Typically, anti-abortion activists and conservative politicians oppose abortion on moral grounds, equating the process to murder of an unborn fetus. Evidently, they must find every human life to be valuable. Maybe even priceless!

….Well, no, not priceless exactly. As it turns out, one conservative Texas lawmaker values the life of an unborn fetus at about $500.

Texas State Senator Dan Patrick has proposed a bill that would make it state law to offer expectant mothers considering abortion $500 to have the child, and then consider adoption as an alternative:

His proposal calls for giving any woman going to an abortion clinic the $500 option, to be paid no more than 30 days after the baby is born and given up for adoption.

Critics say the proposal would violate Texas and federal laws against buying babies, which Patrick rejected as “the typical ridiculous criticism.“

Yeah, I guess criticizing the treatment of children as property is kinda “typical,” now isn’t it? Never mind the fact that when a dollar amount is put on the head of a newborn, all kinds of nastyness can follow. Take for instance the extreme hypothetical (but still possible) case of low likfe “professional” deadbeat mothers. In a world where there are mothers who have been charged with trying to sell their kids for crack, isn’t it feasible that someone might purposefully try to get knocked up a couple of times to earn some cash?

I’ve been on a major anime and manga binge for the past few months, almost literally burning my paycheck in order to sate my desire for Japanese goodies. Many would label me a Japanophile for this, but that’s really steering this in a completely different direction than the one it’s meant to be going in.

Around New Year’s, apparently a good friend of mine got interested in the series Naruto. Anyone who is familiar with some anime or manga knows that Naruto is, in fact, one of the most watched/read series. It’s also easy to make an observation that people will either love the show or hate the show, after giving it a chance. Some people hate it simply on principle because, well, so many people like it.

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She’s posting all the time,
but the boards are down; like a burnt-down building.
He spends all of his time
on his back, staring at the ceiling.

They spend themselves that way,
and I’m with That, I’m with them
but you’re not. You are alive.
Damnit.

* * * *

She just ignores the time
that the boards came down; it’s a burned-out feeling.
He just accepts the pain
with a hate mantra; a spiritual killing.

They just relax that way,
and I’m with That, I’m with them
but you’re not. You’re still alive.
Damnit.

Gnawing at the prey, I think about you some;
Where to put you?
All that backed up data for a raining day.

Insulate a fragile mind,
Capsulize your broken find.
“Don’t do this man,”
There’s another one behind,
Breaking down the door without warning.

I get the same result,
We all get the same effect.

Can’t go through this now;
I’m leaving a message
Stapled on your head.