The Devil's Rejects: Free Bird

This song will never be the same in my heart, but that doesn't change its brilliance. You do know there is to be another of the Captain Spaulding movies, yes? Looking forward to that.

Weight Loss on Keto So Far

After just one month, I've dropped 17.6 pounds. I can feel the difference in the lost water weight; my joints are no longer swollen, and I am moving at or above my target number of steps (10K/day).

My clothes are fitting more comfortably, I am able to move and bend over without effort, and I've lost those 'carb cravings' that had doomed earlier diets.

If you're thinking about trying Keto, I would recommend:

• Check with your doctor first - you want to make sure that there is no medical reason that the diet would be bad for you
• Use the Stupid Simple Keto app - easy to use, free for the trial version (although, if you're going to stick with Keto, spend the money to upgrade - among other things, you'll gain the ability to scan bar codes for instant nutritional info.
• Commit to walking (FitBit pedometers are relatively cheap and easy to use) and drinking LOTS of water. I'm not kidding - you will need to re-hydrate frequently.

Follow the Money! I Mean the Text!

For years, I've dealt with assessing contentious legislation through a simple expedient:

Go to the actual text of the proposed/current law. It's easy enough to do these days - a quick search usually turns up a pdf or plaintext of the bill. If it's a national bill, Thomas takes care of that.

Here is the relevant sections of the Virginia bill (the sections dealing with abortion - it's a mixed bill).

First, the published summary from the site.

Then, the full text (sections that pertain to abortion shown below, along with my comments about that section).

§ 18.2-73. When abortion lawful during second trimester of pregnancy.

Notwithstanding any of the provisions of § 18.2-71 and in addition to the provisions of § 18.2-72, it shall be lawful for any physician licensed by the Board of Medicine to practice medicine and surgery, to terminate or attempt to terminate a human pregnancy or aid or assist in the termination of a human pregnancy by performing an abortion or causing a miscarriage on any woman during the second trimester of pregnancy and prior to the third trimester of pregnancy provided such procedure is performed in a hospital licensed by the State Department of Health or operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

OK, first major concern. Abortions during the second trimester are more complicated - the uterus is more apt to tear, bleeding is a bigger concern than in earlier abortions, and, when medical attention is needed, time is critical. This provision is likely in there for several reasons: the physician does not have privileges at a nearby hospital, the cost to the not-a-mother would be less, and it does eliminate oversight by other doctors who might question why the procedure was performed so late, or even whether it was truly the decision of the pregnant woman.

§ 18.2-74. When abortion or termination of pregnancy lawful after second trimester of pregnancy.

Notwithstanding any of the provisions of § 18.2-71 and in addition to the provisions of §§ 18.2-72 and 18.2-73, it shall be lawful for any physician licensed by the Board of Medicine to practice medicine and surgery to terminate or attempt to terminate a human pregnancy or aid or assist in the termination of a human pregnancy by performing an abortion or causing a miscarriage on any woman in a stage of pregnancy subsequent to the second trimester, provided that the following conditions are met:

(a) 1. Said operation is performed in a hospital licensed by the Virginia State Department of Health or operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

(b) 2. The physician and two consulting physicians certify certifies and so enter enters in the hospital record of the woman, that in theirthe physician's medical opinion, based upon their the physician's best clinical judgment, the continuation of the pregnancy is likely to result in the death of the woman or substantially and irremediably impair the mental or physical health of the woman.

Taking away the need to get 2 other doctors on board with the procedure means that the abortion providers needn't justify their actions, using reasonable evidence and arguments.

The part "or impair the mental or physical health of the women" gives very wide latitude. No longer must that impairment be substantial or irremediable (not likely to change). 

You're sad about the pregnancy? Abort.

You're queasy and not feeling your best? Abort.

(c) 3. Measures for life support for the product of such abortion or miscarriage must shall be available and utilized if there is any clearly visible evidence of viability.

No longer will the doctor be required to try to keep the kid alive (those late abortions that result in living children are SUCH a disappointment to everyone involved). You can just bet the people present at that procedure will NOT see any "clearly visible evidence of viability".

§ 18.2-76. Informed written consent required.

