Speak Out for Birth Control - for free, for everyone, no matter where they work!

Good job with the Komen thing last week, world!

It's time to make our voices heard, once again.

The Obama administration is under pressure from the Catholic Bishops — again! -- to reverse its decision to uphold the HHS recommendation that birth control be (rightly) considered preventive health care, and covered with zero co-pay under health care reform. Let's "do a Komen thing" about this and put this issue to bed!

The Bishops want the administration to exempt religiously affiliated organizations, such as hospitals, universities, and charities from the requirement to cover contraceptives for their employees. They want to put the "right of conscience" of the employer over the "right of conscience" of millions of individual women they employ. They claim it is a matter of faith — but what kind of faith requires economic coercion? Make contraception free to all women and let women decide for themselves whether to use it or not — based on their faith, their health, and their own personal circumstances.

In 28 states, religiously affiliated organizations are already required to cover contraceptives and do so without controversy. The right of conscience belongs first with the individual woman, and then with the institution, and it is the responsibility of government to protect that right for all women, regardless of their ability to pay for contraceptives.

There are many other reasons to support contraceptive coverage with zero co-pay — equality, economic and educational opportunity, basic fairness, and self determination, public health benefits, and the health of a woman you might know.

Here is some information to help you figure out what points you want to make as you speak out. Seven Things You (and the Media) Need to Know about Birth Control

Can you please do at least one thing to make our voices heard on this important issue?

Write a letter to the editor:

• Here is a tool that makes it easy to send a letter to the editor of multiple papers at once: http://my.democrats.org/page/speakout/stand-up-for-womens-health?js=false (a sample letter to the editor and supporting information is provided here, as well).

Contact the White House:

• Sign the "We the People" petition at the Whitehouse.gov website. It takes a moment to create an account, but for every petition that gathers 25,000 signatures, the WhiteHouse has promised to respond. The other side has already reached the threshold. https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/stand-strong-support-new-no-cost-birth-control-policy/HM8jg7Y4

Social Media:

• And of course, there's Facebook, Twitter, blogging, friends and family.

Thanks for making your voice heard on this important issue.

Trying not to judge, but it's tough...

Regarding Obama directing Secretary Sebelius to overrule the FDA's recommendation to make Emergency Contraception (EC) available over the counter to all women:

I'm steaming mad, disheartened, and dismayed all at the same time. It's a betrayal of women and scientific integrity.

NPR reports that Obama said,

"I will say this, as the father of two daughters. I think it is important for us to make sure that we apply some common sense to various rules when it comes to over-the-counter medicine. And as I understand it, the reason Kathleen made this decision was she could not be confident that a 10-year-old or an 11-year-old go into a drugstore, should be able — alongside bubble gum or batteries — be able to buy a medication that potentially, if not used properly, could end up having an adverse effect. And I think most parents would probably feel the same way."

All the blather about 10-11 year olds having access to EC next to the candy is something I would expect to hear from Bill O'Reilly — not Obama!! For God's sake, Plan B costs $50!! Where is the uproar over the fact that for much less money, 10 and 11 year olds can walk into a drugstore today and buy a bottle of Tylenol or Nyquil, and down the whole thing in one sitting and potentially kill themselves? Where is the concern over 10 and 11 year olds giving birth, which IS a health risk?

"Teen pregnancy" occurs among older teens — with 2/3 of all teen pregnancies are among 18-19 year-olds, approximately 1/3 among 15-17 year olds, and very few among teens 14 and younger. So getting back to points that actually are worth discussing, because they occur in reality -- not just in scary visions of sexually active 10 and 11 year old girls -- preventing EC from being available over the counter for all, means that women 17 and older have to show ID to get it, which means they have to approach the pharmacist and face stigma and/or opposition. This happens, even in the California Bay Area. Also, many young adult women do not have any form of ID they can use to prove their age, so how do they get EC?

Some have said that setting the science aside, the ruling should be debated because of parents' discomfort. Government sometimes has to represent the interests of the underserved, and in this case that is young women under 17 — not parents. The government cannot successfully mandate good communication between teens and their parents. It won't work, and it puts the most vulnerable teens (those who cannot talk to their parents for good reasons) at risk. Women get thrown under the bus again.

And there is no way this was Kathleen Sebelius's decision. I wish she had pushed back on Obama, but I'm not in her shoes, so I will try not to judge her. It's hard, though.

Fall Color

Some day I'll visit the East Coast to see the fall colors there, but in the meantime, I'll enjoy what California's coastal forests have to offer.

And one last Palin joke...

This is from the San Francisco Chronicle, Letters to the Editor:

Editor - Just wanted to give credit where credit is due...

Today is truly historic.
I'm feeling euphoric.
Thanks, Katie Couric.

Dan Kaufman
Napa

The Amazing Obama Machine

Here is Obama campaign headquarters in Palo Alto. It looked like this all weekend before the election -- packed with busy volunteers inside,

overflowing with busy volunteers outside (this is the front, but there were people in the alley out back too),

and Obama HQ's "satellite offices" were full too. The satellite offices included upstairs at Celia's Mexican Restaurant down the street, a neighbor's house around the corner, and Happy Donuts next door. This is the busy scene at Happy Donuts (how can you not be happy with a donut like that suspended overhead?)

Yes we can, and we did!

Beethoven says, "Vote No on Prop 4"

Cute! No on 4 to Beethoven's Fifth.

Cute Bird in British Colombia

Reminding myself that I didn't really set out to blog about politics...here's something from a Beautiful Day last summer in British Columbia.

Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama

Colin Powell not only endorses Obama, he also speaks out for religious liberty. I am so grateful for that, I got tears in my eyes. Worth listening to the whole 7 minutes, because the tears came during the last two.

