archenemy

Sorry, Arch. For a very, very small percentage of women/couples your point may hold true. But there are options available when others fail or are ignored. Some of those to the right of me are against even these types of contraception - after all, the pill doesn't prevent conception, only implantation - to whom I say: get a fucking life! Sex is fun. Not just for procreation. People are horny. Accidents happen. Options are available for up to 72 hours that don't involve killing. And even then, there's always...adoption. Hey, I'm with you on this. I keep this on hand even though I have a very reliable birthcontrol method I depend on. But, did you know that this Plan B is $50? And I am sure you have been reading about the lawsuits women have had to bring in order to force pharm. workers to fill it for them. These are fights we shouldn't have, and these are expenses some women don't have $50 laying around for. And, if you do not keep up on current affairs, you may not even know about this. Believe it or not, getting birth control info is not as easy as you'd think for a whole class of folks. I think anyone who volunteers or works at womens shelters can tell you how suprising it is. Furthermore, this also doesn't address young girls who have even less access to money, education, etc. And they are less comfortable going up to a counter and asking for this--just think how tough it is for young boys to buy their first condoms. At least they don't have to ask a pharma. worker for it! And I don't know if they will even give Plan B to kids under 18. And just to keep clear--I am not trying to justify not taking responsibility for one's actions. But the problem of unwanted pregnancy is complicated, and I'd like to see all the issues faced so that some day, there are no more unplanned, unwanted pregnancies. Poor little things....getting embarrassed and out $50 bucks.....probably cheaper and less traumatic to have an abortion Gosh, I wonder why conservatives get a bad rap for not being compassionate. And what about the taking responsibility bullshit for men? I'd like to meet one woman over the age of 30 who expects 100% condom use from partners and has never had to go through 1) requesting that he please use one 2) saying yes, no one likes to use them but quit your fucking whining and put it on. And that conversation is also not comfortable for a young girl (or someone more shy, feminine, or sensitive)--especially the first few times. I realize you don't care, but this is reality. And if your next kid is a daughter, these are the things you are going to have to face with her.

I think proper sexual functioning is very important to the overall mental health of everyone and supporting that is a good thing. But birth control is key not only to keeping unwanted pregnancies down, but also important for one's mental health. Not having to worry about getting pregnant while having sex (every damn time) is a biggie--one that I don't think most men can really relate to.

I believe this is because with Viagra you are attempting to correct something that doesn't work. With birth control you are trying to stop something that is natural. Similar to the fact that insurance generally doesn't, for instance, cover Rogaine to stop balding. I would really like to believe that, but it just isn't true. First of all, most ED is a natural side effect of aging. Second of all, birth control is a normal activity that most countries like ours follow. (And that's good--it'd be tough to support 8 kids for every family). I think if you read a little on the incredible battle that it took for women to get birth control pills covered, you'll see that there is more than just your theory at work here. There have also been amazing battles that women fought just to get something back to normal again. For example, the legal fights over getting an implant after having a breast removed due to cancer were bitter. Isn't this simply returning something back to normal? I wish I could remember the name of the book I read that researched the battles fought over different coverages. Issues that only affected women were far more common and took much much longer to win than issues that only affected men. I am happy to see that trend starting to change.

You are perfect--that's what you are.

Unbelievable. Hey wait a minute here... Do we really want the government in our lives this way? Now they are the nanny who has to tell us over and over again that we need to eat right and move around? I don't think that is their responsibility, is it? I want my health plan to cover my docs and my meds. I'd like it if it (or my company) would help with my gym membership--or at least let me use my FSA/HSA to pay for it. But I don't need them telling me that I shouldn't get fat--especially after they deduct part of my pay check. Given that the "we bear the costs of your behavior, so we have the right to regulate it" argument has brought us compulsory seat-belt and helmet laws, it's not a stretch to imagine that there are those who would seek to use the same argument to grant the government the right to do the very things that you mention. Whether the government would actually do so is an open question, and it would be interesting to learn more about how other countries have managed to reconcile the imperative to cut costs with the necessity of maintaining personal freedoms that might be curtailed or regulated by the state - from what you eat to what you weigh. I'd have no problem with a private company rewarding healthy behaviors with lower premiums, and punishing unhealthy ones with higher rates, but placing a coercive power of this magnitude in the hands of the state seems fraught with quite a few more risks. The one thing I'd like to see included in health care coverage is the LAP band (I may be writing this wrong) thingy. It's easy and it helps people. But endlessly covering all the meds req'd to keep a fat person alive (certain diabetes, blood pressure meds, etc etc) is unfair to the system. As you know, some other countries manage their costs by not just giving everybody every procedure and med they ask for. Rationing healthcare is reasonable. And I agree 100% with your second paragraph. Smokers had to pay more. Fatties should have to pay more. Oh, and tax the shit out of unhealthy, worthless junkfood just like they tax cigs.

Proof that it isn't necessary for the gov't to get involved in getting people to lead a healthier lifestyle. And congrats on your loss--that is a hell of an achievement! Especially as we get older....

Cool. Whadya learn?