A. Before performing any abortion or inducing any miscarriage or terminating a pregnancy as provided in § 18.2-72, 18.2-73, or 18.2-74, the physician shall obtain the informed written consent of the pregnant woman. However, if the woman has been adjudicated incapacitated by any court of competent jurisdiction or if the physician knows or has good reason to believe that such woman is incapacitated as adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction, then only after permission is given in writing by a parent, guardian, committee, or other person standing in loco parentis to the woman, may the physician perform the abortion or otherwise terminate the pregnancy.

In other words, God help you if you have some intellectual or emotional impairment, however brief. You can lose your "right to choose" to a "parent, guardian, committee, or other person standing in loco parentis to the woman".

B. At least 24 hours before the performance of an abortion, a qualified medical professional trained in sonography and working under the supervision of a physician licensed in the Commonwealth shall perform fetal transabdominal ultrasound imaging on the patient undergoing the abortion for the purpose of determining gestational age. If the pregnant woman lives at least 100 miles from the facility where the abortion is to be performed, the fetal ultrasound imaging shall be performed at least two hours before the abortion. The ultrasound image shall contain the dimensions of the fetus and accurately portray the presence of external members and internal organs of the fetus, if present or viewable. Determination of gestational age shall be based upon measurement of the fetus in a manner consistent with standard medical practice in the community for determining gestational age. When only the gestational sac is visible during ultrasound imaging, gestational age may be based upon measurement of the gestational sac. If gestational age cannot be determined by a transabdominal ultrasound, then the patient undergoing the abortion shall be verbally offered other ultrasound imaging to determine gestational age, which she may refuse. A print of the ultrasound image shall be made to document the measurements that have been taken to determine the gestational age of the fetus.

Goodbye to transabdominal (NOT transvaginal) ultrasounds. They are FAR superior to various measurements that are external (basically, feeling the uterus from the outside, and making an educated guess). The time requirements? That gives the woman time to make an INFORMED decision, rather than an emotional, hurried consent.

The provisions of this subsection shall not apply if the woman seeking an abortion is the victim of rape or incest, if the incident was reported to law-enforcement authorities. Nothing herein shall preclude the physician from using any ultrasound imaging that he considers to be medically appropriate pursuant to the standard medical practice in the community.

C. The qualified medical professional performing fetal ultrasound imaging pursuant to subsection B shall verbally offer the woman an opportunity to view the ultrasound image, receive a printed copy of the ultrasound image and hear the fetal heart tones pursuant to standard medical practice in the community, and shall obtain from the woman written certification that this opportunity was offered and whether or not it was accepted and, if applicable, verification that the pregnant woman lives at least 100 miles from the facility where the abortion is to be performed. A printed copy of the ultrasound image shall be maintained in the woman's medical record at the facility where the abortion is to be performed for the longer of (i) seven years or (ii) the extent required by applicable federal or state law.

D. For purposes of this section:

"Informed written consent" means the knowing and voluntary written consent to abortion by a pregnant woman of any age, without undue inducement or any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, or other form of constraint or coercion by the physician who is to perform the abortion or his agent. The basic information to effect such consent, as required by this subsection, shall be provided by telephone or in person to the woman at least 24 hours before the abortion by the physician who is to perform the abortion, by a referring physician, or by a licensed professional or practical nurse working under the direct supervision of either the physician who is to perform the abortion or the referring physician; however, the information in subdivision 5 may be provided instead by a licensed health-care professional working under the direct supervision of either the physician who is to perform the abortion or the referring physician. This basic information shall include:

1. A full, reasonable and comprehensible medical explanation of the nature, benefits, and risks of and alternatives to the proposed procedures or protocols to be followed in her particular case;

2. An instruction that the woman may withdraw her consent at any time prior to the performance of the procedure;

3. An offer for the woman to speak with the physician who is to perform the abortion so that he may answer any questions that the woman may have and provide further information concerning the procedures and protocols;

4. A statement of the probable gestational age of the fetus at the time the abortion is to be performed and that fetal ultrasound imaging shall be performed prior to the abortion to confirm the gestational age; and