Got hope? Oh yes.

This is how bad it would be if Prop 4 passes

For background on Prop 4, please see my previous post here.

I found this set of diagrams here. Even without reading the text, they show the mind-boggling hurdles Prop 4 would put in place of California minor teens seeking an abortion...and their doctors.

To start with, simply compare what happens today with what would happen if Prop 4 passes, even for a teen who is able to tell her parents:

Today: If Prop 4 passes:
Even the minor teen who can involve her parents would have to be very careful to document and verify that she and her doctor are following the law, or the doctor could be sued decades later. And that's the easy case!

Here's what it looks like if a minor teen seeks a judicial by-pass:

Here's what it looks like if she chooses to notify an alternate adult relative (this one takes THREE pages):


We need to make sure people understand how this law would really work (or not work)! To find out how you can help, go to www.noonprop4.org

Mystic Forest

This mystic forest is along the hike to The Chief in Squamish, B.C. It's a strenuous hike -- I can't even imagine the climb up the face, which is what Stawamus Chief is famous for! But after either one, dinner and a beer at the Howe Sound Inn can't be beat!

Vote NO on California's Prop 4

No matter how you feel about abortion, if you care about teen safety, you should Vote NO on Prop 4.

This election marks the third time a handful of anti-choice men have paid millions of dollars to signature gatherers to put a Parental Notification Constitutional Amendment on the ballot. Like Propositions 73 (2005) and 85 (2006) before it, Proposition 4 would prohibit young women from obtaining an abortion without government-mandated parental notification -- unless they go to court or document charges of parental abuse.

California voters defeated the previous two attempts because we understand that although parental notification laws may sound good, in the real world they put teenagers in danger. While we hope our teens will tell us if they are facing an unintended pregnancy, more than anything, we want them to be safe.

Most pregnant teens do involve their parents. But sadly, of the teens who don’t, most have very good reasons not to. Some fear being kicked out of the house, beaten, or worse. Others are faced with a difficult family situation, like parental substance abuse or serious health or financial problems, and simply cannot go to their parents.

Laws cannot force family communication! But they can cause desperate teens to do desperate things. We know from experiences in other states with parental notification laws in place that rather than tell a parent, teens:

• Delay care until their 18th birthday, greatly increasing the risk of complications
• Travel to other states where parental notification is not required
• Take matters into their own hands, or seek illegal providers – putting their lives at risk.

Proposition 4 threatens the safety and well being of California’s teens, especially those who need our help the most. I have four children, ages 9 through 16. I certainly hope that my daughter will come to me if she is faced with an unintended pregnancy, but if for whatever reason she chooses not to, more than anything, I want her to be safe. And I realize that some teens cannot safely involve a parent. Those teens need to access to counseling, support, and responsible medical care. That’s why I’m voting NO on Prop 4.

The more people learn about Proposition 4 (and Propositions 73 and 85 before it), the more they oppose these dangerous laws. But in this presidential election, we need to reach millions of new voters. Find out how you can help at www.noonprop4.org.

Unbelievably Horrifyingly Funny (or scary, if they win)

Please forgive the poor presentation (I never did figure out how to insert video clips reliably). This pair of video clips is worth the awkward step of clicking on each link.

First, watch this Saturday Night Live skit of the Palin-Couric interview.

Now watch this segment of the real interview.

I had read that SNL used Palin's words verbatim...but I never imagined how many!!

"Windex" Lakes

These are the Joffrey Lakes, just north of Whistler, British Columbia, where we were recently hiking. Their color is so beautiful, but can it be natural? We kept hesitating to totally enjoy the "windex blue" color of Joffrey Lakes, just in case we came home and discovered that the blue color is caused by acid rain or something equally awful. But phew, the lovely color is caused by glacial silt, which is high in quartz.

Lower Joffrey Lake

Middle Joffrey Lake

Upper Joffrey Lake

Results 1 - 10 of about 6,240 for sarah palin tina fey

Ha ha ha ... and I thought I had an original thought!

Tulip Magnolias

I've been wanting to do this for years, and today was the day. I went for a bike ride to photograph these trees in bloom. As nice as they look here, they are even better in person.

Enjoy.

Mystery burrow

OK. Here's a challenge. Does anyone know who might have made this hole?

I found a bunch of them on a recent hike in Rancho San Antonio park, in Cupertino, California in early February. They were all over the hiking path. They must have been made earlier that morning, because the dirt was still moist. The hole is about half inch in diameter. Tarantulas, maybe?

Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas

I took this photo the same day as my previous post. Piedras Blancas is a popular breeding zone for elephant seals, as you can see. I wish I remembered half of what the docent told us about them.

One thing I remember well, is the docent's grim prediction of how these new mammas and babies would fare if the big storm came in as expected. Not well. The next day, while the storm raged even stronger than expected, I thought of the elephant seals often. Tough life!

Road Trip

Just when even I thought I might have given up the blog,... I've been working on a community project to fight climate change, and I've been so busy with it, I haven't spent enough time enjoying the very planet I'm helping to save. Except for this recent road trip down Highway 1, through Big Sur. So big; so powerful; what a planet!

Just another nice tree

Found this photo while pruning the photo file. Just a nice view of an oak tree from a recent hike.

The Story of Stuff

Watch this video! It's in seven installments, which come up automatically when chapter one finishes. All together it takes 20 minutes, but I think it's worth it. Watch the first two chapters and then decide for yourself.

Warning: you might never go to a big box discount store again after watching it. But that would be OK, I think. ...unless it's to purchase LED Christmas lights, that is.