Cheque this out

Excuse the bad pun, but the Bellend of the Month is a Janice Rae Smith of New Plymouth, who admitted 16 charges of fraudulently using a document; in this case, $300,000 worth of bad cheques. Smith had opened the cheque account in March at the ASB branch in Masterton, telling the bank she was going to be self-employed and would be getting about $15,000 a month, but no money was ever deposited. On the day she got her cheque book, she bought a Harley and $20,495 of accessories, and spent a further $4054 on a second motorcycle, groceries, and a restaurant dinner. Near the end of March, she bought a third motorcycle worth $2389.50, toys, games and clothing from the Masterton Warehouse to the tune of $572.77, $809.45 worth of food from New World, and Warehouse Stationery goods valued at $385.34. The cheques were all dishonoured, but that maggot's fraudulent spending didn't end there. Part 2 will be up tomorrow.

Even we're saying no to Syria

Around 200 people marched up Queen Street in Auckland today to protest against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. The group aims to encourage the New Zealand government to put pressure on al-Assad to step down from power and allow democracy to take effect. But if they want to bring democracy to Syria, then why not China? Taiwan can take the final steps towards secession but a better option would be for Taiwan to declare war on China and reclaim all their land in the name of the Republic of China. Once that's done, we can take on North Korea. And get rid of Justin Bieber. And cancel Two and a Half Men and maybe Jersey Shore as well.

San Francisco's a city, not a concentration camp!

A San Francisco County Superior Court judge ruled yesterday that a measure prohibiting male circumcision should be taken off the November ballot. She wants it off the ballot because she said that it is "expressly preempted" by the California Business and Professions Code. Under that statute, only the state is allowed to regulate medical procedures, and the ruling says that the evidence presented is overwhelmingly persuasive that circumcision is a widely practiced medical procedure. I don't support the wanton removal of perfectly healthy genital tissue but an outright ban might discriminate against Jews and Muslims, whose religious beliefs both call for such otherwise unjustified violence toward minors. It's a good thing they got that measure off the ballot because had it passed, laws against synagogues could've been next and San Francisco might get the unflattering nickname of New Auschwitz.

It's just a matter of faith

An atheist group has filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent a cross made out of World Trade Center steel beams from going on display at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. American Atheists sued this week in state court arguing that the group opposes the placement of the cross, which is made of two intersecting steel beams, in the museum because members believe it is the only religious article getting special accommodation there. I don't blame them for not wanting the cross there - America is a secular state and besides, not all of the victims of 9/11 were Christians. If the cross goes in, then it's only fair that the memorial allow atheists and other belief groups to include their own displays of equal size. This is just like schools teaching the myth of creation instead of what really happened, which is known as evolution. All life evolved from the sea, hence our need for salt, and over millions of years, the different creatures all adapted to survive, bringing us the current varieties of flora and fauna. That doesn't need any creator gods at all, and there is no proof that what the Bible says about this rubbish is true.

Time for a revolution

The Algerian government is working to prevent North Africa's revolutionary tide from reaching its shores, but they could be next in line for revolution. There have been successful revolutions in Tunisia (where the "Arab spring" started) and Egypt (whose ex-tyrant Hosni Mubarak is reportedly on a hunger strike) and Algeria could be next to go under. It's just a matter of time, but it will happen sooner or later.

The effect has been so strong that local governments in the eastern part of Algeria have instructed police to relax street regulations, including allowing motorists to drive without a proper vehicle tax document. Police have also been told to ignore illegal street traders and refrain from collecting taxes from shopkeepers if they claim their business has been affected by the activities of such traders. So far the policy of appeasement and concession has worked well for the Algerian government. But it won't last. Algeria is certainly not immune from the Arab spring.

Too late again, naturally

Since drought gripped the Horn of Africa, and especially since famine was declared in parts of Somalia, the international aid industry has swept in and out of refugee camps and remote hamlets in branded planes and snaking lines of white 4x4s. However, not all of the shipments arrive in good time. A U.N. official near a cluster of huts in northern Kenya had filmed on his iPad the rotting carcass of a cow arriving on an aid caravan. This is not good enough because now, the meat is not safe for human consumption. The slow speed of the aid caravan is a total joke (unlike the famine of course) and the other foodstuffs that were in the caravan could easily have gone off as well. The drought gripping the region straddling Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia is the worst in 60 years, and it's affecting more than 12 million people, all of whom could die. Food needs to reach the area, and it has to be something safe to eat, not just a cow carcass with maggots all over it.