5. An offer to review the printed materials described in subsection F. If the woman chooses to review such materials, they shall be provided to her in a respectful and understandable manner, without prejudice and intended to give the woman the opportunity to make an informed choice and shall be provided to her at least 24 hours before the abortion or mailed to her at least 72 hours before the abortion by first-class mail or, if the woman requests, by certified mail, restricted delivery. This offer for the woman to review the material shall advise her of the following: (i) the Department of Health publishes printed materials that describe the unborn child and list agencies that offer alternatives to abortion; (ii) medical assistance benefits may be available for prenatal care, childbirth and neonatal care, and that more detailed information on the availability of such assistance is contained in the printed materials published by the Department; (iii) the father of the unborn child is liable to assist in the support of her child, even in instances where he has offered to pay for the abortion, that assistance in the collection of such support is available, and that more detailed information on the availability of such assistance is contained in the printed materials published by the Department; (iv) she has the right to review the materials printed by the Department and that copies will be provided to her free of charge if she chooses to review them; and (v) a statewide list of public and private agencies and services that provide ultrasound imaging and auscultation of fetal heart tone services free of charge. Where the woman has advised that the pregnancy is the result of a rape, the information in clause (iii) may be omitted.

Informed consent? NOT happening. When women are given full information, SOME of them do change their mind. The intent of this provision, since struck from the bill, is to slow down the rush to abort.

Realistically, many women's first thought is - Get RID of IT! The opportunity to think about it - without pressure - is one that should be available. No one should rush into a life-changing decision without time to process what this will mean, years down the road.

The information required by this subsection may be provided by telephone or in person.

E. The physician need not obtain the informed written consent of the woman when the abortion is to be performed pursuant to a medical emergency or spontaneous miscarriage. "Medical emergency" means any condition which, on the basis of the physician's good faith clinical judgment, so complicates the medical condition of a pregnant woman as to necessitate the immediate abortion of her pregnancy to avert her death or for which a delay will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.

F. On or before October 1, 2001, the Department of Health shall publish, in English and in each language which is the primary language of two percent or more of the population of the Commonwealth, the following printed materials in such a way as to ensure that the information is easily comprehensible:

1. Geographically indexed materials designed to inform the woman of public and private agencies and services available to assist a woman through pregnancy, upon childbirth and while the child is dependent, including, but not limited to, information on services relating to (i) adoption as a positive alternative, (ii) information relative to counseling services, benefits, financial assistance, medical care and contact persons or groups, (iii) paternity establishment and child support enforcement, (iv) child development, (v) child rearing and stress management, (vi) pediatric and maternal health care, and (vii) public and private agencies and services that provide ultrasound imaging and auscultation of fetal heart tone services free of charge. The materials shall include a comprehensive list of the names and telephone numbers of the agencies, or, at the option of the Department of Health, printed materials including a toll-free, 24-hour-a-day telephone number which may be called to obtain, orally, such a list and description of agencies in the locality of the caller and of the services they offer;

2. Materials designed to inform the woman of the probable anatomical and physiological characteristics of the human fetus at two-week gestational increments from the time when a woman can be known to be pregnant to full term, including any relevant information on the possibility of the fetus's survival and pictures or drawings representing the development of the human fetus at two-week gestational increments. Such pictures or drawings shall contain the dimensions of the fetus and shall be realistic and appropriate for the stage of pregnancy depicted. The materials shall be objective, nonjudgmental and designed to convey only accurate scientific information about the human fetus at the various gestational ages; and

3. Materials containing objective information describing the methods of abortion procedures commonly employed, the medical risks commonly associated with each such procedure, the possible detrimental psychological effects of abortion, and the medical risks commonly associated with carrying a child to term.

The Department of Health shall make these materials available at each local health department and, upon request, to any person or entity, in reasonable numbers and without cost to the requesting party.

G. Any physician who fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be subject to a $2,500 civil penalty.

§ 32.1-127. Regulations.

A. The regulations promulgated by the Board to carry out the provisions of this article shall be in substantial conformity to the standards of health, hygiene, sanitation, construction and safety as established and recognized by medical and health care professionals and by specialists in matters of public health and safety, including health and safety standards established under provisions of Title XVIII and Title XIX of the Social Security Act, and to the provisions of Article 2 (§ 32.1-138 et seq.).

B. Such regulations:

1. Shall include minimum standards for (i) the construction and maintenance of hospitals, nursing homes and certified nursing facilities to ensure the environmental protection and the life safety of its patients, employees, and the public; (ii) the operation, staffing and equipping of hospitals, nursing homes and certified nursing facilities; (iii) qualifications and training of staff of hospitals, nursing homes and certified nursing facilities, except those professionals licensed or certified by the Department of Health Professions; (iv) conditions under which a hospital or nursing home may provide medical and nursing services to patients in their places of residence; and (v) policies related to infection prevention, disaster preparedness, and facility security of hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities. For purposes of this paragraph, facilities in which five or more first trimester abortions per month are performed shall be classified as a category of "hospital";

Now, the article where I found the link to the full text is pro-abortion. She cites several physicians on the necessity of this procedure, late in the pregnancy, and is - Disingenuous? Dishonest? about the reasons why someone might choose late-pregnancy abortion.

