Hey, look no further than next door. *Shrug*

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri - can [at] prochoiceamerica.org
Date: Nov 29, 2007 4:40 PM
Subject: We didn’t think it would happen here.

NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri received word today that a radical anti-choice interest group has submitted a petition to place an abortion ban on the statewide ballot in Missouri. The initiative would ban abortion except in limited circumstances - taking away the right to choose for Missouri’s women. The ban does not even include an exception for rape and incest. The petition is still in the early stages of the approval process, and we will need all hands on deck as we try to keep it from going on the ballot next year.

In addition to this egregious violation on human rights, Governor Blunt’s “Task Force on the Effects of Abortion on Women” will be meeting next week to continue its work to make it as difficult as possible for women with unplanned pregnancies to seek care without first navigating a near-impossible obstacle course.

Join other supporters of a woman’s right to choose in packing the meeting room, this Monday, December 3 at 1 p.m. Carpools are still being organized, and we will be meeting at the Capitol Building in Jefferson City at 11:30 a.m.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Vanessa at 314-531-8616 or vanessa.crawford [at] prochoicemissouri.org.

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According to The Columbia Missourian,

The Governor’s Task Force on the Impact of Abortion on Women convened last week in Blunt’s Capitol office without any of the publicity and promotion that usually accompanies groups on gubernatorial missions.

Its members — all opposed to abortion — were recruited not directly by Blunt’s staff, but rather by a pair of anti-abortion activists.

“This is a very informal group of good people who believe in advancing the cause of life and believe that we should minimize the impact of abortion on society,” Blunt said.

Sounds like a very objective group, that one.

“I certainly would begin with the presumption that abortion has a negative impact on Missouri children, Missouri women, Missouri men, because it’s harmful to society,” Blunt said.

With that framework, the task force still intends to hunt for “truthful, honest information” from researchers, said Cindy Province, a co-founder of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Missouri, who was asked by Blunt’s chief of staff to help enlist task force members.

Oy. Beginning with a desired conclusion and then twisting all available information to support a presupposition isn’t scientific; it isn’t even honest. In this case, it’s just a misogynistic waste of taxpayer monies.

Among the questions McCastle poses: Does abortion lead to crime?

McCastle draws that question from unspecified studies, which he says suggest that an overwhelming majority of women prisoners have had abortions.

Gah. It seems I have my own assumption to apologize for: that these wankers give a flying fuck about science, or perhaps more accurately, about even maintaining the mere semblance of scientific integrity or objectivity.

Goodbye, Kansas; hello, MO! (The more things change, the more they stay the same.)

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Tagged: kansas missouri ks mo phill kline matt blunt governor blunt naral abortion pro-choice Task Force on the Impact of Abortion on Women godbags misogyny feminism

The next time some middle-aged concern troll cracker stops by your place in order to lament the woman-hating nature of teh rap musik, send them here.*

Incidentally, my first pick - He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss) - made the thread. The creepiness of the original version, recorded in ‘62 by The Crystals, is due in no small part to the upbeat 60s pop flavor - think Last Kiss, but with domestic violence. Not to mention, Phil Spector produced it. ‘Nuff said.

In contrast, Hole’s cover is much angrier and grittier - probably more along the lines of how Carole King intended for it to sound.

* Or here. Or here. Or even there. Whatevs.

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Tagged: music misogyny racism sexism he hit me hole the crystals pop culture

Or, more accurately, it’s NASA that’s been fondled by His Noodliness:

Eerily, I was blessed by my very first FSM sighting on the second day of a three-day FSMas craft spree. Coincidence? Nah, too yummy for mere chance.

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Tagged: fsm flying spaghetti monster fsmas holidays christmas x-mas nasa cnn fsm sighting

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Nov 22, 2007 4:54 PM
Subject: 2. ACTION/ One Country’s Companion, Another’s Cuisine

2. ACTION: One Country’s Companion Is Another’s Cuisine
PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

For Thanksgiving, turn on the light inside someone else…

A COLUMN related to these actions was emailed separately:
1. COLUMN/ One Country’s Companion Is Another’s Cuisine
If your email provider censored part #1, we’ll try to send it again.
Request part #1 at: kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net

********************************

TAKE ACTION FOR ANIMALS

Visit any link below to participate in letter-writing campaigns. At each link, you’ll find a sample letter, contact information, and easy-print options for modifying letters in your own words… If you’ve already sent comments, forward these links to others who haven’t.