WEEKLY GROSS-OUT: Gonorrhoea

More specifically, a new superbug form that was recently discovered in Japan. This new superbug, dubbed H041, has actually evolved to a point where previous forms of antibiotics have no effect on it whatsoever. Gonorrhoea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacterium that can grow and multiply easily in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix (opening to the womb), uterus (womb), and fallopian tubes (egg canals) in women, and in the urethra (urine canal) in women and men. The bacterium can also grow in the mouth, throat, eyes and anus; and each generation of gonorrhoea gets gradually stronger and develops a resistance to antibiotics. Since this latest strain is immune to all known forms of treatment, it is a superbug, and if they don't find an antibiotic for it soon, then it could pose a serious health risk. I would most definitely recommend wearing a condom if you're going to have sex (unless you're trying to have a baby of course) and getting yourself checked beforehand because this superbug could run the risk of being more deadly than HIV/AIDS.

FIVE HUNDRED POSTS!

And the 27 Club has accepted a new member today: Amy Winehouse. She joins greats like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Kurt Cobain, along with some less familiar names like Lily Tembo, in a group comprising exclusively of musicians who died at the age of 27. This is just one of the many things that could happen if you let fame get to your head. Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe was a lot smarter than that: he realised that he was partying too hard and recently decided to entirely cut out alcohol. If Amy Winehouse had just pointed a wand at drugs and alcohol and used the "avada kedavra" spell on them, she would still be alive today. This is a big tragedy for the music industry (too bad it wasn't Justin Bieber).

500 POSTS TOMORROW!

And today, South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung Hwan met briefly with his North Korean counterpart, Pak Ui Chun. I just don't see what the deal with there still being two Koreas is supposed to be. I have always supported a version of the one-China policy just to avoid confusion over the names PRC (most commonly referred to as China even though those commies should never have been allowed in to begin with) and ROC (the real China, also known as Taiwan), and there should be one China, whether under ROC control or without the ROC-controlled islands of Taiwan, Kinmen, Penghu, and Matsu. The same thing should happen on the Korean Peninsula, with the two Koreas being united under South Korean rule.

Come on Bashar, leave!

As anthems go, this one is fittingly blunt. “Come on Bashar, leave,” it declares to Syrian President (and tyrant) Bashar al-Assad. And in the weeks since it was heard in protests in the Syrian city of Hama, the song has become a symbol of the power of the protesters’ message, the confusion in their ranks and the violence of the government in stopping their dissent. I agree with the message because al-Assad needs to go NOW. Also, there needs to be some major democratic reforms in China, whether it comes from the Republic of China taking all the territory or the "people's republic" becoming a truly democratic nation, whether with or without the island of Taiwan. Personally, I favour the ROC righting an over 60-year-old wrong and taking back all the PRC-controlled lands (and their seat in the UN) by force (and maybe North Korea as well). And to fight back at the severe mistreatment of women in Saudi Arabia (where having a vagina instead of a penis means one has the permanent status of a child), they should abolish the misogynistic state and split its land evenly between the bordering nations of Jordan, Iraq, Oman, and Yemen (their leaders might not be so great but at least the women in those four countries get to drive - in fact, women can drive even in North Korea). And one more: the USA should annex Cuba (and possibly New Zealand so frequent travellers to the States won't be subject to the post-9/11 airport security practice of touching passengers' private areas during the pat-down).

Crunch on this

Products get knocked off all the time: designer bags, Oscar-night dresses, and watches. But entire stores? That's something new. Which is why the Internet is going crazy over a blogger's report that three fake Apple stores have popped up in her neighborhood in Kunming, China (more specifically, the ridiculously large part that's controlled by the wrong government).

