07:46 – I feel the same way about controlling abortions as I do about controlling guns: neither one is any of the government’s business, and the government has no right to place any restrictions whatsoever on either.
Unfortunately, North Carolina is one of many states in the South and Midwest that has tried to ban abortions by placing outrageous restrictions on personnel and facilities that provide abortions. Cynically, they do this in the name of “women’s rights” by insisting that pregnant women be forced to watch ultrasound images of the fetus and listen to a physician describe the state of the fetus. A new North Carolina law, passed over the governor’s veto, insists that women be exposed to this propaganda even if they (literally) cover their eyes and ears to avoid seeing and hearing it. A federal court just struck down this part of the North Carolina law, stating correctly that it was ideologically motivated. That’s good, but it didn’t go nearly far enough.
As I’ve said before, any hospital that receives federal funds, directly or indirectly, should be required to provide abortions on demand, no questions asked and at no charge, to any pregnant woman who wants an abortion, regardless of her age. If she’s old enough to be pregnant, she’s old enough to make that decision without the approval of her husband, her parents, the government, or any other third party. If the hospital does not have a physician on staff who is willing to perform abortions, the hospital should be required to hire or contract with a physician who is willing to do so. No exceptions. Any hospital that does not provide abortions on demand, with no delays, should have all federal funding cut off. Period.
09:08 – Foolish, foolish squirrel. It thought it could turn inside a Border Collie, particularly one on a dead run. It couldn’t. I just had Colin out for a walk when I spotted a squirrel in the street between us and our house. It was about 60 meters away, so I released Colin from the leash and told him to go get it. The squirrel sat there watching the fast-approaching BC, apparently thinking it could dodge Colin at the last instant. Which it tried to do, but Colin turned inside the squirrel and knocked it rolling under a parked car. The squirrel was uninjured and finally emerged from under the car and made a dash for a nearby tree. I’m sure it’ll be telling the wife and kids about its narrow escape from a Fearsome Predator.