The evening news is utterly unwatchable. It’s not just that the quality of reporting is depressing, but the news itself still causes me to want to move into a cave and live a hermetic life. For example, I watched the ABC evening news on Friday. Three stories made me want to set out on a shooting rampage.
First, there was a report that I only saw the end of, but had something to do with Vietnam veterans. The final quote from one of the vets was, “Vietnam was different than Iraq. In Vietnam, we wanted to overthrow the government, but in Iraq, we want to help.” Riiiiiight. The goal of the Iraq invasion had nothing to do with removing their government and replacing it with one of our choice. Help me if people actually think this.
The next news item was about the FDA’s re-approval of silicone breast implants. I am all in support of scientific evidence. I understand that there is no scientific evidence that conclusively links silicone leaking out of implants and carousing through a person’s body to other ailments. However, I also understand that there is no conclusive evidence that there is no long term effect. Can I remind people that silicone breast implants are a completely elective and cosmetic procedure? Lives are not saved with breast implants. And how jolly that silicone fake tits resemble real ones more closely than saline fake tits, as the traitorous woman plastic surgeon gushed on TV. Guess what most resembles real tits? Yes, real tits. Ladies, leave the girls alone! If you are sad and lonely, it is not because your tits are too small. Breast implants will not make your life better. Appreciate who you are instead of having bags full of weird chemicals stuffed into your chest. If you still insist on a boob job, and 15 or 20 years later, you are all fucked up because you have silicone blood, don’t come crying to me. I hope your insurance rejects all your claims because it pisses me off that I have to pay to fix something that never should have happened in the first place.
Sigh. Onto my next beef with the world. Hey! It’s the medical “profession” again! It seems that more and more doctors have decided that the practice of medicine includes theology. So if a woman is raped and asks for emergency contraceptive because she might kill herself if she wound up pregnant as a result, doctors needn’t consider what is best for the patient, but what the voice of Jesus/Shiva/Buddha/L. Ron Hubbard/Lubavitcher Rebbe in their heads want. So it’s completely subjective and interpretive. Whatever. Medicine is really about playing God anyway, right?
On the bright side, CNN had a nice interview with Richard Linklater about the horrors undocumented workers are subjected to after meat packing companies lure them here for jobs. It is nice to see someone stand up for undocumented workers, some of the most vulnerable people living in the US, and finally place the blame for the rise in illegal immigration where it belongs, which is on the giant companies that knowingly recruit them for jobs because it is easier to abuse them since they can’t complain about insanely dangerous working conditions.
At least I can flee the real world and hang out with Dr. H and Dr. P in shifts. They are lovely women. I don’t know what I would do without my pals.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Stupid beta blogger! I just posted a comment and I think it erased it so I apologize if I post twice. The news is always lovely! I've always wondered what happens if a woman with breast implants gets pregnant (because her milk comes in when she gives birth whether she wants to breastfeed or not)and/or she wants to breastfeed her baby. She must feel like her chest is going to explode.
ReplyDeleteThis is totally why I don't watch the news anymore. The way the news media seems to work is that if they say it on tv enough times, people will believe it to be the truth-so it doesn't matter what the truth really is.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't you know? Every country around the world WANTS to be a democracy, has the culture to support a democracy and make it work, and has the security forces to protect a fledgling government of ANY kind. And we've just been so very "helpful" to the people over there in Iraq-they must just LOVE us.
I said from the beginning, that a. successful change in government really needs to come from within the country, not outside and b. I would bet that within five years of us leaving Iraq completely, they'll have a new Saddam in power again.
But does anybody listen to me?
Yeah I gave up on the news a long time ago. If it wasn't about how many people died, it was crap like this. Never good news.
ReplyDeleteDo you share your complaints about the medical profession with the lovely Drs.?
Well Suzanne, long-term health really pales in comparison to the benefits of having large breasts, don't you think????
ReplyDeleteAnd Iraq/Vietnam... I won't even get started!
The meat packing industry has always been heinous and will always continue to be. At least your role in supporting (or not supporting) that is more under your control than say, the whims of invasion of your current president in any given year...
ReplyDeleteWhat about women that have had mastectomies and want reconstructive surgery? I know this is a loaded question.
ReplyDeleteI think breast implants should be filled with sedatives. At least then when they leak into a woman's blood stream she won't feel so upset..
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't want to upset anyone but not all us guys like Dolly Parton sized breasts so if you are having implants to balance out your butt or something go ahead.But if you are doing it to attract guys think twice about it..
Mom, I agree. I think reconstructive surgery is a different matter. I have no problem with someone who had to have their boob removed wanting to put it back. On the other hand, I really respect those women who don't, too.
ReplyDeleteI don't have much of a high horse to be on here, because I had breast reduction surgery that, while deemed "medically necessary," was still basically elective. I wanted smaller boobies.
It turns out that silicone implants remained available to women with mastectomies all along. While I understand that it is a cosmetic decision in a sense to have reconstructive surgery, it is really NOT the same thing as when a woman has two perfectly healthy breasts but she cuts herself up so that she can meet some weird cultural "bigger is better" imperative. Obviously, it is a very different situation than someone who has to have a breast removed for health reasons and wants to look and feel "normal" afterward. I often wonder myself what I would do if I were in that situation. It would be very hard to walk away from having an implant and deal with trying to find clothes and almost more challenging, acceptance in a world that places a premium on not looking "freaky."
ReplyDelete