Speaking of Apple, the company updated its thin-and-light MacBook Air laptops yesterday, alongside the much anticipated release of Lion, while also unceremoniously discontinuing its white entry-level MacBook line. The new MacBook Air notebook computers, which lack optical drives, gain speedier Intel processors ranging from the 1.6GHz dual-core Core i5 chip in the lower-end 11-inch-screen model to the dual-core 1.8GHz Core i7. The i5 and i7 processors are known for being pretty powerful, with variations of this chip line running in Apple's MacBook Pros and iMac computers. Now that the MacBook has been discontinued, Apple's lineup is without a white-coloured laptop for the first time in ten years (and no, it's not anything to do with race even though Steve Jobs is partly of Syrian descent). And for the record, the Mac mini is also dispensing with the optical drive (another example of Apple pushing users toward a disc-free future).

BUT WHY CAN'T THE WORLD JUST DISPENSE WITH THOSE COMMIE MAGGOTS BEHIND THE "PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC" OF CHINA?

Just clearing the mines, boss

Libyan government forces in trucks disguised with rebel flags have shelled opposition positions near the strategic eastern oil town of Brega, killing 13 rebel fighters and wounding dozens more. Rebel forces have been pushing to seize the frontline town, which is home to an oil refinery and terminal, for nearly a week, but minefields planted by Gaddafi's forces have slowed the advance. The rebels are now in positions 10km east of the oil port, working to clear the mines so they can move forward. This sort of rubbish is a new low for Gaddafi because planting landmines is stupid and inhuman, especially coming from people working for somebody who is already subject to an international warrant of arrest. This conflict would be a lot easier for the rebels if they had their own ruse of war in the form of a white flag.

Sooner or later, God'll cool you down... NOT!

A major heat wave this weekend has prompted officials in 17 American states to issue heat warnings and advisories. At least two hot weather-related deaths have been reported, and forecasters say the high heat is expected to spread over the next few days. And apparently, it's been so hot for so long in Oklahoma that Governor Mary Fallin has called for a statewide day of prayer in hope of some divine intervention. If you want to turn to some fictional higher power (and fail in the process), then go ahead but don't expect me to be a part of it. There is no higher power of any sort in control of the weather anywhere, therefore, prayer just isn't going to work. You could always move to Antarctica if you can't stand the heat.

WEEKLY GROSS-OUT: Geordie Shore

Geordie Shore, if you don't already know what the deal is, is a British ripoff of MTV reality show Jersey Shore - in other words, horrible made worse. Jersey Shore is just another stupid reality show and like any reality show, it's horrible enough without the British getting their hands on it and making the shows even worse than they already are. MTV doesn't need any more reality shows, let alone British rip-offs. They're all fake and all the catfights on most of those shows are just another act to increase ratings. I don't watch Jersey Shore and I most definitely won't be watching Geordie Shore anytime soon.

Don't ask, don't tell - now with don't discharge

In the latest legal twist on the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, a San Francisco federal appeals court reinstated the law but ordered the government not to investigate, penalize or discharge any soldier who is openly gay. It's another curve in the military's path toward rescinding the 1993 law that barred military service by gays and lesbians who disclose their sexual orientation, but at least now you can't be kicked out just for being openly gay, in effect making the policy somewhat pointless. But if Obama wants another term in office, he'd better shape up and expedite the process of repealing that stupid and rubbish piece of legislation once and for all, maybe using an executive order or even proposing an amendment to the Constitution to force the military to accept openly gay soldiers because a gay soldier could make all the difference if the entire military is ever sent to North Korea to remove that despot Kim Jong-Il from power.

Now to take care of the China issue

The Libya Contact Group has recognized the opposition National Transitional Council as the sole and legitimate representative of the country's people. Yesterday's announcement came at a press conference in Istanbul, held shortly after the bloc's fourth meeting ended. In a final statement issued after the meeting, more than 30 nations, including the US, have formally recognised the country's main opposition group as its legitimate government, until a new interim authority can be created. But if they can say no to Colonel Gaddafi the Unpopular and his regime, then why can't the world just say no to those commie nutjobs from the "people's republic" that are under some false impression that they're representing China? This is one wrong that has gone unrighted for almost 40 years and it shouldn't wait too much longer, and one way to right this is for the US to add an amendment to their constitution (or consbreastution if your swear filter is a bit over-sensitive) forbidding them from entering into diplomatic relations with the illegitimate government or any country that recognises those commies. Once this amendment cuts almost everyone else off from the States, they'll all go onto the real China's side just to get back onto America's side, and then those commies will fall and a legitimate regime can take its rightful place in the world.

