Posted by M. Wright | Filed in: Uncategorized
In this post:
- A very exclusive Christmas album
- Letter from a deadly serious eggnog addict
- Planning: the new not planning
- This blog
Though it’s been said many ways…
I saw this Time-Life CD set at the store — A Christian Christmas. You know, as opposed to the Islamo-fascist Christmas collection we enjoyed so well last year, which included great hits like Infidels roasting on an open fire, Have yourself a merry little jihad, and The Twelve Imams of the age. No, this year we’re going to celebrate a Christian Christmas for a change. You know, shake things up a little bit. Who says we have to celebrate the holiday by singing only Christmas songs written by Jews, Buddhists and Scientologists?
And now that we’re in the Christmas spirit…
Anger Managment Marathon Disrupts Eggnog Supply
Last weekend, some poor shlub named Robert Barnett experienced a bit of trouble on his way to the store. And how better to address this grievance than to compose a mean little rant about it and send it to the Memphis Flyer?
I just spent over an hour of my life trying to cross North Parkway just to go TWO BLOCKS. I have never seen such ridiculously poor traffic routing in my life. The St. Jude “Anger Management Marathon,” although noble in intent, is the most civically inconsiderate event I have ever seen.
If it was only two blocks, why didn’t you just walk? It’s a much easier task to dodge your way across the street on foot during one of the city’s biggest annual races. I know, because I did it myself a couple times last weekend.
But, no, the St. Jude Marathon is “the most civically inconsiderate event” in world history because it prevented you from driving two blocks to the store. Gosh, Robert, I can’t believe the race committee failed to consider that major inconvenience you experienced. Over an hour of your life — gone!
Last year, my wife and I almost got a divorce just going to pick up a Christmas tree. The jackasses who plan this thing should at least provide available crossing point/routing information to residents who are being inconvenienced by the byzantine system of roadblocks. This crap is utterly paralyzing and has put a very bad taste in my mouth regarding St. Jude.
You almost got a divorce over a Christmas tree? Hmm, you think maybe you have some other issues in your life that might need to be addressed? Nah, it has to be someone else’s fault that your marriage is in such shambles that encountering a series of temporary roadblocks could put it in jeopardy. Yes, it must be St. Jude, and the sick children they treat, at fault. So sorry.
An event that is intended to rally support for children with cancer and instead induces paroxysms of anger is extremely counterproductive.
Yes, it’s a wonder St. Jude continues to hold the event every year, considering the byzantine roadblocks causing all these paroxysms of anger. St. Jude must be one of the most civically inconsiderate and universally hated institutions in the entire city.
By the way, what did you so desperately need from the store?
Not to mention, it’s only going to be a matter of time before some poor shlub gets run over by someone innocently trying to make an eggnog run.
Holy crap, you were out of eggnog? Man, I pity the fool who stands (or, rather, runs) between you and your critical supply of eggnog.
And I just can’t think of anything that would be more civically inconsiderate than a children’s hospital holding an annual fundraiser and thereby preventing an individual from obtaining eggnog on a cold Saturday morning.
Except for, perhaps, some A-hole writing a letter to the editor because he failed to plan ahead knowing that 1. the big race would the next morning and that 2. his supply of eggnog may be dangerously low.
Speaking of planning ahead…
320 Planned Emergencies
Did you hear about what Planned Parenthood did this week? On Wednesday, the country’s largest abortion advocate gave out free pregnancy prevention pills called Plan B from its offices nationwide. The pills were just approved for over-the-counter sales last month. According to Commercial Appeal metro columnist Wendi C. Thomas, a line of 10 people had already formed before the local office opened.
Wait, let’s check the irony meter on that… yep, that’s officially ironic, on at least two counts:
1. Planned Parenthood isn’t about planning for parenthood as much as it’s about responding after the fact once an unwanted pregnancy has occurred. In other words, it’s not-planning for not-parenthood. You might call it Unplanned Prevention.
2. Plan B is supposed to be for emergencies. The pills are intended for those situations in which “Plan A” has fallen through. So these people planned ahead by lining up for a pill that can prevent pregnancies in case they fail to plan for prevention by means of abstinence or traditional contraceptives. Shorter: they planned to fail to plan.
