This ought to be interesting

Bertie "It ain't torture if they don't die" Gonzales has finally landed a job.

Texas Tech has hired him, ...as of Aug. 1, Gonzales will join the Texas Tech University System to assist both Texas Tech University and Angelo State University (in San Angelo) with recruiting and retaining first generation and under-represented students. "

Because as a member of the Bush Aministration he has so much experience with supporting that sort of thing.

But, for those who think he ought to work to his strengths, never fear, he also will teach a junior-level seminar course, “Contemporary Issues in the Executive Branch” in the Department of Political Science at Texas Tech. As a visiting professor Gonzales will guest lecture to classes across the campus.

Because we know he has an encyclopedic understanding of it, able to recall the least details of what went on during his tenure as a legal counsel and then Attorney General.

The world is, thankfully, not full of evil people

But news like this is enough to make one wonder:

ALBUQUERQUE (CN) - A clinic nurse first removed her intrauterine birth-control device without permission, the patient claims in a federal action, then told her that "having the IUD come out was a good thing," because "I personally do not like IUDs. I feel they are a type of abortion. I don't know how you feel about abortion, but I am against them."

Yeah...

She feels they are a type of abortion. She, personally, doesn't like IUD's, and it coming out, "accidentally" is a good thing.

Why do I mock the idea of accident? "Defendant Olona stated, 'Everyone in the office always laughs and tells me I pull these out on purpose because I am against them, but it's not true, they accidentally come out when I tug.'

"Everyone in the office always laughs." Makes me wonder how many of these "accidents" she has.

This is, apart from the arrogance of it, a pretty big deal.

IUDs can be difficult to get. When Maia was trying to get one, Kaiser refused. Mirena, which advertises, includes, "have a had a child" in it's list of factors when considering getting one. Because of the Dalkon Shield the public perception of them is less than stellar. Other women I know, who haven't had kids, had to fight to get an IUD.

Which means getting it replaced, after one of these, "accidents" is not trivial. The nurse who removed it... refused to replace it. "Too bad, so sad."

They can be painful to have inserted (esp. if one has not had a child). The insertion ranges from, "felt like an intense PAP" to knock you on your ass, and leave you in bed with horrific cramps for three days.

I've had a couple of partners who used them. Know several more women who got them. By all accounts, it takes more than a "tug" to get them out. One of my partners had to get the strings trimmed. I went in with her, and her GYN was talking about it, manipulating them, so she could get the forceps on them, and the scissors in to snip.

Forceps, compared to, "they accidentally come out when I tug". One wonders why she is tugging in the first place.

Short story, sounds like a revocation of license offense to me.

Long story... This sort of thing is going to continue. The fight for choice isn't about Roe v Wade, not really. It's about Griswold v Connecticutt The "conscience objections" the pharmacists who make enquiries about marital status when filling prescriptions for birth control, the emergency room doctors who won't prescribe EC if someone wasn't raped...

All of that is about the right to privacy.

It's about controlling people (esp. women).

It's about freedom.

This is some of what you missed

The seminar was recorded.

I have an invitation to speak in Oakland, so when I'm settled, there will be more of me speaking out.

This is what a stateman looks like

Imagine a veteran, who opposed a war, advocated for the environment, wanted to impeach a president, and fought for his constituents.

Imagine him being elected. Imagine him being in office for 16 years.

Imagine he was a Republican.

His name was Pete McCloskey and he's part of why I am going back to Calif., because (apart from the Pombos, the Cunninghams and the Feinstiens), I know a lot of Californians like him.

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