Dear Todd Akin...

If you aren't familiar with Todd Akin, take a moment to Google him.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-todd-akin-says-he-will-rush-to-the-gunfire-stay-in-senate-race-20120821,0,7251191.story

And here is my response:


Dear Mr. Akin,

It is my understanding, based on your national statement, that you believe abortion should be completely illegal, even to rape victims.  You also said, and I quote, “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”  

Really, sir?

My first question is: what exactly do you consider to be "a legitimate rape?"  Legitimate, as opposed to what other kind of rape?  The definition of "rape" as found in Webster's Dictionary is "The crime of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse with {them}, especially by the threat or use of violence."  Now, please explain to me how there can be any kind of rape other than legitimate, based on that definition.  If there is no threat involved, and the intercourse occurs, that's not rape.  That's consensual sex.  I don't see how there can be any other kind of rape.  I find that statement ridiculous on its own.

My next question is: would you care to scientifically, and factually, explain to me how my female reproductive system can stop my rapist's sperm from separating from his semen and swimming up to my uterus?  I apologize for painting the visual, but I'm trying to understand what you're insinuating.  From your statement, it seems to me that you believe my uterus can reject semen.  Well, Mr. Akin, if that were the case, I wouldn't need birth control, would I?  Birth control was designed and created to kill sperm and keep them from attaching to the female egg.  Or were you not aware of how babies are made?  

The uterus cannot think.  It doesn't know which sperm are good and which are evil.  It has no control over man's "little swimmers."  If you can prove me wrong with factual evidence, please do so.  I can admit when I'm wrong, but I think I have a pretty good understanding of how the ol' Bull Head works down there.  

The government should have zero say or input as to whether or not a woman carries out a pregnancy to full term.  It is her body, her life, and her decision.  It's not up to me to decide if my best friend or sister should carry out her pregnancy or terminate it.  It's not going to be me caring for the child, or making the decision to keep it or give it up for adoption.  If it's not my body or my pregnancy, I should have zero input.  If you want to ban abortion because you think it's taking a life, why not put a ban on eating meat?  Innocent animals are killed for human consumption.  A lot of animal lives are taken by humans.  Why not make that illegal too, eh?

Mr. Akin, you crossed a serious line making factually incorrect statements on National television.  I respect that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  However, a man in your position should be a little more careful about how he chooses to speak those opinions to the public.

My final question, Mr. Akin, is how would you feel if one of your daughters came home pregnant, as a result of rape?  What if the court system deemed her rape "illegitimate," based on YOUR definition of "legitimate rape?"  What if your daughter had no means to provide for her unborn child, no medical insurance to be able to get prenatal care and keep her and the child healthy?  What then?  

No woman should have to go through a traumatic experience such as rape, and then be legally forced to carry out pregnancy for 9+ months.  The physical pain and trauma is enough, but the emotional suffering a woman experiences as a result of that type of situation is one that you could only hope your daughters never, ever have to go through.  

You should be ashamed of yourself.  I know you issued an apology, but a rapist's apology the next day is a little bit late too, don't you think?

Sincerely,
Alicia M. Siegfried
Sacramento, CA
Pro-CHOICE

Marriage is not Prison

'Tis the season to get married!!!

Soooo many friends are getting married, and I keep seeing posts on Facebook about "the last days of freedom" before these weddings.  

Marriage is not meant to be prison.  It's not a sentencing.  You're supposed to be committing yourself to your best friend for the rest of your lives.  You're just beginning a new chapter.  Sounds cliche, but it's true.  If you feel like getting married is the end of your freedom, then you shouldn't be marrying that person.  You should be with someone who makes you feel adventurous and alive.  

Marriage is about finding a partner.  Someone to go places with, and have new experiences with.  It's not the end of your social life.  You can still have friends, male and female, and go places and do things with those friends.  Just because you're married doesn't mean that the rest of the world stops existing. 

 If you really feel like you can't have a life outside of your spouse, then maybe you should reconsider the marriage.  Just my personal, outside, experienced opinion.  

Think about it.

The rules of calling/texting before 7:00 am

I got my first text message at 6:40 am today. (eh hem...Shaena)

My alarm goes off at 7:00 am.  20 whole minutes later that I could have been sleeping.

While Shaena's text (a photo of a seal on a reef, with a picture of the recording artist Seal's face....get it?) was quite hilarious and made me giggle, it was too damn early!!!  

Some people will say, "Just put your phone on silent," or "Why don't you turn your phone off at night?"  Well if there's a midnight emergency, and someone needs a DD or something, I want to be reachable.

For future reference, here is a list of acceptable reasons to call or text me before 7:00 am on a weekday (9:00 am on a weekend)...

