Being Amber Rhea

I had those Mr. Men books as a kid. I noticed that in this video, Mr. Contrarian corresponds to the original Mr. Stingy.

[Via Feministe]

Another episode of Off The Bus has landed! This one was filmed at the Fred Thompson support meeting/rally(?) last week. Rusty and I actually went, so that Grayson wouldn’t be all alone and because we had a kind of morbid curiosity about how the other side lives. We make quick cameo appearances toward the beginning of the video.

Looking forward to episode 3!

Finally, some good news amidst what’s increasingly looking like an anti-choice free-for-all. HB 1445 (the House incarnation of SB 123) did not pass yesterday! Last night I saw an AJC article about it that included the word “balked” but after scouring AJC.com for about 15 minutes I can’t find the damn thing.* But don’t take my word for it - check out the votes.

I sent emails to Kathy Ashe (my current rep) and Mary Margaret Oliver (my soon-to-be rep), thanking them for voting against the bill. If you have time, take a few minutes to thank some of the reps who voted ‘no.’ (If you don’t know who your rep is, you can use Project Vote Smart to find out.) This bill’s demise is a breath of fresh air, and with all the anti-choice clammer, they should be reminded that their constituents truly appreciate it.

* Update: Ryan found the AJC article I was talking about. The lede:

The Georgia House balked Monday at passing legislation that would allow pharmacists to refuse on moral or religious grounds to fill any prescription that they believe could terminate a pregnancy.

Thanks, Ryan! (”Google news, my friend,” was all he said.)

Update #2: Okay, so maybe “demise” is a strong word, because upon further investigation, it looks like the bill could come up for reconsideration at a later date, even though it’s tabled right now. Admittedly, I don’t know a whole hell of a lot about the state legislative process, so feel free to put me in my place.

Also, Thomas has more.

…that perjury is a “technicality” only when Republicans [allegedly] do it? But when it’s a Democrat and a blowjob, it’s grounds for impeachment.

Update: Dylan has similar thoughts on the matter.

SB 25 is the “Divorce Bill” which is working its way through the Georgia General Assembly. I was prepared to write a big rant about it. Then I read it (well, first I read a post about it at Good Intentions and then clicked the link to the bill itself) and I’m not quite as outraged as this AJC article lead me to believe I would be. However, I still have my concerns. Any restriction of freedom concerns me. And what mainly concerns me in this situation is how this will affect spouses who have been abused by their spouse. Yes, the bill says the education classes and/or the waiting period are waived in such a situation; but it’s never that simple, and I am concerned. We don’t need more cases like this absolutely horrible and unbelievable situation.

I’m not one of those people who likes to stand on their soap box and proclaim that divorce is wrong, always, plain and simple. (Obviously — especially considering that I got divorced in September!) I am wary of any such broad, sweeping generalizations, and this one in particular. I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing that divorce is more common now than in the past. Sure, it means some people are “giving up easily” — but really, who are we to tell them that they can’t or shouldn’t? It’s their marriage after all, not ours; plus, what may appear as “giving up easily” to the outside observer may be in fact much more complicated. Only the two parties of the marriage can know for sure. -But I digress. It also means that more people are no longer just sitting back and taking abuse from their spouse. If a man beats his wife then the best thing is for that marriage to end and for her to get as far away from him as she can (and hopefully for him to end up in jail, too). Especially if there are children involved.

Which brings me to another point. The bill states:

The General Assembly finds that children are the innocent victims of legal separation and divorce and that, when two parties separate or divorce, there is a devastating impact on their children who have had no voice in the decision to disrupt the family. Oftentimes, these children of divorce are negatively affected academically, socially, emotionally, and psychologically as a result of the stress and trauma placed on the family by the separation or divorce and by the associated discord between their parents occasioned by the process.

I am not saying that children are not negatively affected by divorce. I can’t speak with any authority on the topic since my parents are still married. But, I will tell you this. When I was growing up, I often wished my parents would get a divorce. I think we all would have been happier and more peaceful for it. I’m not going to tell you all the details of my home life growing up — some of you already know, and if you don’t, I’m probably not going to tell you. And that’s precisely the point — you don’t know. So it’s not fair for outsiders to make judgements about “what’s best for the kids” when they don’t have all the facts. Divorce can screw kids up, but so can a turbulent and emotionally twisted household with both parents in it. I would much rather have my child grow up in a household with one parent who is consistent and emotionally stable, rather than a dysfunctional two-parent household.

Lastly, this bill rubs me the wrong way simply because of the fact that it restricts freedom. I got divorced in September, and that was the business of myself and Chris, no one else. It was our choice to make, and that’s that. (Some of you know why we got divorced, some don’t. Again, if you don’t know now, you might find out later, if either of us decides to tell you. Or you might not find out. In which case you have no place to pass judgement.) From the appearance of the bill in its current state, there is no restriction, limitation, or extending of the waiting period for no-fault divorce when there are no children. But it’s still making the rounds in the General Assembly, so who knows what could get tacked on. Let’s be watchful.

So in conclusion (har har), I was actually kind of relieved to see the wording of SB 25 — because it’s not as bad as what I expected from this Republican-controlled General Assembly. But “sucking not as bad as I thought” doesn’t automatically lift all my concerns about it. There are other issues about which I am far more concerned at the moment; but this will remain on my radar screen.