He Does Look Good!

In contrast, all my husband and I had to do was sign a form. Our competence to choose the outcome of our embryo was never questioned. There were no mandatory lectures on gestation, no requirement that I be explicitly told that personhood begins at conception or that I view a picture of a day-five embryo. There was no compulsory waiting period for me to reconsider my decision. In fact, no state imposes these restrictions — so common for abortion patients — on patients with frozen embryos. With rare exceptions, the government doesn’t interfere with an IVF patient’s choices except to resolve disagreements between couples. The disparity between how the law treats abortion patients and IVF patients reveals an ugly truth about abortion restrictions: that they are often less about protecting life than about controlling women’s bodies. Both IVF and abortion involve the destruction of fertilized eggs that could potentially develop into people. But only abortion concerns women who have had sex that they don’t want to lead to childbirth. Abortion restrictions use unwanted pregnancy as a punishment for “irresponsible sex” and remind women of the consequences of being unchaste: If you didn’t want to endure a mandatory vaginal ultrasound , you shouldn’t have had sex in the first place .

Fertility clinics destroy embryos all the time. Why aren’t conservatives after them?

(via azspot)

Think I broke my hand I hit reblog so fast

(via artedish)

How will the James Webb Space Telescope change how we see the universe? Ask an expert!

The James Webb Space Telescope is launching on December 22, 2021. Webb’s revolutionary technology will explore every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe, to everything in between. Postdoctoral Research Associate Naomi Rowe-Gurney will be taking your questions about Webb and Webb science in an Answer Time session on Tuesday, December 14 from noon to 1 p.m EST here on our Tumblr!

🚨 Ask your questions now by visiting http://nasa.tumblr.com/ask.

Dr. Naomi Rowe-Gurney recently completed her PhD at the University of Leicester and is now working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as a postdoc through Howard University. As a planetary scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, she’s an expert on the atmospheres of the ice giants in our solar system — Uranus and Neptune — and how the Webb telescope will be able to learn more about them.

The James Webb Space Telescope – fun facts:

Webb is so big it has to fold origami-style to fit into its rocket and will unfold like a “Transformer” in space.

Webb is about 100 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope and designed to see the infrared, a region Hubble can only peek at.

With unprecedented sensitivity, it will peer back in time over 13.5 billion years to see the first galaxies born after the Big Bang––a part of space we’ve never seen.

It will study galaxies near and far, young and old, to understand how they evolve.

Webb will explore distant worlds and study the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars, known as exoplanets, searching for chemical fingerprints of possible habitability.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

Yoga Studio Invites Shelter Cats To Do Yoga And Helps Them Find Homes

Sir Patrick Stewart Loves A Male Kiss

Video

I loved that scene! John we love you just the way you are! 

Or find a group in your area that will help your animal find a new forever home. Also, research your local shelters. Some shelters put down owner surrendered animals in 24 hours.

Excuses People Make for Abandoning Their Animals

1. “I had to move.”

If you’ve found a way to take all your valuables with you, you can find a way to take your animal companion. Adopting an animal doesn’t mean adding to your possessions—it means adding a member to your family. And as the Disney character Lilo says, “Family means nobody gets left behind.”

2. “He got too big.”

Puppies, like human babies, don’t stay the same size forever. This is not surprising. All one needs to do is simply Google how big a certain breed will get. If you don’t want a big dog, stick to smaller dog breeds.

3. “She’s expensive.”

You’re right—companion animals cost money. They need food, water, shelter, and medical care just like us. That’s why it’s so important to consider this before bringing one into your life. But once you have an animal companion and expenses do come up, your animal needs to take priority over less important items, like vacations and pedicures.

4. “He’s not cute anymore.”

Excuse me? Did you adopt an animal companion only so that you could take cute Instagram pictures? Animals aren’t pieces of artwork that you acquire to make your home more aesthetically pleasing. They’re living, feeling, breathing beings who depend on us. Plus, ALL animals are cute!

5. “Caring for him takes too much time and effort.”

Caring for a companion animal DOES take time and effort. While it’s good to recognize your limitations, make sure you recognize them BEFORE you choose to adopt. An animal companion is a lifelong commitment, and it’s a give-and-take relationship. Don’t be selfish. Give your animal companions what they need.

6. “He’s too old now.”

This excuse is just MEAN. From the minute you bring them into your home, your animal companions will love you with every ounce of their being. You are their protector. How is it OK for you to give them up because they got too old? We all age. And you’re going to get old, too, one day, so think about how you’ll want to be treated. I bet it doesn’t include being abandoned.

7. “My new boyfriend/girlfriend doesn’t like her.”

OK, so if your new boyfriend or girlfriend didn’t like one of your human family members, would you get rid of that person, too? Probably not. Boyfriends and girlfriends who love us care about everything that’s important to us, including our animals. Any partner who can’t accept that probably isn’t the best person to be with. And regardless, you made a promise to your animal companion—it’s your job to keep it, no matter who else comes into your life.

Every year in the U.S. more than 6 million dogs and cats end up in animal shelters. Many of them are there because their families abandoned them. Adopting an animal companion is a compassionate choice that can bring much joy. It’s also an important, serious decision that warrants time and reflection. Before saying yes to a new animal companion, please make sure that you’re prepared for this great responsibility. Your animal friend will be devoted to you for life, and you should return the favor.

Beautifully said. Thank you.

re: not wanting kids

i’ve seen a lot of pushback against “kid hating” lately, so let me just say a few things:

i don’t particularly like kids

they make me uncomfortable

the idea of being responsible for the physical and emotional well being of a child freaks me out

being pregnant is incredibly unappealing to me

i wouldn’t want to screw up my kids or scar them in any way with my shitty parenting

i don’t want to have to organize my personal/professional lifestyle and finances around my children for 21+ years

i just don’t want kids

but

i would never be mean to children

i love other people’s kids

i completely understand why other people want children

i’m fully aware that many others struggle to conceive and i would never disrespect or belittle that pain

i don’t think less of anyone for wanting kids

the idea that people who don’t want kids are inherently selfish, uncaring assholes is a lazy, misogynistic attempt to shame people (primarily women) for prioritizing personal goals and self care above parenthood. Choosing to have children doesn’t automatically make you more kind or selfless or fulfilled than people who don’t. Wanting to remain childfree is not the same as “hating kids,” nor does it mean you’re a horrible person. It’s a personal choice like everything else, so can we please stop being shitty about it?