Strollerderby : BBC

Abortion Ads On Television?

Brett Singer — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

British TV viewers may soon see "adverts" for abortions alongside the more typical commercials for tea and crisps.

According to ABC News, "the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practices [in the U.K.] is considering rewriting the TV rules regarding advertising as a way of tackling the problem" of an increased rate of teen pregnancy. Rules on condom ads would be relaxed as well; currently prophylactic TV pitches are only allowed to air after 9pm.

Groups like the British Pregnancy Advisory Service would applaud the changes, with chief executive Ann Furedi saying, "Why would we not want women to be able to know quickly and simply where they can get pregnancy testing and referral for abortion treatment or antenatal care, depending on what they decide is best for them?"

Speaking for the other side is Dr. Peter Saunders of the Christian Medical Fellowship. "This is like having the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff to deal with the casualties rather than putting up a safety rail at the top of the cliff to stop them falling off."

Well, not exactly. It's more like telling people the ambulance exists. While it's true that if there were no abortion clinics, there would be fewer abortions, is it really so wrong to actually let women know what their options are? Of course, cigarettes exist, and we don't allow television ads for those. (That's true in the United States at least; I don't know what the rules are across the pond.)

Should the rules be relaxed, and should ads for abortion clinics be allowed on television?

Source: ABC News, BBC (Video report)

Image: SXC

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Spiderman Rescues Autistic Boy

Brett Singer — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT

To be fair it was really "a Bangkok firefighter in a Spiderman suit." But to the kid, it was probably Spiderman. So I prefer my original phrasing.

The BBC reports that a Thai fireman named Somchai Yoosabai put on a Spidey suit in order to coax an eight-year-old autistic boy down from a ledge. It was his first day at school. The boy's mother told Somchai that her son had a "passion for comic superheroes," which prompted the costume change.

In case you, like me, were wondering why a firefighter keeps a Spiderman outfit handy, it's to "liven up fire drills in schools." Good idea. If someone had done that when I was in school, I might have joined the force.

Source: BBC via Wired

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UPDATE - Josef Fritzl Sentenced To Life In Psychiatric Institution

Brett Singer — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:35:00 GMT

UPDATE: Josef Fritzl has been sentenced to life in a psychiatric institution. While onthe surface this seems like justice has been served, The Scotsman says that the ruling means he could be free in 15 years if a doctor says he's been cured of whatever they decide is wrong with him. Basically, Fritzl is eligible for parole in 15 years. It's not a big chance, but it could happen. Which would be bad. The Scotsman's Stephen McGinty does say that, "It is likely...that [Fritzl] will die in prison," since he is 73 years old.

Earlier posts follow.

*-*-*-*-*

Josef Fritzl's daughter Elisabeth testified against him on Tuesday, according to CNN. Thankfully, it was by videotape. Elisabeth and the children she had as a result of her father's abuse are living in an undisclosed location with new identities.

How do you go on after something like that? I'm amazed and oddly impressed that Elisabeth has the strength to go on living, much less testify against her father. Of course, I imagine she would like nothing more than to see him go to prison for the rest of his life.

The case has become a major media event in Austria, with crowds gathering in and out of the courtroom. Press has been barred from certain parts of the trial, including Elisabeth's testimony.

*-*-*-*-*

CNN is reporting that Josef Fritzl will plead guilty to rape and incest on Monday. He will not plead guilty to charges of "murder, enslavement and assault." Fritzl's lawyer says that his client "expects to spend the rest of his life in prison." Um, yeah, that sounds right. That said, the charges he's pleading guilty to carry relatively short prison terms -- five to fifteen years for rape, one year for incest. The biggest is the murder charge, which, as discussed below, some experts think will be tough to prove. I guess it's a good thing that Fritzl will definitely be found guilty of something, although if he goes to jail for only a couple of years, that would be tragic.

Original post follows.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Josef Fritzl, the man who kept his daughter locked in the basement for more than 20 years and impregnated her multiple times, is finally going on trial.

Disturbingly, he may spend only 15 years in jail. Or less.

According to London's Times Online, the "Austrian incest monster" is about to stand trial for "murder, incest, unlawful imprisonment and enslavement." Fritzl thinks that he could receive less than 10 years in prison.

He may be right. Some lawyers feel that the murder charge, which is based on the fact that he allowed one of the children he had with his own daughter to die, won't stick. That leaves rape as the biggest charge, which under Austrian law carries a 15 year sentence. Parole, good behavior -- he could be out in five years.

I know that everyone is entitled to a defense, but the one that Fritzl and his lawyer are offering is almost as disturbing as what he did. Fritzl is "claiming that his daughter was having sex when she was barely out of her teens. She smoked. She took drugs. She drank. He wanted to save her." His lawyer, Rudolf Mayer, says of his client: "He is not a monster. He loved his daughter in his own way." The father also says that he took good care of his "captives", citing the fact that the bird he bought them lived as evidence of good air quality in their underground prison. (This is at least consistent with the insane statements he made last year.)