Thomas reports that the Memphis office handed out a total of 160 two-pill boxes, “cost[ing] the nonprofit thousands of dollars.” The cost is typically $35 for those over 18.
What the CA and Thomas fail to note is Planned Parenthood’s financial conflict of interest. Drug pushers will always give away a free sample.
According to the Boston Globe, the organization “reaps millions of dollars in revenue by dispensing Plan B,” thanks to an “exclusive preferential discount.” Planned Parenthood obtains the pills for $4.25.
That means this publicity stunt cost the agency just $680, not thousands. And if just 14% of these clients returns for a second box, Planned Parenthood will break even.*
Speaking of Christmas, running and planning ahead…
Station Break
This blogger needs to take care of some biznes. I’m thinking about putting Fishkite on hiatis, either for weeks/months or for good. I haven’t exactly decided yet, but I feel like it’s time to move on to the next thing(s). In the meantime, I’m planning to take a break from the blogosphere in general. Thanks, as always, for stopping by. See you on the flip side.
* Corrected from my original “12%” napkin calculation. Thanks to Neil, who should be studying for finals instead of reading Fishkite, and who writes to say that the exact percentage is 13.8.
December 11th, 2006 at 11:40 am
Sad to see you go. I barely knew you.
December 11th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
NO, NO…please don’t go!
Also…love your take on the anti-marathoners who were “inconvenienced” for a few hours of their lives. Guess the thousands of children and families who were being helped during that few hours don’t matter to them. (grrr…..)
December 11th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
“a pill that can prevent pregnancies in case they fail to plan for prevention by means of abstinence or traditional contraceptives. Shorter: they planned to fail to plan.”
OR, they planned ahead in case the condom breaks, or they’re sexually assaulted…
December 11th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
Yeah, Rachel. I’m sure that is what the majority of the people in line were there for. I know I don’t leave home without a “in case I get sexually assaulted” utility kit.
December 11th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
You almost got a divorce over a Christmas tree? Hmm, you think maybe you have some other issues in your life that might need to be addressed?
So you think they actually almost got divorced over a Christmas tree? Taking obvious hyperbole at face value is an excellent way to marginalize someone. I sort of got the impression that a fight was caused because tempers flared since they were stuck in traffic for a very long time.
I haven’t read the entire letter he wrote, just what you excerpted, but he doesn’t seem to be advocating ending the event or burning down St. Judes, just asking St Judes to work with the people inconvenienced by the event a little bit. A good cause doesn’t mean you have free license to screw up everyone else’s life. At least not when better planning and communication prior to the event would save people a lot of trouble.
Shorter: they planned to fail to plan.
Or maybe they planned for a backup in case their first plan failed. Condoms break and stuff. An argument Rachel mentioned, but Tom conveniently failed to address while belittling her.
December 11th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
The reason I didn’t address it is that it is a stupid argument. Why would someone go to the trouble of carrying around a pill that would only be necessary in extreme situations? Broken condoms and sexual assaults are the exception to the rule; in either case if you wanted to take the pill, obtaining one would not be terribly difficult.
Incidentally, I find it humorous that they come in 2-pill packages. Convenient if you get sexually assaulted a couple of days after your condom breaks, I guess.
December 11th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
“a stupid argument” - nice. You wouldn’t carry it around, you’d at home just in case. Depending on the day of the week, where you live, and the politics of your hometown, obtaining it within the 72-hour window after the fact may be more difficult than you think. The pill is made for the exception to the rule, for when the condom breaks or what have you, and many women will obtain it in advance as a backup plan for those situations, rather than worrying about whether they can find it in time later. The point is, getting in advance is more like planning ahead than failing to plan.
December 11th, 2006 at 1:41 pm
*in either case if you wanted to take the pill, obtaining one would not be terribly difficult*
According to where you live, or who you are, that is not necessarily true. I find it humorous that when discussing abortion conservatives who scream about women not taking enough responsibility to not get pregnant are usually also the ones who object to EC.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
December 11th, 2006 at 1:41 pm
Excuse me - “you’d at home” should be “you would have it at home”
December 11th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
And I love it when liberals trot out how personally responsible they are being when they use condoms and day-after pills to excuse irresponsible behavior. And no, I’m not lumping sexual assualt into this category.
