Just Say No

Soni was quite stoned after his abdominal ultrasound. Poor baby, we're trying to figure out what's wrong. He's having lower urinary tract issues, and has been to the vet about a half dozen times for tests and more meds. Now we're looking at a cystoscopy with a canine internal medicine specialist! Getting older sucks for dogs too.

post ultrasound

Just Say No to sedation

Maryland School District Plans to Steal Student Work

Parents, has your child ever written a really good essay, story, or poem for a school assignment? Has he or she ever drawn or painted a really terrific picture? Teachers, have you ever written your own lesson plan to use with your class and found it to be a huge success? Pretty proud of those creative, innovative, and intelligent works, huh? Well, if you live in Prince George's County, Maryland, make sure you give credit to the school system because they own the copyright to your and your children's work!

A recent proposal by the Prince George's County Board of Education seeks to copyright work created by staff and students for school (Washington Post, March 2, 2013). The policy was created to address the increased use of technology in the classroom and to make clear that material created with apps on iPads owned by the school are the property of the school. However, the Prince George's proposal goes further. It states that even work created for school on teachers' or students' own time at home and using their own materials belongs to the school system.  Thus, any profits from teacher or student work would also belong to the school system.

Many school districts, such as nearby Montgomery County, do have policies stating that work created by employees using "substantial time, facilities or materials" belong to the school system, but none has a rule about ownership of student work. Additionally, most universities have "sharing agreements" in which work created by professors and college students benefits all parties involved, not just the university. 

Board Chair Verjeana M. Jacobs stated that it is not the intention of the PG County school system to "declare ownership" of students' work but to make sure that the school district "gets recognition." Jacobs did not elaborate on what "recognition" actually means. As written, the school district gets more than recognition for projects created for school; it gets ownership and whatever profits may accrue if the project is marketed. 

We all know that children in the public school system give up some of their rights when on school property. They may have to adhere to dress codes, and their behavior is regulated. Teachers also are prohibited from talking about certain topics while at work or engaging in certain behaviors. This policy, however, strips students and teachers of their intellectual property rights. It could potentially stifle the creativity and motivation of both teachers and students, which is the polar opposite of what a good school district should be aiming to do.

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Gender Traitor

Sometimes (okay, almost all of the time) I just want to renounce my U.S. citizenship and become an expat someplace where the lawmakers aren't total jackwagons! Some of the statements and proposals made by our elected officials are so blatantly ridiculous and offensive that I am truly embarrassed to admit that I live in this country. Example? New Mexico GOP Representative Cathrynn Brown's recent bill in the State House of Representatives that would prohibit women who have been raped from obtaining an abortion. Why? For "tampering with evidence of a crime" that could land them up to three years in prison. Yes, that's right-prison! For the rape victim!

Even setting aside the question of whether an embryo or fetus can be considered "evidence," proving that a rape victim is pregnant is totally irrelevant to proving that a rape occurred. One does not need to be raped to be pregnant; conversely, one does not need to be pregnant to provide evidence of a rape. The reasoning behind this proposed legislation implies that if a woman does not become pregnant, then no rape has occurred. This bit of insanity even contradicts another great GOP thinker, Senate nominee Todd Akin of Missouri, who recently stated that "legitimate rape" rarely results in pregnancy! (How can so many blithering idiots be allowed to govern? Just asking.)

Representative Brown has defended her bill by suggesting that it is intended to punish the perpetrator of the rape who then assists or coerces abortion to destroy evidence of the crime. We all know that the majority of rapists are keen to "assist" their victims in obtaining abortions. They just love to hang around after the crime to see if their victim becomes pregnant so they can coerce her to tamper with evidence. Rep. Brown claims that "by adding this law in New Mexico, we can help to protect women across our state.” I see. The state will be protecting women by prosecuting them for a felony and threatening them with prison. I, for one, am glad I do not have New Mexico's law protecting me! I would like to be able to make my own reproductive decisions without worrying about whether or not I'm destroying evidence!

This assbackwards law would not only criminalize victims of a crime but would most likely prevent rape victims from coming forward to report the crime at all.  Why would a women risk reporting a rape when she would then be forced to carry a resulting pregnancy to term? This law is just one more example of the twisted thinking of the GOP and their assault on women. The fact that it was a woman who concocted this mess of a law astounds me even more. Rep. Brown should be tossed out of office for this offensive piece of legislation. Then she should have her status as a woman revoked as well.

Fun In Annapolis

Great mother-daughter bonding experience in Annapolis this morning! Decided to let the daughter (16) skip the first few periods of school to participate in the counter-protest of Westboro Baptist Church. We (the sane people) gathered across the street from the Circuit Court to demonstrate against Westboro Baptist and their hate-filled rants against gay marriage.
 

                   My daughter and I freezing in Annapolis this morning Here is a news item I found already from the Annapolis Patch You can see us in the front!