The year of the rabbit

At midnight it will be the start of the Chinese New Year, the year of the rabbit. This weblink provides more information about this holiday and the chinese calendar. Best wishes to all during the year of the rabbit and Happy New Year!

“Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade. The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to “catch up” with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.”

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The Grand Old Pricks (GOP) are at it again

I thought the top agenda items for the new GOP led House of Representatives were supposed to be cutting taxes and creating jobs. Instead, the truth is they are cutting the social safety net by trying to overturn health care reform and they are creating vile legislation that is demeaning and hurtful to women.

In rape cases, no means no. It is as simple as that. Continue beyond that and you are guilty of violating the person asking you to stop.

But, what are the Grand Old Pricks doing? They a proposing to redefine rape by requiring it to be “a violent act against women” before federal dollars may be used to fund abortions. This vile piece of legislation itself is the equivalent of a psychological rape of women. I cannot think of a more heartless and nasty thing to propose. It is this kind of male-centered legislation that makes me ashamed to be a man. The GOP sponsors are thinking with their units and not with their brains or their hearts. Enough already.

Please call, write, e-mail, or fax your representative in Congress and tell them this type of legislation is unacceptable in the United States and to vote it down right now!

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Republicans reveal their true priorities

The unemployment rate is 9.4 percent. Millions of Americans are without jobs, health insurance and food stability. The federal deficit is soaring. Many states are facing budget shortfalls. Two wars are still being fought in the Middle East. There’s an uprising in Egypt. So of course the first priority of the new House of Representatives should be…denying women access to abortion.

Wait, what?

Republican leadership in the House has come forward with the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions Act, which would restrict federal funding for abortions to only those who could prove their pregnancies were the result of “forcible rape.” It doesn’t include provisions for statutory rape or rapes where drugs or alcohol are involved. So a 34-year-old could rape a 13-year-old and that teenager would be forced to carry the pregnancy to term under the proposed law, such as happened in Peru. The awesome crew at Feministing has more on the problems with the law.

Lest you be fooled into thinking Medicaid pays for thousands of abortions each year, Amy Sullivan at Time provides the statistic that in 2001, 56 abortions were paid for. “That’s all abortions for cases in which the mother’s life was in danger, the pregnancy was a result of incest, or in the case of rape.” Nationwide.

A recent poll shows social issues such as abortion at the bottom of the list of things Americans are concerned about, but who cares? It’s not a surprise Republicans are more determined to show their disrespect of women by denying them health care than to create jobs or cut the deficit, but it never fails to make me furious. My own Democratic representative, along with several other Democrats, has signed on in support of the bill, and you can bet I’ll be calling him to express my displeasure.

As Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said, “I consider the proposal of this bill a violent act against women.” Let your representative know you agree by contacting him or her here.

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No means NO!

Both Molly and I felt the proposed GOP legislation to redefine rape was so disgusting and vile that we thought it would be useful if we both wrote a post on it in order present female and male perspectives. Please take the time to contact you representative to express your opposition to this proposed bill. Both posts will follow. Thank you.

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A cautionary tale

Last week, a friend of mine was struck by an automobile while riding his bike to work. Fortunately, he was not badly injured when the car slide into him after losing control on a slick spot. But his case highlights an important issue that all motor vehicle drivers must keep in mind. Bike commuters and recreation bike riders are not just outside in the warm weather months.

As bike commuting continues to grow in popularity, it has become a year round transportation option, except in the most extreme weather conditions. Last week, was typical January weather for mid-Michigan where a light snowfall often occurs nearly every day.  That is not about to stop a hardy bike commuter like my friend. While, I myself may pause or rarely ride to work between December and early March, many avid bike commuters keep right on pedaling come rain, sleet, snow, ice, or dark of night.

So, if you reside in the cold-weather latitudes, please keep your eyes open for bike commuters and recreational bike riders throughout the year. Due to accumulated piles of snow, shorter hours of daylight, and often windy conditions, a bicyclist can be much harder to see than during pristine weather, even with their blinking lights and bright and colorful gear.

The same winter precautions should be kept in mind for walkers, joggers, snowshoers, and cross-country skiers. Each of these are pleasant and healthy recreational activity during the winter months. Let’s all work toward making them even more enjoyable by taking extra precautions when we see  someone  relishing the great outdoors.

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