I’ve been giving a great deal of thought to Parental Notification laws, which require that parents be notified either in person, by phone, or by certified letter before an under age young woman can terminate her pregnancy. The hope, I believe, is that upon receiving that information, the parent will lock the girl up and prevent her from receiving an abortion at all.

But therein lies the verbal hedging. What they’re looking for, but not saying, is Parental Permission, to in effect give the parent veto power. The logical step beyond that is to remove the young woman from the decision completely, and turn that power over to her parent or guardian. But the anti-choice movement will never allow their efforts to be worded that way.

Why?

Because if the control were strictly in the parent’s hands, the parent would not only have the right to forbid an abortion, but also to compel one. That they can’t allow.

The push for “notification” is just rhetoric. They want someone of their own beliefs making the decision. Parental notification doesn’t affect pro-choice families. Those parents are unlikely to take steps to prevent their daughter’s abortion. Only those girls from anti-choice households would have their decisions preempted by the adults.

Should parental power be codified in law, it could be used against their cause, so we’ll never see it proposed. The pregnant woman should only have control over her body so long as her she decides to continue her pregnancy. Should she chose wrongly, they want someone else to be able to overrule her, whether her parents or the man who impregnated her, in the case of husband notification laws which Samuel Alito found just fine and dandy.

Casting the debate in terms of parental rights is a smokescreen. It’s all about control.

Winter arrived in Spokane yesterday, reminding me that local drivers have the long term memory of my brain-damaged cat. It always takes a couple of days for that “Oh! So that’s how I need to drive on ice!” awareness kicks in. But my 5″ is nothing compared to the 17″ the midwest got.

Ironically, Tacoma got 2″ and my daughter’s college canceled evening classes.

With the advent of abstinence-only sex education, in many places it is forbidden to give teenagers information on birth control in school. Now that information is considered too dangerous for the news as well. All 1,800 copies of a student-run newspaper in Oak Ridge, TN has been confiscated because the issue contained information on birth control methods and their effectiveness rates. The paper could be reprinted if changes are made, said Superintendent Tom Bailey in an article on the Wired news service. “We have a responsibility to the public to do the right thing,” he said. “We’ve got 14-year-olds that read the newspaper.”

Hell, yes. We can’t have 14-year-olds knowing how to avoid pregnancy, can we. We’d much rather they find out what doesn’t work by accident, playing around with great old traditional methods like withdrawal, “timing” and douching. Better that then let them find out that there are ways to control their fertility and protect their health. If they knew that, they might want to Do It. Can’t have that in Tennessee.

Ignorance is not bliss; it doesn’t lead to “purity,” but to stupidity.

Years ago I heard a great quote. “Ignorance can be cured, but stupid is forever.”

I wouldn’t go quite that far–we’ve all done stupid things and recovered from them–but I’ve been determined to raise intelligent children, not stupid ones. When ignorance popped up, as it does, I cured it with knowledge. In these days of AIDS, stupid can get you dead.

So we’ve discussed birth control and health protection. I’ve advised my girls that in light of policies allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill emergency birth control perscriptions, they should be proactive and purchase EC at their first opportunity, before they need it, in case it takes several tries to get it when time is critical. I firmly believe that women should have stand-by EC in their medicine chests the same way they keep a spare tampon in their purses. Particularly in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico and Washington, where Plan B can be purchased without a prescription, every woman should have some on hand.

Could you imagine a student newspaper giving that advice? I can’t either. If they did, the administration might have to confiscate the eyes that read it rather than just the papers. When adults and teachers won’t give students the information they need to make intelligent choices, I applaud student-run publications that try to fill the gap.

The truth is not dangerous. Ignorance is.

In the fairy tales Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, a princess is awakened from near death by a kiss from a charming prince. Sadly, that was not the case for a 15-year-old girl in Quebec. The kiss she received was fatal.

The Seattle PI reports that Christina Desforges died from an allergic reaction following a kiss from her boyfriend. Christina, who had a severe allergy to peanuts, kissed her boyfriend, who had just eaten a peanut snack and went into anaphylactic shock. Doctors were unable to save her.

Imagine the horror her young boyfriend must feel. My heart goes out to him as well as to her family.

In a related footnote to the previous post, the AFL-CIO is looking for a new jingle to replace the classic “Look for the union label” advertizing campaign.

From Shop Union Made:

Announcing a National Song-Writing Contest!