No More Dogs For Dinner In The Philippines

Outlaw Korean Dog/Cat Meat Trade For Good

Horses Agonize In Mexico As Federal Slaughter Ban Stalls

Hanging Pigs: “That’s Not Torture”

Conscious When Cut: Horror On Deer Kill Floor

Dragged, Shocked, Bulldozed: No More Downers

Billions Slaughtered, None Protected

Help Philly Go Foie Gras Free

Supervalu Is Super Cruel

TRY SOMETHING NEW…

Cut back on carnivorous meals or go veg “cold turkey.” In 1996 I viewed the HBO documentary, “To Love Or Kill: Man Vs. Animal.” It was the first time I glimpsed inside factory farms and slaughterhouses…and it forever ruined my tuna sandwiches and lean chicken cutlets. (Being vain, I’d already deleted red meat for fitting-into-jeans reasons).

I never hated meat, its smell or taste. Still don’t. What I DO hate is eating another’s fear and pain.

(More below the fold…)

Crossposted with total agreement.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Nov 22, 2007 4:55 PM
Subject: 1. COLUMN/ One Country’s Companion, Another’s Cuisine

1. COLUMN: One Country’s Companion Is Another’s Cuisine
PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

For Thanksgiving, turn on the light inside someone else…
Share this column widely.

ACTION FOR ANIMALS, related to this column, emailed separately:
2. ACTION/ One Country’s Companion Is Another’s Cuisine
If your email provider censored part #2, we’ll try to send it again.
Request part #2 at: kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net

*****************************

One Country’s Companion Is Another’s Cuisine
By Brenda Shoss, 11/22/07, www.KinshipCircle.org

Kinship Circle’s column runs in The Healthy Planet. Ms. Shoss has also contributed to The Animals Voice, Satya Magazine, VegNews, and other publications. KC Columns: www.kinshipcircle.org/columns_articles/

Red rivulets flow past a cage where he and others huddle in the airless heat. Hands abruptly tug him through metal slats. They bash his head with a pipe and shove an electric prod against him. He is a carcass, but awake, dunked in boiling water and blowtorched. Finally, everything goes black.

Elsewhere, an animal stiffens under the stomp of muddy boots. Hands drag him down a corridor and flip him over a four-foot ledge. A chain is looped around his neck and clipped to a forklift. Suddenly the ground goes away. Up, up, up. His legs fumble for an absent bottom. He panics beneath the rigid clamp at his neck. After four, five or more minutes, all breath leaves his body.

Their fear and pain are equal. But the first is a dog, the second a pig — and herein lies our cultural divide. Empathy for the dog does not extend to empathy for the pig.

(More below the fold…)

As promised, more veg*n food p0rn!

Here’s our Thanksgivingliving day menu, along with the obligatory food p0rn pics. Obviously, it’s too late to try any of these dishes this t-day (unless you’re a hardcore procrastinator), but you’ve got plenty of time to prepare for Christmas x-mas FSMas, assuming that one or more of the following dishes strikesyer fancy, of course.

Recipes and photos after the flip.

(More below the fold…)

Happy Save-a-Turkey / No-Turkey / Tofurky Day, peeps.

Today, a veg*n feast; tomorrow, veg*n food p0rn blogging. See ya then.

(eCard via Grist.)

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Tagged: thanksgiving save a turkey day tofurky day no turkey day turkey ecard grist holidays vegan vegetarian tofurky

New Rule: The president can’t pardon just one or two turkeys this Thanksgiving. He’s got to let them all go.

It’s probably too much to expect from the man who wanted “no child left behind,” then vetoed health care for kids. But think of the upside. Freeing the turkeys might help the president’s credibility when he says things like, “We don’t torture.”

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Tagged: george bush animal rights animal welfare meat turkeys thanksgiving bill maher new rule

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. (Applause.) Welcome to the Rose Garden. Thanks for coming. We’re glad you’re here at the White House. Each of you is taking part in a tradition that goes back to the days of Harry Truman.* And to paraphrase Harry today, we have a message for our two feathered friends: You cannot take the heat — and you’re definitely going to stay out of the kitchen.

(Laughter.)

I also thank everybody who voted online to choose the names for our guests of honor. And I’m pleased to announce the winning names. They are “May” and “Flower.” They’re certainly better than the names the Vice President suggested, which was “Lunch” and “Dinner.”

(Laughter.)

Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck.

(More below the fold…)

I logged onto Amazon this morning to check the status of my Jolly Roger flag order, and this is the Recommendations list that greeted me:

I seriously do not appreciate the implications of Recommendation #6.

So not cool, guys.

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Tagged: amazon amazon.com confederate flag my recommendations race racism racist flags