1. We had even earlier plans and I am late (likely because my alarm was still set for normal time).

2. You have severed a limb and cannot drive yourself to the ER (yet how are you  making this call?).

3. You want our outfits to match that day, so you need to know what colors I'm wearing.

4. You're placing a cake order over $300.

5. My dog died.

6. You are drunk and need a ride.

7. You are drunk, need a ride, and help breaking into your own house because you threw your keys somewhere in your drunken state.

8. You have breakfast and mimosas waiting for me.

9. You're making sure I'm alive because I could be drunk.

10. There's a serious emergency and you need to get ahold of me.

Anything else can wait until after 7:00 or 9:00 am respectively.  I likely won't respond to you until several hours later anyway, so texting me any earlier is useless.  I do love my friends and their funny messages, but at the right time.

In other news, it's been like 3 months since my last blog, so here's a quick update:

My life is awesome.  The end.

Happy Friday, people!!!!!

Anything you can do...

Lately there have been a lot of friends asking me, "Ali, is there anything you can't do?"  I sing (sometimes), dance, sew, knit/crochet, bake, cook, play the piano...but there's plenty that I can't do.  I can't...

Do the splits

Do a handstand

Put my fist in my mouth

Tie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue

Do a pull up

Run more than a mile without stopping to walk

BBQ

Keep a plant alive for more than its grocery store shelf life

Play the guitar (or any other string instrument)

Skateboard

Do a back flip

Speak or understand French/Italian

Watch TV without changing the channel during commercials

Ice skate backwards

Ride my bike with no hands

Tie my shoes with the "bunny ear" method

Roller skate

Yodel

Juggle

I think that's a pretty substantial start to the list of things I can't do.  However, those are all now on my bucket list.  No one is perfect, and we all have things we wish we could do.  So what's stopping you from trying them?

You.

Stop getting in your own way, and go for it.  You can thank me later.  Happy Friday, kiddos!!!

Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow...

HAPPY
VALENTINE'S

DAY!!!

I am normally 100% against this so-called "holiday" because
1) I've never had a good Valentine's Day, and 2) it's not a real holiday unless I have the day off work, which I do not.  

However.....

I did celebrate this year.

For starters, I bought myself two new dresses :)  Sure, they're the same dress in two different prints, but who's going to know that?  Besides the 10 people who are going to read this...  I'm a firm believer in treating yourself here and there.  It makes me feel better about myself, and I just flat out wanted to.  So, Happy Valentine's Day to me! 

But yesterday was really my "celebration."  A little less cliche to do it on a day that isn't really Valentine's Day...

I started the day sleeping in, which is always, always a good thing.  I had breakfast at Mel's, followed by an impromptu trip to Fairfield for a tour at the Jelly Belly Factory!  I hadn't been in YEARS, but I didn't recognize anything so it was like my first time all over again.

After that, we headed back to Vacaville to the Premium Outlets and did a little light shopping.  (Yes, "light" shopping.)  We finished up the day with dinner at Jalisco downtown, which was DELICIOUS, and then a movie on the couch.  Overall, my best Valentine's Day to date.  I have zero complaints and I wouldn't change anything about the day.

Who is my Valentine, you ask?  Who did I do all these activities with? 

Wouldn't you like to know... hehehe...

Eppie's Great Race

  

It's official. I'm going to do Eppie's Great Race "No Swim" Triathalon.  July 21, 2012.

5.82 mile run

12.5 mile bike

6.35 mile paddle

I've lost all this weight, now it's time to go hard.

Who else is in?

Viva La Android

   It's official. I'm an Android-user.  So long, AT&T -- hello, Verizon!  I had been looking into switching carriers for several weeks, but a friend told me that the phone I had been looking at, the HTC Thunderbolt, was free with a new 2-year agreement until January 26th.  Since I'm within a month of my contract expiring with AT&T, they waived my early termination fee, and I ordered the Thunderbolt.

  Verdict: Amazing.

   I've had my iPhone for 2 years now, and it was great.  It was pretty user-friendly, had some cool features, and mostly just kept me occupied and entertained.  The Thunderbolt, however, has WAY more features and functionality.  The music is FREE  -  suck it, iTunes.  It's basically a mini-PC.  I have never been a fan of Apple or Mac, but the iPhone was the cool thing to have.  Now that I've switched, I don't know that I'll ever get another iPhone.  Some people thought I was crazy to go from iPhone to Android, including the Verizon salesmen.  But to each their own, and my own is Android.  

   As far as the cell service, I would like to point out that when I switched from Surewest to Cingular in 2006, it was advertised as "the network with the fewest dropped calls."  I would also like to point out that I never had a dropped call until I switched to Cingular/AT&T.  I have basically stopped using my phone because I can't get through an entire phone call without dropping it.  But with Verizon?  I have coverage EVERYWHERE.  I haven't had a dropped call yet, and the customer service is so much better.

   So AT&T, it's been real.  But there are many changes happening in my life and this is just another one on the list.  Isn't change amazing?  The answer is yes.  It is.