We’re seeking new lyrics for the beloved labor “jingle”

“Look for the Union Label!”

The Time Has Come To:
Focus on the fight for good jobs…
Stand up for good pay and worker rights…
Bring Back the Union Label!

We are bringing back of one of the catchiest, most beloved jingles in advertising history: “Look For the Union Label.” We plan new recordings – rock versions, salsa, r&b, country – as part of a nationwide campaign for good jobs.

The song needs new lyrics that speak to today’s workers and consumers of every background, industry or occupation. We need your imagination and inspiration to make that happen.

Grand Prize: The winner will receive free round trip-tickets for two to Hawaii and a free five-night stay at a Hawaiian Islands resort. The winner (and a guest) will also be flown to and from Cleveland Ohio to hear his or her version of “Look for the Union Label” performed live, by nationally-known performers, at a special event at the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame May 4, 2006.

Here are the current lyrics by Paula Green:
(Click here to view the sheet music and lyrics) (pdf)

Look for the Union Label,
When you are buying a coat, dress or blouse.
Remember somewhere our union’s sewing,
Our wages going to feed the kids and run the house.
We work hard, but who’s complaining?
Thanks to the I.L.G. we’re paying our way.
So always look for the union label,
It says we’re able to make it in the U.S.A.

To enter read and accept the following contest rules!

Contest Rules
We are looking for a jingle – something that fits in a 30- to 60-second radio or TV ad. We will accept up to four stanzas of lyrics (after all, a longer song could have its uses) but the judges are looking for ONE great stanza to carry the message.

We may tinker with the music a bit, so you are not completely locked into the meter of the current version. Stick close, however, and don’t mess with the rhyme scheme. We won’t tinker much with the original.

We will accept written submissions as well as recordings, but recordings must be accompanied by written lyrics.

1) Submitted lyrics should:

Be four stanzas in length, maximum, legibly printed or typed.
Urge support for union-made goods and services, generally (the current lyrics are specific to garments and apparel).
Refer to unions generally (the current lyrics are specific to the ILGWU)
Reflect the fact (somehow!) that very few union-made goods and services carry the Union Label these days. Today’s consumer must use sources like www.ShopUnionMade.org to determine what is union-made.
Speak to the public’s desire for good jobs.
2. The new lyrics must be the original work of the person or persons submitting the entry.

3) The lyrics must be received by the Union Label & Service Trades Department, AFL-CIO by 11:59 p.m. EST, January 1, 2006.

4) Lyrics may be emailed to lyrics@shopunionmade.com, or mailed (with or without music) to:
Look for the Union Label Contest
Union Label & Service Trades Dept., AFL-CIO
Washington, D.C. 20006

Read the terms and conditions and submit the form on the website.

American Border Patrol agents are upset that their uniforms have a Made In Mexico label. The agents are worried about what could happen if uniforms disappeared from the factory and turned up in the hands of criminals or terrorists. They are concerned that someone in a stolen uniform could waltz across the border into the US.

To head off that possibility, US House members Rep. John Carter and Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) say they plan to press a measure that would require the uniforms be made in the United States. Renzi said he wants Republican House leaders to include the requirement as part of an immigration enforcement measure expected to be introduced in early December.

That’s all well and good. But how about a little concern that government purchasing contracts are going to companies like VF Solutions of Nashville, Tenn., which subcontracts its work to plants in the United States, Mexico, Canada and the Dominican Republican? In a time when outsourcing is devastating United States labor, shouldn’t our government lead the way in supporting Made In The USA jobs?

One person comes close to expressing that sentiment. “It’s embarrassing to be protecting the U.S.-Mexico border and be wearing a uniform made in Mexico,” says T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a 6,500-member union, in an article appearing on the Wired news feed. The story does not give the context of this quote, but I would hope it’s a case of the union expressing support for the garment makers union, ala that old publicity campaign “Look for the union label.”

I think we should expect our government to back dwindling American factory jobs, even if it costs a little more.

I was raised on old fashioned home cooking, Southern from my dad’s side and mixed European from my mom’s, all with a strong prairie influence. Even though I gave up frying 20 years ago, I still make a lot of the comfort foods I loved then. Today it’s turkey and noodles.

I love making noodles the way some people enjoy making bread. My maternal grandmother, who lived with us, had only one arm, so I learned to cook early, being her complete set of hands. Noodles are more of an art than an exact science, so here’s the “recipe,” the way I learned it.