Intolerance will not be back (I hope)

Jerry Brown has signed a bill making California the first state in the nation to add lessons about gays and lesbians to social studies classes in public schools. Brown, a Democrat, signed the landmark bill requiring public schools to include the contributions of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender in social studies curricula. The Democratic-majority Legislature had passed the bill last week on a largely party-line vote. It's good news they're finally realising that history should be honest. This bill revises existing laws that prohibit discrimination in education and ensures that the important contributions of Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life are included in their history books. But there is room in the law for improvement: the law only covers public schools and doesn't extend to private schools and nutjobs who homeschool their kids (this means they brainwash their brood with their own possibly questionable values). But now, there can be more tolerance in California. They should try cracking Texas next.

It's a dream come true

Bars and restaurants with no booze; stores with no cigarettes: that's the picture coming into focus in Minnesota, as the effects of the state's government shutdown ripple through society. The reasons range from expired liquor permits (which can't be renewed) to a lack of cigarette tax stamps (which can't be purchased). With the sale of alcohol and tobacco closely regulated and taxed, stores are quickly running through their supplies, and they're asking for special dispensations that would help them serve their customers. This should be good news for the people of Minnesota, because with no alcohol, then there'll be no drunken bellends causing disturbances late at night, and without tobacco, there'll be less smokers causing problems for others with their second hand smoke. As an added bonus, the health problems associated with both of those evils will be flying out the door. Unless, of course, people start going to businesses in a nearby state to get their unhealthy-but-legal fill.

They're not kidding around here

At McDain's Restaurant, in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, kids don't eat free. And starting Saturday, they don't get to eat at all. Mike Vuick, owner of the Pittsburgh area eatery has just announced a ban on children under 6 at his casual dining establishment. After receiving noise complaints from customers about crying kids at neighboring tables, Vuick decided to institute the policy, which is a bit extreme but it may well keep the little brats from ruining other peoples' good time - they can just ruin it for the patrons of more child-friendly establishments instead. This practice is not illegal; in fact, last year, North Carolina's Olde Salty restaurant made a similar decision. Owner Brenda Armes posted a sign that read "Screaming children will not be tolerated", making it clear to parents when their kids scream, they'll be asked to take it outside. Armes said the move has boosted business, and Vuick is confident his ban will benefit McDain's as well. There are other ways to discourage parents from bringing their whiny kids in, for instance, changing the menu dishes to only serving broccoli or changing the names of the dishes to incorporate profanity (e.g. a F***burger, S*** Steak, or A***-p*** salad) and threats directed towards characters from childrens' TV programmes (e.g. Big Bird Must Die nuggets, Captain Feathersword Sucks fries, or We Hate Elmo sundae).

Haven't the Jews suffered enough?

Firefighters battled a four alarm fire at a synagogue in Manhattan that covered a large swath of the Upper East Side in smoke. About 170 firefighters responded to the blaze which began at about 8:30 last night local time at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun Synagogue on East 85th Street between Lexington and Park avenues, according to a fire department spokesman. This is possibly the work of neo-Nazis and there is no need for such anti-Semitic behaviour in this day and age. The synagogue's roof collapsed and five firefighters suffered minor injuries as a result of this intolerant behaviour. Nobody should have to endure this sort of suffering, no matter how far-fetched their personal beliefs might seem to others, and I hope they find whoever caused this tragedy and have them charged with a hate crime.

WEEKLY GROSS-OUT: UN Resolution 2758

This week, the gross-out is one of the most horrid international laws ever written: United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758. It came into force on 25 October 1971, and it recognises the representatives of the People's Republic of China as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations" and expelled the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek "from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations." This is just horrible and it should never have come into effect. Those communist bullies should never have been given China's seat on the UN Security Council, which rightfully belongs to the real China (which is currently centred around Taiwan). In fact, if the UN had any sense, they would punish those commie rejects by expelling them from the UN, replacing them with Taiwan, and giving Tibet a seat in the UN.

AFSCME v. Quinn: who will win?