December 11th, 2006 at 2:26 pm
I’m not sure why people so often make emergency contraception about irresponsibility. How responsible is it to go ahead and have a child you’re unprepared for? There are all kinds of reasons why a woman might be concerned enough within a day or two of having sex (with either a new partner or a steady partner, with precautions or without) about the possibility of pregnancy to want to ensure that she is not pregnant.
Tom says: “I know I don’t leave home without a “in case I get sexually assaulted” utility kit.”
Those are some fine rhetorical skills of exaggeration you demonstrate there.
December 11th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
Thanks, Kate!
And to answer your question with another, how responsible is it to go ahead and have sex with someone when you’re unprepared to have a child?
December 11th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
Very responsible if you have contraception!
December 11th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
“And to answer your question with another, how responsible is it to go ahead and have sex with someone when you’re unprepared to have a child?”
Are you suggesting that people should only have sex when they absolutely want to have children? If that’s your thesis, we will never agree. I’m for responsible enjoyment of sexual pleasure. And even within a committed relationship, such as mine with my partner, if children are not a desired outcome of the sexual act and contraception is used, I don’t see how that is irresponsible.
December 11th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
I’m suggesting that people should only have sex when they are prepared to deal with the possible consequences. One of those consequences is pregnancy, and if you are absolutely not ready to deal with being a parent, then no you shouldn’t be having sex.
Our difference is in how we view what is an appropriate way to deal with those consequences. Those who lean toward the liberal side view it as a medical inconvenience that should be fixed with drugs or operations. Those of us on the conservative side realize that that is a little life down there that you’ve created, and killing it so that you don’t have to deal with the inconvenience is not right.
I have two young kids. I’d prefer not to have another one right now, as it would be a handful dealing with 3 under the age of 4. So I use contraception. If that contraception fails, will I be inconvenienced? Yes. Will I abort it? Absolutely not. I’ll deal with the consequences of my actions, and 3 years from now I’ll be blessed with another beautiful toddler, not cursed with the guilt of having valued my own desires over the life of my child.
December 11th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
Plan B is not an abortion pill, it is a contraceptive. It is not the same thing as RU-486. “killing it so that you don’t have to deal with the inconvenience” is not at issue here, unless you believe a fertilized, non-implanted egg constitutes a pregnancy, which it does not by medical standards, and think that all hormonal contraceptives are a form of abortion.
December 11th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
At that point it becomes a semantic argument. I don’t get to make the official determination of when life begins, so why not err on the safe side?
December 11th, 2006 at 8:37 pm
Great insight into Planned Parenthood’s ulterior motive in distributing these samples.
Abortion and “family planning” are big business, and thanks to malpractice lawsuits we are well past the point where it is much more profitable for a doctor to “terminate” pregnancies than to deliver babies. I find this very sad.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:50 pm
Incidentally, I find it humorous that they come in 2-pill packages. Convenient if you get sexually assaulted a couple of days after your condom breaks, I guess.
One dose of Plan B is two pills but you wouldn’t know that because you are shooting from the hip.
December 12th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
You know… The regular pill is less expensive, more reliable, and has less severe side effects than the morning after pill. Then if your condom breaks, you only have to worry about STD’s, a worry that hopefully you’ve taken care of before you decide to hop into bed with somebody. But I guess you can’t find many free samples of Ortho-TriCyclin.
December 12th, 2006 at 9:01 pm
Yep, I can see why you are leaving the blogging to those of us who are thoughtful, kind, considerate, knowledgeble, and moderate in our attacks on others. We can do this so much better without you and your balanced looks at both sides and the middle of an issue.
December 12th, 2006 at 10:01 pm
Yes, I admit, I’m way too unkind and inconsiderate. People have even started comparing me to children’s hospitals.
December 13th, 2006 at 11:50 am
There are plenty of reasons why I don’t know that one dose of Plan B is two pills. One of them is that I don’t care.
December 13th, 2006 at 10:56 pm
Hillarious post. Very insightful. The usual that we expect when we stop by and read your thoughts and then it ends with this! I might just have to get angry at you and write a letter to the paper over how inconsider it is of you not to offer your services to the public for free anymore. I mean come on, I go through so much trouble to come by your sight and then get this?
