Department Of Why I Love Dicks
“Following the Supreme Court’s ruling that has overturned Roe v. Wade, Pittsburgh-based Dick’s Sporting Goods’ CEO has announced that the company will provide travel expense reimbursement for employees seeking abortion access.
Company President and CEO Lauren Hobart posted the announcement…
‘We recognize people feel passionately about this topic – and that there are teammates and athletes who will not agree with this decision. However, we also recognize that decisions involving health and families are deeply personal and made with thoughtful consideration. We are making this decision so our teammates can access the same health care options, regardless of where they live, and choose what is best for them,’ Hobart said.”
(“Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO announces travel expense reimbursement to employees seeking abortions in another state,” cbsnews.com )
And they love equal access to health care as well.
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Department Of Good Intentions That Still Make Me Slightly Queasy
Regarding Dick’s Sporting Goods, Apple, and other companies are offering to reimburse employees for travel expenses related to abortion care access. Moiself has mixed feelings about this. [1] I am 90% YEE HAW!!! I mean, it’s the right-on thing to do. But, that means the woman is going to have to request/arrange this with her company’s HR/benefits department, which means even more people in her personal business, which should be just between her and her doctors and (if she so chooses) her partner. [2]
On the other hand, when it comes to healthcare at work, if you need time off for treatment for, say, cancer or the onset of what will turn out to be a chronic disease, there isn’t much privacy in that regard, either.…
BTW, these doing-the-right-thing companies (as of this date) are:
Starbucks, Tesla, Yelp, Airbnb, Microsoft, Netflix, Patagonia, DoorDash, JPMorgan Chase, Levi Strauss, PayPal, Amazon,
the Walt Disney Company, Meta, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Condé Nast.
( “These Companies Will Cover Travel Expenses for Employee Abortions,” NYtimes.com )
There are others; my apologies to any companies moiself has omitted. Give these businesses a shout-out and/or support their products and services, [3] and let them know why you are doing so.
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Department Of Incredibly Dumb, Face Palm-Worthy Things I Have Done
I have rather unruly eyebrows, and their ruly-ness seems to be getting more “un” as moiself ages. I’m not talking Andy Rooney level unruly, but, yeah.
Before leaving the house I sometimes wipe moiself’s damp toothbrush bristles across each eyebrow. Here is something that has happened more than once – a thing which should only have happened once: I have set my toothbrush out with a dab of toothpaste on it, intending to brush my teeth, got distracted, come back to the sink minutes (or hours) later, and used said toothbrush to comb my eyebrows, thus ending up with a tiny white streak of Sensodyne ProEnamel ® on my eyebrows.
On the plus side, I’ve never had an eyebrow cavity. So, there’s that. [4]
OK, your turn? Help me out here. Certainly…please…there must be someone out there who has done something even dumber than toothpasting their brows.
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Department Of Embarrassing My Offspring
Chapter 581 In The Never-Ending Series.
This memory came to me on a recent morning walk, apropos of…something, which moiself is currently unaware of.
Dateline: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Daughter Belle is attending the University of Puget Sound, and has recently joined her school’s women’s rugby team.
( One of my favorite things about rugby culture – yep, that’s a thing – is
the annual Prom Dress game, for both men’s and women’s teams. )
MH and I are attending one of her rugby team’s away games; home team is a college about an hour’s drive south of where we live.
During halftime Belle grabs one of the team’s rugby balls, takes her parents aside, and teaches us some of the throwing warm-ups that the team does. Several of her teammates are clustered together by the side of the field, swigging from their water bottles and chatting. One of them looks over at Belle and MH and I throwing the ball to each other, and I can see the proverbial light bulb switch on in her eyes.
Belle’s Rugby Teammate, calling out to MH and moiself:
“You are Belle’s parents?”
Moiself:
“Yep.”
BRT, standing up and flinging her arms wide:
“Oh, I *love* Belle! Thank you for making her!”
Moiself, as I pass the ball to Belle:
“You’re welcome. It was our pleasure…literally.”
Belle, dropping the ball and covering her eyes with her hands:
“Moooooooooooom!”
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Punz For The Day
Annoying and/or Embarrassing Parents Edition [5]
When I was a kid, my parents said, “Excuse my French” after they cussed.
I’ll never forget that first day at junior high school, when we were discussing foreign language electives and the teacher asked if any student knew any French words…
My parents raised me as an only child.
This really annoyed my younger sister.
Do unfit parents have to exercise a lot to get their children back?
I told my parents I’m gray.
Dad said he didn’t like my tone.
How do parents lose their kids in the mall?
Seriously, any tips are welcome.
* * *
May you support companies who support abortion rights;
May you have done something even dumber than toothpasting your brows;
May you continue to find novel and loving ways to embarrass your progeny;
…and may the hijinks ensue.
Thanks for stopping by. Au Vendredi!
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[1] And not just due to the hideous fact that five SCOTUS justices can drag us back to the back alleys so that such announcements are necessary.
[2] Except in cases of unintended pregnancies resulting rape, incest, abuse etc. I know hearing the word “partner” is a bitter pill to swallow, for women in those circumstances.
[3] (if you deem them worthy).
[4] And so, there’s this – another footnote apropos of nothing.
[5] Why are there so few footnotes in this post?
