentioned before…. This seems a little wrong… Are they bound by campaign finance laws? That is a serious question. I really do want to know.
Is it really just me who thinks this is a little wonky? I mean this isn’t even a liberal versus conservative thing in my mind…
Updated: Thank you Homero for pointing out that President Obama himself was indeed stateside! I read the link from National Review and that led me to misread Ben Shapiro. While I this leaves me less annoyed with the President, I am still annoyed with the campaign. I do not like the idea of foreign money having a role!
The Broken Window Fallacy
I am amazed how many people buy into the broken window fallacy. And if you want to see people buying into the broken window fallacy just look at Federal support programs. Another example is the Occupy people who trash storefronts and expect their student loans to be forgiven.
Do people not understand that money is liquid but there is only so much? Had you heard of the broken window fallacy before?
Awesome Tribute to Adam Yauch
I don’t know if you heard but Adam Yauch (better known as MCA) from the Beastie Boys died last week. I admit, I am not the Beastie Boys biggest fan by any measure. But I totally remember sitting in the front yard with my best friend Cindy and listening to them on the boom box.
They changed the landscape of music and left many of us with musical memories that are huge. They didn’t seem to fit so they made their own place. My deepest condolences to not only his family and bandmates but also to all his fans.
I just love this tribute as only Coldplay could do;).
Brittany Spears and Marriage?
So Brittany Spears’ fiance is 1 of her conservators. Now this doesn’t bother me in the way some would think, that maybe this would be a conflict of interest for her fiance. I mean, those who know me know that I believe when it comes to marriage it is in for a penny, in for a pound. My problem is that you have a 30 year old woman who the court thinks is so unstable that she needs 2 conservators to manage her (& her vast wealth) but she is getting married? If the court is still worried about her mental ability and judgement, can she even enter a legal contract like marriage?
And what man would marry a woman that needs him to be her conservator? It is like the dude who became a girl’s legal guardian and married her.
I really have problems with everyone’s judgement in this situation. I worry for her!
Citibank, Frequent Flyer Miles, and Taxes
Airline miles. You know, those fairly worthless things that you get back on some credit cards? I say fairly worthless because you have to jump through a fair amount to use them, if you ever can. Well, Citibank has started giving out these airline miles to people who open a new account with them (I am assuming a bank account but I don’t know that). Well, according to an article in the 3/19 Newsweek, what you may not realize is that Citibank is reporting that to the IRS at a rate of 2.5 cents a mile. They were giving new account holders enough miles that they could have a $350 in tax liability.
According to the LA Times it has to do with the fact that these miles are akin to the toaster you used to get, which was technically taxable because it was considered income. Now because it was such a low amount no one ever did, but I am sure that Citibank took a deduction as it is a payment. It seems as if the IRS rules on this are a little foggy.
There are a few issues I and many other people seem to have with this situation. 1) You may never be able to use these miles! When you take the toaster home you could actually make toast with it. I am not saying you will make toast with it but you could, at your convenience, make toast. Due to schedules, black out dates and the many other restrictions, you may not actually be able to use these miles. Yet you will be taxed on them.
2) Can you deny these miles? Say you don’t want to risk the tax liability, can you refuse them? If you can’t refuse them it doesn’t seem right that you would have to pay the tax on it.
3) Between the LA Times article and the Newsweek article, the evaluation on the value of these miles it outrageous. Some people give a valuation of 1.7-2.5 cents per mile where as the airlines value it at less than a cent a mile (Newsweek). There is an inference in the LA Times piece that Citibank is valuing the miles at more than they paid American Airlines for them.
This is a warning to everyone! Beware the air miles! Make sure, before you accept them, that you know what tax laws come with it because nothing could be worse than paying taxes on something you don’t want or won’t use. And Citibank, shame! From all the articles it appears that you didn’t make this clear to your customers until they received notice. It seems a little underhanded and I don’t think that is how you want your company to be perceived!
Same Side as Al Qaeda?
Ok, so I find it a little scary that I agree with Al Qaeda about anything but the Syrian government is a problem for their own people. But what does it mean? How should this influence what we should do? I definitely don’t want to see Al Qaeda ruling Syria (in addition to the possibility of them ruling in Libya and Egypt). But I do think that if Al Qaeda liberates Syria the people will be grateful. They will probably be more than willing to trade 1 evil dictatorship for another. But I do believe that a country should be allowed to self determine…. What to do?
Chris Dodd and SOPA Rant
There is nothing like a morning rant;). Last night I read some disturbing statements from former Senator Chris Dodd. Here is the piece that I site in my video.