Homemade Noodles

Fill a large stock pot with water, toss in leftover turkey (or turkey carcass) and bring to a boil. (Or stew one whole chicken.) Remove skin and bones after its cooked.

Fill a large bowl with flour. Add several pinches of salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add 5 eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon until small lumps form. Gradually add 1/2 cup cold water, stirring to distribute the liquid. When the dough starts to clump together, mix with your hands, working the flour in. Turn out dough onto a floured countertop, and knead in more flour until the dough is evenly colored and won’t accept any more.

Divide in half. Roll out the dough until thin, dusting with flour. Roll up the dough and slice in 1/2 inch strips. Scoop up the flour on the counter and toss with unrolled noodles into a bowl. Repeat with other half.

Add noodles to boiling broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for one hour.

Feeds 6.

Owners of hybrid vehicles are avoiding their fair share of road maintenance costs, a study commissioned by the U.S. Chamber Of Commerce says, and they should be taxed. That’s one of the proposals from a recently released report that predicts the federal Highway Trust Fund will run out of money in 2008, one year before the expiration of the act regulating the federal gas tax.

Hybrid vehicles, which get upwards of 60 mpg, still cause wear and tear on the roads, but a system which accesses taxes based on gallons of gasoline purchased instead of miles driven allows them to get away with paying less that non-hybrid vehicles. It could be said that in effect, hybrid drivers are being subsidized by the rest of the country, if you buy into that theory.

However, I disagree. Hybrid vehicles typically weigh less, contributing to their energy efficiency. Lighter vehicle = less road damage.

That’s not what the govermental accountants want to hear.

Until a few years ago, the state of Washington funded their roads through an excise tax based on the value of the vehicle assessed yearly along with the cost of license plates. When the tax was tossed out by an initiative, road funding collapsed. To make up the lost revenue, gas taxes soared. Among other measures, a plan has been floated to find a way to assess a per mile tax on all vehicles as well as a special tax on hybrid cars.

This concern over environmentally friendly drivers “cheating” the tax system is particularly interesting in light of the tax break historically given to business owners of SUVs. In 2005, business owners who purchase an SUV or truck in excess of 6,000 pounds, like a Hummer or Suburban, can deduct $25,000 right off the top rather than depreciating the cost over the lifetime of the vehicle as they would be forced to do on normal weight passenger cars. Before 2005, they could deduct the full cost of the vehicle in the first year, up to $100,000. (source) This tax break is scheduled for elimination, but has been in effect for many years and the vehicles purchased to receive that tax break continue to be on the road, causing damage and guzzling gas.

Simple logic says that a 3 ton Hummer does more road damage than a 2,000 lb. Prius, probably in excess of the 6-1 difference they pay in gasoline tax, based on miles per gallon consumption, not to mention the amount of resources consumed and pollution produced.

Yet there are a whole lot fewer hybrid owners than there are people who drive suburban assault vehicles. Add to the mix the theory that hybrid owners are probably more likely to vote left of center and you’ve got a targeted sin tax, with saving money and dumping less pollution in the air being the sin in question,that the majority of conservative tax payers can get behind.

Rather than taxing environmentally friendly cars, we should be encouraging conservation of oil by rewarding, not penalizing, those who purchase them. Infrastructure funding is a critical issue, but the amount which could be raised by a targeted tax, in my opinion, is more than offset by the message delivered.

This was my grandmother’s recipe. She was adamantly opposed to raw eggs in any form, so she made this cooked version every year for Christmas. It’s well worth the time it takes to make.

Boiled Custard Egg Nog
makes 8 4 0z. servings

3/4 c. sugar
4 eggs (separated)
1/4 c. sugar
dash salt
3 c. milk
1 c. light cream or half and half
1/2 tsp vanilla
dash nutmeg
3/4 c. whiskey (optional)

Whip egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar together until light yellow, reserving
whites at room temperature. Gradually add milk and cream, whisking til
completely blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, til
mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat
and let cool — it will thicken, so stir occasionally to keep it smooth.
When cold, add vanilla, nutmeg and whiskey (if desired).

Beat together egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar until soft peaks form. Fold
into custard mixture and serve. Sprinke with cinnamon or nutmeg if desired.

Edgar and me when he was 6 months old.