Illinois’s largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, filed a lawsuit today in an attempt to force Governor Pat Quinn to dole out raises for 33,000 workers that were scheduled to go into effect on July 1. Quinn moved to block the pay hikes when he made changes last week to the state budget that lawmakers sent him, saying they "did not set aside enough money to cover the increases". They would never have impeached Rod Blagojevich if they knew that two years down the line, Quinn would violate the terms of the union’s contract with the state, as well as state and federal equal protection laws. The lawsuit was filed late Friday in a Springfield federal court, and it asks to restore the pay increases for workers in fourteen different agencies. You can't just reneg on an agreement you made, and by shoving proposed pay increases to one side, that bellend was doing just that. Amy Chua, who was supposedly born in Illinois, would make a better Governor at the moment, if not a better parent. Even Oscar the Grouch or Colonel Gaddafi or Kim Jong-il or Sideshow Bob would be better suited than that maggot Pat Quinn for the position of Governor of Illinois.

An issue that splits like Sudan

Sorry if that one was a bit too soon, but here's the gem for today: Michigan liquor regulators have switched their position and will allow sales of a Maryland-based beer with a name thats offensive to some people. Flying Dog Brewery, which already sells some of their other beers in Michigan, has received approval to promote and sell a popular India pale ale called Raging Bitch. Despite this victory, Flying Dog still has a First Amendment lawsuit pending in federal court in Grand Rapids, and the company is proceeding with the case despite the liquor control commission's decision, and I would've done the same thing too because that doesn't make the lawsuit go away. Most companies would take what Michigan did and say, 'Great, I can sell my beer and move on down the road,' but this lawsuit may well force the issue in the other 49 states when it comes to approving Raging Bitch for sale. I hope the beer sells well despite the name.

The South will come out tomorrow

When South Sudan becomes Africa’s newest country tomorrow, the “Lost Boys of Sudan” will reportedly be celebrating the occasion with their fellow South Sudanese. If you're wondering what the deal with the "lost boys" is, the tale goes like so: during Sudan’s 21-year civil war, thousands of young boys, most of those being from the Dinka ethnic group, were separated from their families and forced to walk about 1,000 miles to reach safe havens. But enough about that: the big day is tomorrow and that means that Africa's largest nation will split into two, one half continuing to have a suspected war criminal as president, and one half which will start afresh and hopefully not become the authoritarian wastelands that several Arab countries were until this year when the people decided they'd had enough. Tomorrow, South Sudan will be the first new country since Kosovo, and you can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be South (Sudan, that is).

The Olympics are coming back to South Korea!

But that's not until 2018. Right now, let's get to today, and to some more serious issues. South Korea is breaking new ground today on another resettlement facility for North Korean defectors, reflecting the increasing number of people escaping food shortages and harsh living conditions of the hermit state. At the resettlement centers, hundreds of defectors learn how to live in a free and prosperous nation, the exact opposite of the nation they have fled. The oldest "student" is 84 years of age and will probably not get much time to use his/her new-found freedom, and the youngest is just one month old and unlikely to ever remember having lived in a communist hellhole. Daily lessons teach the basics of life in South Korea such as how to buy a subway ticket, open a bank account, and how to understand the language (sure both nations speak Korean, but in the North, the Korean spoken is, thanks to the work of Kim Il-Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il, devoid of the outside influences that can be heard in the Korean spoken in South Korea). This will definitely bring down Kim Jong-il's government, and if that's the way he's going to run his side of the 38th parallel, then maybe he's not the right person for the land and the entire US military should finish their tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and when they're available, overrun Pyongyang and destroy that maggot's cult of personality once and for all.

He completely fudged it by packing

A US teenager has gone on trial in California accused of shooting dead a classmate because he was homosexual. Prosecutors say Brandon McInerney smuggled a handgun into a school near Los Angeles in February 2008 and shot 15-year-old Larry King (no relation to the famed CNN anchor) twice from behind as he sat at a computer. Prosecutors also say McInerney, who was 14 at the time, was influenced by Nazi ideology. He has pleaded not guilty to murder and to committing a hate crime, for which that maggot should most definitely be sent to juvie. This sort of homophobic behaviour is not on, be it directed at fags, fudge-packers, butt-pirates, queers, batty boys, or whatever other hurtful names are directed at gays. I hope he gets what's coming to him.

Will I still be here in 1000 years time? Maybe.

