absolute lights like baths of golden snow

[incandescens]

For once, I will have some kind thoughts about Parliament. For the last couple of days they've been debating key issues in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (biggest shake-up of fertility law for nearly 20 years, to quote the BBC news website). And on the four key issues, they've come out on what I think is the right side in all four cases.

a) Abortion limit kept at 24 weeks rather than being reduced to 22 weeks, 20 weeks, or less.
b) Rejected need for doctors to consider the need for a "father and a mother" before allowing IVF treatment (ie, single women or same-sex couples).
c) Rejected ban on "saviour siblings".
d) Permitted creation of "hybrid animal embryos" for stem cell research.

That's a relief.

Watched the first Eurovision Song Contest semifinal earlier this evening. (Second semifinal is on Thursday, final is on Saturday and is usurping Doctor Who for the week, alas). No, it's not great music, but a good proportion of the songs are pleasant enough, and it's just simply enjoyable to watch people across Europe having fun. (And the Azerbajan one was hilarious.)

---

this is the garden: colours come and go

this is the garden: colours come and go,
frail azures fluttering from night's outer wing
strong silent greens silently lingering,
absolute lights like baths of golden snow.
This is the garden: pursed lips do blow
upon cool flutes within wide glooms,and sing
(of harps celestial to the quivering string)
invisible faces hauntingly and slow.

This is the garden. Time shall surely reap
and on Death's blade lie many a flower curled,
in other lands where other songs be sung;
yet stand They here enraptured,as among
the slow deep trees perpetual of sleep
some silver-fingered fountain steals the world.

-- e.e. cummings

Comments

[marith.livejournal.com]

Do I want to know what "savior siblings" are?

[mikeneko.livejournal.com]

I had to look it up! It's when couples have another child (which they may or may not bring to term) for the specific purpose of a medical benefit to an existing child. E.g., you'd have a second child to provide bone marrow for a transplant to a child with leukemia. Ethics debate, etc.

[incandescens]

Yup. It's been in the news here for a few weeks now in the run-up to the debates, so I'm better informed than I was previously.

[incandescens]

Like mikeneko says. While naturally one wouldn't expect them to be common, equally I wouldn't want them automatically banned.

[mikeneko.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty well read on these subjects, but I had to look up the terms "saviour sibling" and "hybrid animal embryos" because I'd never heard them before. Neither of them are issues related to actual IVF practices, so it strikes me as odd to see them bundled together as IVF legislation. Weirdness.

In terms of abortion, I believe the U.K. (unlike the U.S.) has legislated limits on IVF embryo placement, so fetal reduction among multiples surely can't be that common. So, again, it's not an IVF-related issue.

The M/F couple thing is mostly about imposing morals on the poor, I think. Countries such as Italy do require M/F by law; all that's resulted is that the More Deserving Rich (who don't require state-based medical funding) indulge in reproductive tourism to the less-restrictive European countries to get their kids on. Several published articles have tracked the phenomenon.

[incandescens]

Agree with your points, but I suspect they just went for the overarching or emotional issues when they named the bill. :)

[captain-boots.livejournal.com]

Seeing as how this was the first Eurovision I've seen 'in totality' rather than tiny clips of a few performances, I rather enjoyed the variety, myself. Yeah, it's pop for the most part, but it's all in fun. :) The Eurovision Song Contest site let me watch it 'again' after I got home from work, heh.

I rather liked Azerbaijan's theme. :) The angel's falsetto seems almost unreal. It's always nice to get a break from the male 'crooners' and the female 'dance-singers' as some of those acts start to meld together for me. I was pleased to see Laka got to the finals. I know it's a quirky song, but I liked it. :)

[incandescens]

It was fun stuff. And the next semi-final's tomorrow. (I have a sneaking suspicion that England might well not get into the final if it wasn't for the fact that we get an automatic pass due to helping fund it. Ah well.)

[avalonjones.livejournal.com]

Lovely, lovely poem! Thank you!

[incandescens]

A pleasure!

[takadainmate.livejournal.com]

With the (hopefully) moving in thing this weekend I am sadly going to miss the Eurovision this year, which is real shame because I wanted to have a Eurovision party!

Anyway, I was also glad to see politicians do something right for a change. It really annoys me when politicians get involved in matters they have no real insight into for political/religious/personal reasons.

[incandescens]

Still, won't it be nice to be moved in! (crosses fingers)