Wordless Wednesday

Vagina Tax?

With credit to Firedog Lake for the "Vagina Tax" line.

Politco, on Texas Rep. Pete Sessions opinion on health care costs, and how women should pay more.

Like smokers do.

"Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex.), the head of the Republicans campaign committee, caused a stir at last night's Rules Committee meeting when he suggested that treating female-related health conditions was comparable to insurance-company imposed restrictions on smokers.

"Why should a woman pay more than a man?" asked New Jersey Democrat Frank Pallone, according to the Courthouse News Service.

"Well, we're all different," Sessions explained. "Why should a smoker pay more?" he said before interrupted."

Maybe, MAYBE it would be comparable if being female were a choice one makes in one's life, like choosing to smoke. But it's not.

As I wrote previously, women shoulder the burden of added health care costs almost entirely when they participate with men in sex and reproduction. With logic like some politicans use, even women who make the choice to not have children would have to pay more because they cost more in terms of contraceptives used, but even a woman who chooses to abstain entirely would have to pay higher premiums because she's at risk of costing more.

Crap like this is deplorable, really.

Being a Woman is not a Pre-existing Condition

Or at least, it shouldn't be, but in some states, and for some insurance companies, your gender can cause you to pay higher rates, or be denied coverage.

A new website, http://awomanisnotapreexistingcondition.com/ has come out, urging people to get involved for health care reform.

The site covers many depressing-but-true facts about how health care coverage, costs, and insurance affect women specifically. Gender can be considered a factor to raise raise. Women have been denied coverage for "pre-existing conditions" such as being victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and for previously having had a cesarean section. Some women have even been denied new coverage because they were pregnant at the time.

Some health insurance plans don't properly cover reproductive health needs, or offer maternity care.

Women shoulder a disproportionate burden for reproductive needs: Men don't take birth control pills, or other forms of contraception. My OB's office told me that the cost of the Mirena out of pocket was over $1000. Men also don't need to get prenatal care, or other medical services, including delivery costs when birth control is not used, fails, or when a couple chooses to have a child.

Women still make less in the same jobs as men, and are forced to pay more for health insurance and medical services, or be denied for child-bearing related reasons.

We can't change the biological differences between men and women that create different health care needs, but we CAN change what society and business does to perpetuate gender inequality.

Happy Anniversary

...to my wonderful husband Josh.

You are my strength and hope when I need it. You are my biggest fan, and my unending support. All the little things like laundry on the floor or coffee grounds on my counter are nothing but trivialities compared to all the good you are to me, and in my life. You love me for everything I am, everything I am not, and I know you are proud of me.

When the statistics say that something like 80% of marriages that lose a child end in divorce, I know that is one statistic we will beat. For everything that we have been through I only love you more, because we get through it all together.

It's only been two years since we got married, but it could have already been forever, and I could believe it. Being with you is so easy.

To two years, and to so many more.



I love you.

Halloween Photos

Sadly, we didn't get anywhere near as many trick or treaters as we did last year. Sadly, oh so sadly, someone will have to eat these 2 giant bags of Costco candy. I'm heartbroken. (nom nom)

Josh loves Halloween, and did a bunch of decorating and pumpkin carving this year, and so here's pictures.



The pumpkins:






The front of the house:







The truck here:

...had a very unphotogenic but super cool zombie sitting in the driver's seat, with a skull for a head with glowy eye sockets who stared you down as you walked up the driveway. It turned out awesome, but photographed poorly. I overheared a few comments of people pointing out the zombie, and to look in the truck.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Today, Josh carved our pumpkins, and I played with the pumpkin seeds. We had quite a few pumpkins, so it took some time to sort through all the guts and wash the seeds.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Take the seeds from your pumpkins, and wash the pumpkiny guts off thoroughly. I use a strainer for this, and light scrubbing with my hands to get the flesh off. Spread the seeds out to dry a bit on a paper towel. You don't want them sopping wet for the seasoning stage.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Toss a portion of your seeds into a small ziploc bag, then toss the seasoning in. The damp seeds help the seasoning stick. Seal the bag, then shake and toss the seeds inside to coat evenly. Add more seasoning if you need more coverage, and toss again.

Grease a sheet pan or cookie sheet. Nonstick spray works fine too. Spread the seeds out on the sheet in a single layer. Roast the seeds for 20-25 minutes, stirring them up and respreading sometime midway through. I tossed in two cookie sheets at a time, one on each rack.

I made three different flavors of roasted seeds. I don't have any exact measurements, and this will vary greatly depending on your taste and amount of seeds.

Garlic: Garlic powder, salt, black pepper.
Sweet Pumpkin Spice: Pumpkin spice mix, a small bit of salt, granulated sugar.
(If you don't have premade like I did, a mix of nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove will do the trick.)
Spicy: Salt, red pepper, black pepper, cumin, parsley.



We had a lot of pumpkins, and so I haven't cooked up all the seeds yet. I may experiment with more flavor combos, or just make more of our favorite.

Putting my arm where my mouth (blog) is.

I got my seasonal flu vaccine this morning. The one with thimerosal, even!

H1N1 is nowhere to be found, and they have no idea when it will be readily available here. The nurse doing the shots today lamented how her daughter, 7 months pregnant, couldn't find it anywhere. At the moment, I am not in any of the higher risk groups, so I will wait my turn.