I've been out of the office, and out of the country, for the majority of the past few weeks, and only managed to blog once in that time. So here's a bunch of stuff you should know about, if you don't.
Also, I think I'm going to the DNC Convention in Denver. Any tips? Invites? Hotel rooms for me? I have a three hour event I need to attend on Monday, but am open to being there as long as I can be.
Okay, news:
Of course, you know that the laws around surrogacy are complex and nowhere near settled, but adding an international issue to the mix makes things even more complex! A Japanese couple used an Indian surrogate to have a baby, but the Japanese couple divorced before the baby was born - the ex-husband wants to adopt the baby, and apparently neither the ex-wife nor the surrogate mom wants the baby. He, apparently, has no rights to the child.
People 16 and over in the UK will soon have access to a chlamydia drug over the counter.
Now, y'all know how I feel about diamonds, generally, and engagement rings in particular, no? If not, I'll direct you this article, which nicely sums up many points I make. Plus, also, there's this whole anti-trust thing with DeBeers that is just horrid, not to mention the brilliant but evil marketing as well as supply chain issues. Anyway, DeBeers is trying to "polish its image" which has been the headline of more than one article this decade. Keep trying, folks.
How much do we want to talk about whether or not abortion is murder? I know lots of folks do. One: the South Dakota law that requires "informed consent" to include a statement that a fetus is a separate life was upheld this summer. Two: The leak of the HHS secret regulation that defines abortion as anything interfering with the process from conception to live birth, which includes IUDs, the Morning After Pill and many other hormonal contraceptives. Secretary Leavitt says that the draft ruling isn't ready for release, but he doesn't seem to address the issue of definition abortion.
Animal story: Ancient lizard couple lays fertilized eggs. The male is 111 years old, the female almost 80.