If you haven’t been checking, I’ve been updating the Qik feed every few days. I also uploaded some pictures of ERF in one of her Halloween costumes today. She’s the cutest. The photos are up on Flickr. Sorry family and friends only.
I thought you may be interested in this Action Alert from the Secular Coalition for America: http://action.secular.org/t/5484/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=25413
The Department of Health and Human Services have submitted proposed regulations that would allow anyone working or volunteering in any medical or research facility which receives any federal funding to refuse to serve patients or conduct research.
The current proposal leaves out any provision to protect patients (e.g. requiring that someone else serve them – even in emergency situations.) The proposal is so broad that it could allow individuals to interfere with medical services in a number of areas.
I believe that medical professionals (whether they are doctors, pharmacists, technicians, or EMTs) are employed in the field of medicine, not spirituality. They have the right to consider their own religious beliefs in determining what medical decisions they make for their own care, but their personal religion should never infringe on the right of a patient to seek products or procedures that they have a legal right to obtain.
Please tell the HHS that these proposed regulations to allow a medical professional to object to performing tasks that they oppose for religious reasons will mean denying a patient the right to medically sound information, products, and procedures.
Mur Lafferty has released her novel Playing for Keeps for free as a PDF.
A free book? There’s no such thing as a free book! What’s the catch?
No catch. It’s free, click here to download it. But, Mur asks that if you like it you purchase it from Amazon.com on August 25. She’s making a run on Amazon and really needs us all to pitch in and help her get noticed. She, like so many others, has a book contract now. But podcasting novels are still a new medium for delivery and we need to show the publishing industry that this makes a difference.
Martha and I have read the PDF version multiple time. We help Mur by making the PDFs and doing layout and formatting. We also did a little editing. All of this was to help Mur make the best product possible. We bought the first version of Playing for Keeps when it was self-published on Lulu.com. And now we’re joining her for her run on Amazon and we’ll be buying multiple copies of Playing for Keeps as published by Swarm Press.
Mur has delivered countless hours of enjoyment and encouragement to the pod-o-sphere. She has also inspired and rallied people including me. It is not an exaggeration to say that if Mur wasn’t here I wouldn’t be either. I wonder how many other people to whom you listen, read, and watch are here because they were inspired by Mur Lafferty. I’m guessing the number is larger than you think.
So be ready to place your order from Amazon.com for Playing for Keeps on Monday August 25. Be there! Aloha.
Princess P is right on schedule. Everything is going well. We’re so happy!
I picked this up on Warren Ellis’s blog. A guy named Robert and his girlfriend Becky are celebrating the birth of their daughter Lydia. Please join us in extending our joy and hope to this new life.
Warren and I apparently have the same taste in artwork. I am also a big fan of his web comic (coming to a print later in 2008) FreakAngels. I don’t know the Robert that posted, but with our own baby on the way I felt like joining in the meme. Plus, she’s a cute kid.
My cousin, Caitlin, made the news this week for her charity work. She founded the Murray Aronowitz Food Bank in honor of her grandfather. Caitlin is 16 and already making a difference in her community. I hope you have a minute to follow the link and read the article. If you feel inclined you could also donate and help those that are less fortunate.
Here’s the latest ultrasound pics. My little girl is going to break some hearts.
Nat came over Saturday and helped Martha and me paint the nursery. We went for primary colors and geometric shapes. It’s bright and happy.
We used the Benjamin Moore Aura paint. It has almost no smell, goes on easy, dries quick, and generally only required one coat. It was a joy to work with.
Please comment here and let me know what I should be focusing on for our baby registry. Babies R Us and Target have huge lists of things, and most people on Twitter are saying I don’t really need it. I would appreciate it if you could give us some new parent advice on what we really need.
I present the conclusion of the loan for my ’98 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Bought it on a 6 year loan, paid it off in 4.5 years. Got rid of it when I won a Pontiac Aztek. Sold both of them and bought Famous Blue, my ’05 Prius.
This is the most awesome shot ever of the little known Kung Fu Shearwater, These birds train year round to prefect their Kung Fu techniques.
Caught off the coast of Bar Harbor, Maine on a whale watching tour.
The next weatherman who lies to me and says it’s supposed to be cold is going to get a Hiking Boot Enema. We’re now hopelessly overheated and sunburned. Dressed for 60, real weather is 80. Gack!
Had a nice trip to Baker Island National Park. Participated in the National Park Service “Feed the Mosquitos” tour. They said bring a lunch. I didn’t think they meant me.
Saw lots of nice sea birds. Downloading the pictures now. Bent a pin on my flash card reader. Using the slowwwwwww interface on my camera, and of course, burning camera battery power to do it.
I need to lower my core body temp and get my zen back.
Wish me luck.
Had an excellent day exploring the island today. We went all over the place, but I only felt like bringing out The Beast at one set of trees that were heavy with little birds. We forgot bug spray and paid for it. Birding was slow, but we’re doing well. And a bad day birding is better than a good day at work.
Tomorrow we go to sea.
Today’s Picture, An American Redstart in flight.
Here are the latest pictures from our June ultrasound.
Current baby name being floated: Rose Atalanta
Everything is fine and we’re still on track for early October.
These are her Han Solo encased in carbonite photos.
There has been a bit of a debate going on between myself, Christ Lester, and Jared Axelrod. Jared started it all on his Voice of Free Planet X Episode 136: It’s Called A Power Suit For A Reason. And then picked it up again in that week’s feedback Episode 137: Feedback And Forth. Chris Lester picked up the response on his blog, and I’ve left comments on both.
Regardless of my personal desires for a more relaxed world, I still found time to get this new suit jacket for the upcoming series of weddings we will be attending. It really does make me look good.
My blog comments are below the “read more”.
Here are my photos from Balticon 42. I had a great time. It was tons of work but all the awesome people who showed up and gave their all made it worthwhile.
These photos are now available on my Flickr.