Anyhow, sometimes life calls at just the right times and the decision we make on how we use our time can change our lives. I know you will make a good decision. Just don’t forget all us schmoes out here. Take care,
matt
December 14th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
Please don’t discontinue your blog. You have some great insights and I love how you humorously put things. Don’t go Fishkite…don’t go. Where can I sign a petition to keep your blog going??
December 14th, 2006 at 4:49 pm
I meant to put a :) after my rant. Somehow I forgot. Take care Mick.
December 15th, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Lets not forget Angelo (president of the SCCR) taking up a donation for another fundraiser during the ST.Peter Picnic. I’m surprise he was not outside Autozone before and after the race collecting money for the SCCR then. What kind of person complains about several people (runners) from around the world raising money for sick / dieing children? The children can not ask, the families are desperate, they need our help. Sorry some guy loss an hour of his (hopefully health) life, for some family who is holding their dieing child praying for GOD to save their child, Or the poor families (everyday) arriving at St. Jude not knowing what truely is wrong with their once completely health child. I support St. Jude, I’ve volunteered for St. Jude and also give every month and you make ask “WHY?” I do it for your sister, your wife, your daughter, your son, your mother and father, I do it for HOPE, Hope for a CURE.
“NO Child shall die in the dawn of life, especially without the ability to pay.”
December 19th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
Where, in the letter to the Flyer, does it say that Robert was the one going on the eggnog run? Also, you seem to think the writer’s original destination is just two blocks away from his house. He could be on his way back from Germantown for all you know.
BTW, you sound like this letter writer when addressing Planned Parenthood. PP and its clients are about responsibility. What do you have against that? If you’re going to argue that the organization is an abortionrama, then you’re going have to site how it provides way more abortions that it does contraceptives. Does it?
Add me to the chorus hoping you stay.
December 19th, 2006 at 3:29 pm
Susan:
First, the letter doesn’t explicitly say the purpose of Robert’s trip was for eggnog, but we can reasonably understand that to be the case in the absence of further information. Regardless, the example is his, so whether or not he is describing his own trip or a hypothetical one, it’s silly. Eggnog runs are not as time-critical or important as an annual fund raiser for a children’s hospital, and the lives of its participants do not deserve to be jeopardized simply because some cranky misanthrope failed to plan ahead. So if you live in Midtown and you need access to a Germantown-area eggnog supplier, all I’m saying is that you ought to think about making plans to go in advance of the run, or wait until it has concluded. Of course, Robert could have been headed to a destination more than two blocks away, and could have been seeking an item other than eggnog, but it hardly matters given his statements, since this post is about his letter rather than about the historical accuracy of his voyage. Creative license allows us to fill in those little spaces for the sake of illumination and entertainment.
Second, I’m not arguing that Planned Parenthood is “an abortionrama,” so I don’t need to “site” evidence that it is (are you really the Flyer’s managing editor?). We do know, however, that when we compare, for example, Walgreen’s and Planned Parenthood, the average person on the street will point to Planned Parenthood as the abortion agency and to Walgreen’s as the provider of contraceptives. Abortion is Planned Parenthood’s main thing, regardless of its abortion to contraceptive ratio.
Thanks for writing.
December 19th, 2006 at 4:35 pm
Sorry for the typos. The letter really doesn’t matter. I just think the guy wanted better traffic control.
I simply disagree that PP’s main thing is abortion. Maybe it’s matter of perception.
December 20th, 2006 at 7:59 pm
I agree with you completely about the “Letter “. I still see the bill boards up and down 240 advertising the race for St. Jude. Regardless of traffic control, which was in place. The St. Jude had 3 races that day, 5k , 1/2(half) Marathon, and a Marathon. Anyone that was traveling in that direction was going to have to wait. The race is not just to raise money, it also reminds us of how LUCKY we are that we are well and are kids are also. Thank You Mike for realizing how important St. Jude is and how important it is we raise money. I could not tell you how many T-Shirts I saw (that day) that said “in rememberance of —(some child). With the money raised that day will help in research, and maybe next year we want see as many T-Shirts saying remember that child. A few years ago we had a child who spent a year in ICU and several years in the hospital, after her battle with cancer, she learned to walk again and soon after that was able to run. She entered the St. Jude race and finished the race in her wheel-chair. If I had to wait for 2 hours while she finished the race, then I would gladly do it. The race is not just about money (although much needed), its about HOPE too.