If Aubrey de Grey's predictions are right, the first person who will live to see their 150th birthday has already been born. And the first person to live for 1000 years (outside of books of fiction like the Bible) could be less than 20 years younger. A biomedical gerontologist and chief scientist of a foundation dedicated to longevity research, de Grey reckons that within his own lifetime doctors could have all the tools they need to "cure" aging - including banishing diseases that come with it and extending life indefinitely (not to mention causing severe overpopulation). That means this blog could still be receiving daily updates in the year 3000 or even later. Maybe I could go one further and be one of the first to make it to 1500 years - if I do, then the proof could be right here in a post dated October 8, 3488. But if the first to make it to 1000 years of age is some bellend like Justin Bieber or Amy Chua, then maybe the whole thing is just a silly idea.

A good reason why death is a necessary part of the natural order of things is because if people kept living longer, then there would be too many of us on Earth and not enough land or food for everyone. If such longevity as described above does show up on Earth, then extra land would be needed - maybe move some of the population to Antarctica, or send people to the Moon or to Mars. To take care of the food problem, genetic engineering will be a necessary evil.

WEEKLY GROSS-OUT: Britain

Their TV programmes (except for a few gems like Mr. Bean and one outrageously funny show about some guy named Frank Spencer) are atrocious, their Queen is STILL our head of state, their flag (pictured) is a huge eyesore occupying the top-left quarter of our flag (and those of several other nations which are supposed to be independent; in fact, their flag forms part of that of Hawaii, which is supposed to be one of the fifty United States), and some of the food they eat is just nasty. In fact, they need to change the name of one regional specialty because faggots is also the plural form of a horrific anti-gay slur. For these reasons and many more, the United States did the right thing in seceding on this day in 1776. That's right, I'm talking about Britain. Of course they brought us one of the world's most popular languages, and they sometimes help out when America needs to take down tyrannical rulers; but for the most part, they've also unloaded some nasty stuff onto the rest of the world.

The rebels are coming, the rebels are coming!

Buoyed by French arms drops and intensified NATO air strikes on the Gaddafi regime's frontline armour, Libya's rebel army said it is poised for an offensive that could put it within striking distance of Tripoli. The rebels' announcement late yesterday came as a prolonged deadlock on the battlefield prompted mounting pressure from countries outside the NATO-led coalition for a negotiated solution to a conflict that has dragged on for four and a half months. It's about time the rebel forces made plans for an offensive on Tripoli because NATO's current efforts against that nutjob Gaddafi aren't enough. We know the time for change is coming and that time could be just around the corner.

Looks like Arnie's just been terminated

Maria Shriver stood by Arnold Schwarzenegger when he ran for California's governorship in 2003, even after several women accused him of lecherous behavior. But yesterday, 25 years after their fairytale wedding on Cape Cod, she filed for divorce. This means that not only has their union been terminated, it is likely that half of Arnie's wealth (including but not limited to earnings from a career as a Hollywood megastar, which allowed him to forgo a salary as governor and commute by private jet to Sacramento, and interests in at least eight entities each worth $1 million or more) will not be back either. He should've kept all that money a secret from his wife, or better yet, Arnie and Maria should never have married. And besides, they're both Catholic, and Catholics don't believe in divorce, so it's a bit odd that the couple would be filing for divorce.

We ain't in Kansas no more... oh wait, we're still there

Kansas avoided becoming the first state without an abortion provider by granting Planned Parenthood a licence yesterday to continue performing abortions under new regulations being challenged in federal court. The new rules from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment tell abortion providers what drugs and equipment they must have on hand, how big some of their rooms must be, and the temperatures allowed in procedure and recovery rooms. The department is imposing them under a new licensing law that takes effect today, along with these rules. Supporters of the new legislation say the new Kansas regulations would protect patients from substandard care, but critics say they’re burdensome by design and aimed at shutting down abortion services. Pro-choice supporters are suspicious of the licensing process because it turns out that Governor Sam Brownback is a pro-life (more correctly referred to as anti-choice) Republican and the anti-choice folk helped push the law through the Republican-controlled Legislature. I'm on the fence when it comes to the new rules, but if they are aimed at pushing the anti-choice agenda, then those rules, and the maggots behind them, should be served up with fava beans and a nice Chianti.