Dr. Beverly Gray, an assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University, has previously told Refinery29 medical complications are often the reason why pregnancies are terminated after 20 weeks of gestation.

"Many of these women are faced with pregnancies complicated by severe birth defects that can only be diagnosed at this stage of pregnancy. Other women are diagnosed with medical complications, such as cancer, where pregnancy can put their life at risk," she said. "Many teenagers don’t realize they are pregnant until the second trimester and often seek care later, especially if they are hesitant to disclose the news to their family. Because abortion after 20 weeks is more rare, there are fewer ob-gyn’s who provide this care, making it logistically difficult to find a doctor, which can also create delays."
While explaining the HB2491 measure, Northam also explained from a medical perspective what it is like for women with nonviable pregnancies to go into labor. "The infant would be delivered; the infant would be kept comfortable; the infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desire, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother," he said.

Some charts, and a link to the place where I found them. It's worth reading the explanation of these laws/regulations, as it's quite different than suggested by the pro-aborts who sweepingly refer to the MANY countries in which abortion beyond the 1st trimester hunky-dory.

A good follow-up to all this is here, on Front Page Magazine. It'll help heal your tired soul, and wash your mind clean of all of this filth.

Why SpaceX is planning to develop its first Mars landing missions with N...

Soooo...we're going home?

WHAT HAPPENED IN LA? #DrillOrExtraction? #HumanTrafficking? #iPOT #Richi...

I've got a few people who actually buy the "drill" concept. I am retired, I was a SOCOM Security person, I've done a thing or few in a place or few, I know the available training facilities that exist on many many patches of .mil property, this was not a drill. This was some real shit and you're being fed the "nothing to see here" line. The only thing I want to know is the deep detail shit. That's just me though. *AHEM*

LA Helicopter "drill" w/Seal Team 6 or Delta Forces

This is worth every minute of watching. Especially the script at the end. I may be old, and out of shape, but call me back! I'll find a position, and control anything within 1,000 yards.

It’s Time, Senate Was Everything, Investigations Begin - Episode 1786b

Let's hope this actually goes somewhere, yeah?

This Must Be Viewed

     Don’t give me any “I don’t do videos” BS. This is three and a half minutes long and vitally important:

     It is incomprehensible to me that there are Americans – non-Muslims – who fail to appreciate the evil and savagery of Islam.

     Any woman who sees this and remains persuaded that “Islam respects women’s rights” is too far gone into lunacy to be helped – or trusted.

Concerning The State Of The Union Speech

     It was a brilliant speech. President Trump hit all the right notes. But it must be remembered that the opposition does not share his attitude; it is entirely partisan and focused on power for itself. These are people, owing to the steady devolution of our political class over the century past, who are interested in nothing but their own power and perquisites. The good of the country doesn't even blip their radars.

     They must go, one and all. Let there be no "safe districts." No matter how many years a district has been dominated by Democrats, they can be ousted — and they must be. (The same goes for the Establishment Republicans who give the president lip service while maneuvering in secret to thwart him.) The successful continuation of the greatest experiment in freedom in all of human history demands it.

Gotta Brag!

I checked my weight this morning, and I'm done 16 pounds since Christmas - most of it in the last 3 weeks.

The app that I'm tracking it all with is Stupid, Simple Keto. It's on my phone, handy, and the paid version - less than $20 - also lets you scan foods. Very important to do in the supermarket, BEFORE you bring food into the house.

My knees feel MUCH better, and my asthma has calmed down.

A Lot of Common Sense Here

Saw the link, clicked on a whim, and found it VERY worthwhile.

Having Trouble Starting Work, Because...

...there's just so MUCH doggone interesting news going on!

• Infanticide - yes, Democrats actually CHEERING the possibility of KILLING a baby! They may think they "won", but this has the potential to topple abortion support completely - possibly giving the Supreme Court the opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade.
• The Ralph (Democrat) Northam debacle. Now, his Lt. Gov. may be having issues relating to #MeToo assault! Haven't had so much excitement in years. Sigh. Remember when wearing blackface wan't no big thang?
• Yes, I know that Big Brother has his eyes on us all, but - this site writes about the potential for satellites to save lives in weather emergencies.
• Mocking your competitor for closing on Sunday seems not to be a good marketing strategy.
• Remember when interviewing the candidates for judicial appointments USED to be about discerning whether they were qualified? Good times, good times. Nice to see that the Leftists are even-handed in attempted character assassination.

