The Blood is The Life 02-04-2012

[miss_s_b]

• Bradford West result was symptom of UK's brutal north-south divide
  This is depressing, but probably accurate.
  (tags: economics )
  
  
• HULK EXPLAINS WHY WE SHOULD STOP IT WITH THE HERO JOURNEY SHIT « FILM CRIT HULK! HULK BLOG!
  Film critic hulk: nearly as cool as feminist hulk.
  (tags: )
  
  
• 14 Common Dog Behavior Myths Decoded - Vetstreet
  I'm pleased to say I already knew all of this.
  (tags: dogs )
  
  
• 5 Ways Modern Men Are Trained to Hate Women | Cracked.com
  This is terrifying, and mostly because it rings so true.
  (tags: feminism )
  
  
• Payback Is a Bitch for Abortion Clinic Protestors, Thanks to a Brilliant Landlord
  (tags: activism )
  
• The national security and anti-terrorism party | Jack of Kent
  First, they came for the NHS, and the Lib Dems didn't make enough fuss. Then, they came for the benefits, and the Lib Dems didn't make enough fuss. Now they're coming for the WHOLE FUCKING REASON WE EXIST. There'd better be enough fuss this time.
  (tags: libdemmery politics )
  
  
• Dear Technology World – Please Stop Trying To Give Me An Erection
  Funny but necessary
  (tags: funny feminism )
  
  
• Manchester Labour want to charge for A
  Smell the hypocrisy.
  (tags: ohtheirony nhs labour )
  
  
• Improbable Research » Why do Boomerangs come back?
  (tags: science )
  
• The language of the Picts
  Very long, but fascinating article. Pratchett fans might wish to scroll down till they see the Oggham diagrams
  (tags: pratchett language )
  
  
• Anonymous media briefings to soften us up for even more Internet Snooping in the Queens Speech next month - Spy Blog - SpyBlog.org.uk
  Interesting article on the news about surveillance
  (tags: privacy )
  
  
• Anthony Glees - Powerbase
  This is the sort of person who is in favour of the new internet snooping laws. Terrifying, isn't it?
  (tags: scary )
  
  

Comments

[drunkwriter]

I have an 18 year old friend who is already struggling under the whole A level stress thing. She's just discovered she's a few weeks pregnant and, not wanting to wreck her entire future career prospects (she's a socking brilliant actress, dancer and singer, and though she wants kiddies, she's quite clear that she doesn't want them until the post-dancing part of her life), she wants to have an abortion.

She was a bit vague on details, but she tells me she's had to 'ring around' abortion clinics in order to find someone who'd see her. Which is fine in London, due to the concentration of just about everything, she can 'shop around', but does this mean that in rural areas women are being forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term because of some sort of abortion-based postcode lottery?

[miss_s_b]

I don't think it's that bad yet, but I think it's getting there. The problem so far as I understand it is that there is a huge shortage of doctors prepared to go into reproductive health; partly due to current highly politicised anti-abortion campaigns, partly because abortion has never been an attractive discipline to go into, and partly because of the number of medical students who are currently coming from anti-abortion religions.

I blame Nadine Dorries.

[drunkwriter]

I've always been pro-choice on the grounds of total indifference (as in "none of my business" rather than "I don't care"), but it was a sobering conversation. Because I can see exactly what will happen to my friend if she can't get the treatment she needs. Knowing what I know about her, her family and her boyfriend, she'll go from bright student to being trapped in benefit poverty in less than a year. Life ruined, game over. And all so easily avoidable if society was just a little less insane.