Happy Friday, Gentle Readers,
The temperatures are cooling off, the rains have been blowing in, and school is in session. That means that any week now, I will savor the traditional three days of autumn in Utah before I shift abruptly from sweating and swearing over a lawnmower once a week to sweating and swearing over a snow shovel twice a day. Mostly, swearing. Mrs. Brown and I are in the process of starting a business, and I will spend this weekend creating business forms from scratch. I suspect that swearing will be a part of that process, too.
What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting
We have reached an inflection point in history. A point at which technology and sensitivity have not so much surpassed our capacity to think so much as they have smothered it. Personally, I gave up hope when someone posted a tutorial on social media about how to avoid offending someone who identifies as a frog. Of course, today I have chosen to identify as a Desert Tortoise. This makes me endangered and thus eligible for some sort of benefits. Now may be the time to get the law degree I’ve been thinking about. I’m quite sure that tortoises are underrepresented on college campuses.
Speaking of gender, which we weren’t (although I made a rather half-hearted attempt to make a joke about it above), the Red Cross is asking men if they are pregnant. No, really. If you want to give blood and you’re packing around a whole mess of XY chromosomes, you still have to answer the question. Yes, I know, the number of souls out there who honestly believe they can get pregnant, no matter how they identify, is Legion. But this question is not just for the Fuschia-haired, face-studded, non-binary, pan-something crowd. The Red Cross is asking everyone, including men who are under no such delusions if they are preggers.
According to National Review, if one wishes to donate blood, which is a noble endeavor, one first must complete an online form. No surprise there, since there are health risks to consider. The name of the form has a rather mass transit vibe: Rapid Pass. A potential donor must answer all of the questions, which include name, age, and gender. And in the age of gender fluidity, that drop-down menu must eat up half the available space on a hard drive. In the unlikely event that someone actually chooses “male,” as opposed to “tri-gendered Komodo Dragon,” two new questions pop up. They are “Are you pregnant now?” and “Have you ever been pregnant?” Women who are pregnant cannot give blood for their own safety. National Review reports:
On its website, the Red Cross notes that there are “no donor eligibility criteria related to being transgender . . . intersex . . . non-binary or gender non-confirming.” The organization says it “knows that there is a difference between biological sex and gender,” which is why the donor questionnaire is “gender-neutral.”
The website also says:
All donors will answer the same questions regardless of gender. However, there are still some gender-specific eligibility criteria — such as height to weight ratio for certain donation types and iron levels — which require individuals to select either male or female on the donor history questionnaire. We understand this is not ideal for individuals who do not identify as male or female, and are committed to working with the FDA to continue to make blood donation more inclusive.
The magazine noted that the Belgian Red Cross asks transitioners to wait three months after hormone therapy before giving blood. Such therapy may increase hemoglobin and hematocrit. A hemoglobin count can help determine if a person is anemic. Notably, the U.S. Red Cross does not have that requirement.
The next time I give blood, I may check the box that says I am pregnant if for no other reason than to see what happens. Of course, I’ll just end up on Planned Parenthood’s spam list. I don’t have time for that.
The Red Cross later sent National Review the following statement:
Under the FDA’s new individual donor assessment eligibility criteria, which the Red Cross implemented on August 7, the donor history questionnaire was updated to be gender-neutral—meaning all donors will answer the same questions regardless of gender. Questions regarding a donor’s health history, including those about pregnancy, are important in ensuring not only donor eligibility but also ensuring the health and safety of the patient receiving the blood product.
Well, it’s a start, I guess.
Sports fans, XX chromosomes mandate one set of medical approaches. XY chromosomes require another set. That is science. It is immutable. One can call oneself whatever one wants and lop off and stitch on any number of things. And one may ingest, apply, or inject hormones to one’s heart’s content. One cannot change one’s DNA. They tried that in “The Island of Dr. Moreau,” and look where that got them. Funny how the science is settled when it comes to climate, and it is practically a mood ring when it comes to gender.
And that, dear reader, is why small banana republics/dictatorships are not intimidated by our massive banana republic/dictatorship. These countries know that before the U.S. does anything, there must be a three-day issues-and-tissues session to determine everyone’s identity and find them a safe space.
Wine Recommendation: Because after this week’s news cycle, the nation could use a drink.
This week, I went with a nice Cabernet Sauvignon out of Lodi, California. Submitted for your approval, the 2020 Gen 5.
As much as last week’s selection was a bit of a letdown, this wine was a nice little surprise. It is very dry. But it is dry as in, it lingers a bit on the tongue and makes you anticipate another sip kind of dry. It has gotten some negative reviews from some purists, but for me, was one of those rare wines that “hit the spot” the way a cold beer does after working in the yard all morning. Not the same effects, but I got the same satisfaction. Yes, you will get a taste of blackberries and cherries. What really makes it stand out is the spice and the smoke. And honestly, you can catch a little bourbon in the flavor, which is always nice with a Cab. Semi-pro tip: if you are shopping for a Cab, look for one that has been aged in bourbon barrels. It’s just a good accent to the flavor.
You might want to try matching this wine up with a prime rib or just some nicely-marbled beef. We paired it with a sharp cheese and liked the result. I’m thinking about trying it out this winter with a few different chili recipes. And it may work well with some grilled, lightly-seasoned lamb. I would keep it away from wild game and meat with thinner cuts. But hey, it’s your dinner. Since my wife is working tonight, I’m having White Castle and an IPA. So what do I know?
One Last Book List:
You have my solemn promise. This will be the last list. That is unless one of the other people I emailed suddenly decides to check their spam folder. But the chances of that are less than a Doug Burgum/Bernie Sanders ’24 ticket. With that in mind, I think the late entry below will be the last. This comes to us from Michael Knowles, host at The Daily Wire and author of that gripping page-turner “Reasons to Vote for Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide” and “Speechless: Controlling Words, Controlling Minds.”
In addition to the Bible:
- The Divine Comedy
- Aristotle’s Politics
- The Nicomachean Ethics
- Plato’s Republic
- Summa Theologiae (or at least, if pressed for time, the Catechism of St. Pius X)
- Hamlet
- Reflections on the Revolution in France by Burke
- Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky
- Orthodoxy by Chesterton
- He Spoke To Us by Fr. George W. Cutler
I’ve actually read five of those. “Nicomachean Ethics” was required reading in college. Now it just sits on a shelf to impress whoever comes into my office. More often than not, that would be my dogs. And they’re never impressed.
That’s it for me. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you next week.
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