I've also been working really hard on improving my health. I've been doing Keto, which has allowed me to lose the extra fluids that had been accumulating in my legs. That, in turn, took the excess stress off my joints.

It's been a huge difference in how I feel. This morning, I had sliced corned beef (made yesterday in the Instant Pot, and just falling apart in tenderness), eggs, and with 1.0 oz of sliced Harvarti Cheese with Garlic. Delicious, and only 1.16 g of carbs.

I found that pork rinds are incredible. I'd tried them before, but hated them. The light dawned when I realized that what I hated was the barbeque flavor. Plain rinds are WONDERFUL, and give me a crunchy protein and fat carrier system, other than bread.

2nd Week of Keto

Still going surprisingly well. I'm a long-time carb lover, whose girth had gotten way beyond the 'sort of OK' point. I needed to do something.

I checked around, and found that a Keto diet would accomplish several things:

• Lose weight (OK, for the science-minded, actually mass)
• Decrease water retention - a problem due to periodic use of steroids for asthma issues
• Eliminate my carb cravings that had torpedoed other diet efforts

Boy, did it! Until today, I had no carb cravings. Even when I did start sniffing around carb-y snacks, I quickly was able to find a substitute - cheese strips. It worked.

I'm able to eat a whole lot of things:

• Meats
• Cheeses
• Non-starchy veggies
• Bacon
• Ham
• Sausage
• Olives
• Hummus (in moderation)
• Pork rinds - never liked them before - it turns out that I hated the barbeque flavor of the ones I sampled previously. Plain pork rinds are delish - AND a great scoop for various protein-laden stuff

Tomorrow, I'm going to track down an easy recipe for Bulletproof Coffee - devotees swear bythe high-fat snack drink.

I'll be weighing in tomorrow.

These demoncraps have got to go

Okay, this is as good a starting point as any. And down at the bottom of each page is a link to other posts.

I'm too pissed right at the moment to say much more.

2 Great Game Day Chicken Wing Sauce Recipes

If you're going to watch that S&M prostitution, you may as well enjoy your food.

WWG1WGA dedication to Q and the Anon’s

Need to figure out how to lock this at the top.

STATE of the UNION: the prophecy ~ Trump

This guy is quite good, actually. We are getting well, and it's about bloody time!

Dads On Pointe

NOT a good idea, this fad of Dads dressing up in womanly clothes. Many children 'try out' the dress of the opposite sex. It's common, and, for those not encouraged by Feminist Nazi Parents to do it on a regular basis, it's short-lived. Generally, by the end of pre-school, a kid's sexual identity is confirmed as the same as his/her biological, DNA-matching sex.

What kid doesn't love rubbing the satin edging of his favorite blanket? Or stroking a silky blouse? So, a kid's attraction to soft, touchable fabrics is at least PART of the attraction to his sister's dress-up clothing.

Not a deep-seated, innate desire to be a female.

But, no. Just, no, to the idea of "Precious Dad" in female regalia - even if it's Pretend Fairy Queen. That just leads to prolonging the time of gender confusion.

Leftist Tactics - Part 1

I was talking to someone younger, and he asked (not angry, just curious): "Why do you hate the Leftists so much?"

I responded with a few short paragraphs about Soviet incursions into other countries, those in the USA that collaborated with them, and the dismal effect that allowing Leftists in k12 education had on learning. Really, I could have provided a lot more evidence, just from having lived through the 2nd half of the 20th century.

Then, it dawned on me. Those who are younger than Baby Boomers have absolutely NO memories of the Leftists being the Bad Guys. To them, they're the Nice Ones.

I'm going to finally get off my ass, and do some SHORT intros to the ideas of the Left, perhaps once a week. I could use a buddy to help me, so, if any of the other Outlaws wants to collaborate, let me know.

Meanwhile, there's this on Leftist Tactics, which - thanks to the wide availability of cell phone cameras, did not - this time - succeed..

Watch Company Launches Response To Gillette ‘Toxic Masculinity’ Ad; It G...

I think I need a watch.