I agree, and I'd like to see programs in place to get people to take better care of themselves. I don't think our gov't can do that. I think the Microsoft example is a better direction.

Happy B-day! Thanks to you for creating and running a place to chat, argue, discuss, laugh, and meet up with other crazy climbers!! You guys rock! And seven years is only one human year, right?

Unbelievable. Hey wait a minute here... Do we really want the government in our lives this way? Now they are the nanny who has to tell us over and over again that we need to eat right and move around? I don't think that is their responsibility, is it? I want my health plan to cover my docs and my meds. I'd like it if it (or my company) would help with my gym membership--or at least let me use my FSA/HSA to pay for it. But I don't need them telling me that I shouldn't get fat--especially after they deduct part of my pay check.

what were you impressions of the 2nd book? A good, clear, complete description of the Libertine belief system.

Oh, and most insurance doesn't cover Plan B. They'll cover Viagra, but not Plan B.

Sorry, Arch. For a very, very small percentage of women/couples your point may hold true. But there are options available when others fail or are ignored. Some of those to the right of me are against even these types of contraception - after all, the pill doesn't prevent conception, only implantation - to whom I say: get a fucking life! Sex is fun. Not just for procreation. People are horny. Accidents happen. Options are available for up to 72 hours that don't involve killing. And even then, there's always...adoption. Hey, I'm with you on this. I keep this on hand even though I have a very reliable birthcontrol method I depend on. But, did you know that this Plan B is $50? And I am sure you have been reading about the lawsuits women have had to bring in order to force pharm. workers to fill it for them. These are fights we shouldn't have, and these are expenses some women don't have $50 laying around for. And, if you do not keep up on current affairs, you may not even know about this. Believe it or not, getting birth control info is not as easy as you'd think for a whole class of folks. I think anyone who volunteers or works at womens shelters can tell you how suprising it is. Furthermore, this also doesn't address young girls who have even less access to money, education, etc. And they are less comfortable going up to a counter and asking for this--just think how tough it is for young boys to buy their first condoms. At least they don't have to ask a pharma. worker for it! And I don't know if they will even give Plan B to kids under 18. And just to keep clear--I am not trying to justify not taking responsibility for one's actions. But the problem of unwanted pregnancy is complicated, and I'd like to see all the issues faced so that some day, there are no more unplanned, unwanted pregnancies.

I just finished Forbidden Knowledge by R. Shattuck. Pretty good, basically two different books on the same subject (is there some knowledge that should be forbidden? What knowledge in history has been forbidden by whom, to whom, and for what reason). The first half is good if you are well read in classic lit. The second half is good for anyone interested in current issues around knowledge and its political impacts. Also read "Philosophy in the Boudior" because it was referred to so much in the first book.

Ewy. Gross. But funny.

Cool to see how the Cafe Senstiviso has turned very kid-focused. Reminds me of a post RumR made a long time ago about having a spot where parents could find other parents who have kids around the same age for climbing fun. This may be the spot! It's great seeing all your pics too--thanks for sharing them!

Hmm, what about couples who aborted one child, but had another later or before? Are they only half hypocrites?

just think, he was once just a zygote. So were child rapers and suicide bombers. Not everyone gets to live. they get to be killed after they prove they deserve to die. But how do you know these evil zygotes don't deserve to die? Certainly we don't understand God's will, and maybe abortion is around for a reason. Maybe this is one way to thin out the herd. Maybe it is one way to teach the people who are in the postion to make this decision something. Maybe there's other things we don't understand going on and it's not for us to make that decision. Who's to know?

just think, he was once just a zygote. He would have been a lot easier to carry around Home Depot as a zygote, that's for sure. And he'd probably be on discount.

Thanks for this, its good advise and info. In my case, unless I unleash my expensive laywer, I am basically powerless to influence the situation. Im prolly a little biased because I cant stand my ex or her drugged up family. Half of them are on lithium or some kind of anti depressent and the comunication is somewhat lacking. In her family if anyone ever feels "sad" they run to the shrink and get doped up. In my day we had a few down moments once in a while but went with it. Now days it seems that if you ever feel even slight discomfort for a minute or 2 it is called "abnormal". Your reaction is understandable given this experience. Allergy medicine is in no way psychotropic. It will not change the way she feels emotionally or thinks about things. But, it will make her healthier. Not only will it increase her general comfort level, it could possibly affect her in other ways. For example, I had allergies a long time before learning that's what they were (I finally went to the doc because I was sure I was going to die from throat cancer-it hurt bad for about 8 months or so). My sinuses inside my head were so full that my brain wasn't getting all the oxygen it needs--especially during sleep. I wish I could use this as an excuse for being an airhead, but mostly it just explained why I was getting annoying headaches and always felt tired. There are lots of side-effects from allergies that we don't think about. Anti-histimins are a godsend. And I can't even spell them--jeez.

just think, he was once just a zygote. So were child rapers and suicide bombers. Not everyone gets to live.

I thought libertarians were against government imposing its ways on the people. you forgot the last part of the sentence, "via force"

A multiple personality person?

hott.

Yes, caffeine will help in a pinch. How'd you know that?