Drop by Drop

True Story: A woman suffers a complication in the 20th week of her pregancy and begins bleeding heavily. At the hospital the doctor on call refuses to perform the abortion that will save the woman's life and proceeds to stand idle and watch her die.

A nurse risks her job and calls in another doctor, who miraculously saves the woman's life. Three units of blood were required in the subsequent surgery. That's a lot.

It would be horrible of me to wish that all women who voted for a pro-life candidate suffer the same fate as the woman above, but it's certainly no less detestable than pro-lifers who would let other's die just so they could feel more righteous in the eyes of an imaginary god.

The answer is simple... if you don't want an abortion, don't have one.

-------------

Still with me? Good, because I have something wonderful to share.

This past Friday Beloved Girlfriend and I watched a little-known film called "Mary & Max". It is the first feature-length claymation dark-comedy, and it was a delight from start to finish.

The story involves Mary, a young, lonely, Australian girl who becomes pen-pals with an overweight, Jewish/Atheistic New Yorker named Max (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). He also is afflicted with Asberger syndrome.

The two of them develop an instant rapport and share, over a period of about twenty years, stories of their lives as outsiders. Their correspondence covers almost the entire length of the film, which is mostly told in narration by Barry Humphries. It is amusing, heartwarming and, at times, appalling but always entertaining.

The director, Adam Elliot, won an Academy Award in 2003 for a similarly-themed, animated short film called Harvie Krumpet, a success which gave him an opportunity to direct Mary & Max. The script is, oddly enough, based on a true story as Mr. Elliot, an Australian, has had a similar, 20-year relationship with his pen-pal in New York. As you might guess there was some clear embellishment but much of the story bears the ring of familiar truth.

The feature film won international acclaim but was never released in America because, sadly, Americans think animation is only for children, and this movie is certainly not Wallace and Grommit. Luckily, the film is available on DVD and can be streamed directly from Netflix. I urge you to check it out.

----------

One last thing: You can now get arrested for dancing in America. Seriously.

A group called RT America staged a silent dance-in at the Jefferson Memorial on May 28th, in protest of a recent court ruling that we, the people, can in fact not dance at the Jefferson Memorial.

Watch the video and if you think the police behavior was a trifle intolerant then you're invited to join the protestors again on June 4th for another episode of Frugging For Freedom. Maybe this could become a weekly event until the gummint comes to its senses.

First time for everything.

=Lefty=

------------

February 10, 2011: "We're going to have a relentless focus on creating jobs." - John Boehner.

So far the list of accomplishments for the GOP, in chronological order as of 2-10-2011, is:

(1) Attempted curtailing of abortion rights.
(2) Attempted defunding of Planned Parenthood.
(3) Attempted defunding of NPR.
(4) Investigating Muslims.
(5) Declaring English as America's Official Language.
(6) Reaffirming "In God We Trust". Yawn.
(7) Challenging AARP's tax-exempt status.
(8) Approved defunct funding for failed religious schools.
(9) Attempt to destroy Medicaid.
(10) Attempt to destroy Planned Parenthood
(11) Shutting down the government
(12) Attempt to destroy the EPA.
(13) Attempting to eliminate financial counseling.
(14) Passed a House budget that gives $4 trillion in tax cuts to the rich.
(15) Spend $500,000 to discriminate against gays.
(16) Continued toadying for the rich.
(17) Pretending the deficit is to blame for slow job growth.
(18) De-funded SETI. (ARGH!!!!!!!)
(19) Tried to kill Chrysler two years ago... which is now going to pay back all its government loans.
(20) The Judicial Branch of the GOP, the Supreme Court, votes 5-4 to deny consumer class-action suits.
(21) Redefining rape. Yes, redefining rape.
(22) Pushing for spending caps tied to GDP. Bad idea.
(23) Claimed credit for dropping oil prices because they passed a bill.
(24) Refuse to reduce oil subsidies.
(25) Stood helplessly and watched as Senator John Ensign made Bill Clinton look like a Carmelite nun.
(26) Attempt to retool Rep. Paul Ryan's Medicare-killing bill.
(27) Prevented the raising of the federal debt limit. Let the catastrophic job loss begin.
(28) Watches Rome burn with their Wall Street pals.
(29) Filibustered bill to repeal oil subsidies.
(30) Rejected Goodwin Liu for judge simply because Mr. Obama nominated him.
(31) Abortion. Abortion. Abortion. As in "restrictions".
(32) Spent five hours debating NPR, five minutes debating Afghanistan.
(33) GOP releases their jobs plan. Hilarity ensues.
(34) Continue to hold the debt limit hostage in order to make more money for billionaires.

Nope. No job creation here. Seriously. Not a fucking employment sausage. Move along. Move along.

I'll keep adding to this list until the Republican House does something to create jobs. I unhappily predict this is gonna be one lonnnnng list. After all, you don't get rid of a sitting president by helping the economy.

------------

And what manner of lie is Fox News spewing today? They're claiming that Paul Ryan's Medicare bill doesn't drive up health costs for seniors. (It does. A lot!)

Click here to help Drop Fox from your cable system.