As a quick reminder, Fritzl kept his daughter Elisabeth in the basement, along with some of the children they had together. Three of them were allowed to live upstairs -- the "upstairs children". The cellar was equipped with soundproof walls. Elisabeth was forced to write a letter saying that she had run away and joined a cult. This was a well thought out crime. Fritzl says that he is "not normal," but that's as close as he's come to an apology.

Making matters worse, prosecutors may cut a deal that will allow Fritzl to choose the prison where he serves his short sentence. One that lets him sing in a choir and take cooking lessons. When he gets out, he wants to go back home and live with his wife.

According to the Times, many feel that this situation could have been avoided if social workers had done their jobs. That may be the case, but the idea that this monster could get off with a light jail sentence in a country club prison is horrible. Not as horrible as what he did. But it's pretty close.

Source: timesonline.co.uk

Image: BBC

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They Say: Women Have Special Instinct for "Cute Babies"

Kate Tuttle — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:32:00 GMT

Researchers in England have reported that women are more sensitive than men to signifiers of cutness in babies that include chubby cheeks, button noses, and big eyes. Apparently women scored more highly than men at selecting a computer-generated composite image that blended the features linked most highly with cuteness over another image, also computer-generated, showing a sad little hypotethical baby lacking said features. Men (and menopausal women, it should be added) apparently saw little difference between the two. The drop-off in women's sensitivity to cuteness when they enter menopause leads the researchers to hypothesize that the cause for any gender difference in cute-fancying is hormonal, rather than societal, in nature.

I have to wonder, though: if this heightened sensitivity to cuteness is being somehow linked to a so-called maternal instinct, wouldn't that indicate a kind of skewed instinct? I mean, what about mothers whose babies aren't so cute? Do they exhibit less attraction, less bonding, less devotion? What kind of maternal instinct would that be? On the contrary, in our house it's I, the woman, who seems to believe that nearly every baby is just incredibly cute, while my husband, the man, makes fine distinctions between babies who are and babies who, regrettably, kind of aren't. I like to think this means I'm more maternal than he is, more willing to take a baby as it comes and love it up, rather than hold it at arm's length if its cheeks are quite up to the chubbiness quotient my hormones have prompted me to desire. In other words, isn't "maternal instinct" (if it exists at all) related to the ability to love even a very sad-looking little baby, the Charlie Brown Christmas tree of babies, just as if it were straight from central casting?

At the very end of the BBC article reporting the study, a small sad hint at the ugly side of all this:

Further research will explore whether cuteness sensitivity is a factor in post-natal depression.

Would that mean that post-partum depression arises out of having a not-quite-cute-enough infant, or from having an under-developed ability to perceive the cuteness of the baby in one's arms? I await their findings with a skeptical eye.

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Another Jesus Born on Christmas Day

Jen Chaney — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:02:00 GMT

A baby Jesus was born this Christmas Day, but this time it wasn't in a manger. Little Jesus Emanuel Huaman came into the world on Dec. 25 at the National Perinatal Institute in Lima, Peru, the BBC reports. And if that doesn't sound Biblical enough to you, wait until you hear about Jesus's parents.

His mother's name is Virgen Maria Huarcaya Palomino. Yeah, that's right. The Virgin Mary. Naturally, she's married to ... wait for it .. a carpenter. But his name isn't Joseph. I mean, come on. That would just be too coincidental. Dad's actual name is Adolfo Jorge Huaman.

Young Jesus and his parents seem to be happy and healthy. But I have to think they should be preparing themselves to receive visitors from believers around the world, many of whom will undoubtedly see this child as evidence of the Second Coming. I mean, if someone would pay $28K for a cheese sandwich bearing an image that vaguely looks like the Virgin Mary, I can only imagine what lengths people will go to for a baby Jesus born to a carpenter and an actual Virgin Mary, even if he did arrive in a decidedly non-immaculate way: via C-section.

Image: BBC.com

They Say: Pregnant Women Can Eat Nuts

JeanneSager — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:28:00 GMT

Once you're done snickering class, I'll begin. Because unfortunately for you (or fortunately - if you happen to be pregnant), a new study has found pregnant women eating peanuts has little affect on the allergies developed in their offspring.

The report from the British Food Standards Agency Committee on Toxicity says pregnant women with a family history of hay fever, eczema and food allergies can eat all the peanuts they want. Unless they're allergic themselves - of course.

The new look at peanut allergies comes on the heels from a Harvard Medical School expert's statements that parents have been taken over by nut hysteria. According to the BBC report on the new advice, Harvard's Professor Nicholas Christakis apparently cited "a gross over-reaction to the magnitude of the threat" posed by food allergies, and particularly nut allergies."

Parents, overreact? Not us. Oh wait, is that a nut in my daughter's bowl of all natural, high fiber, whole grain, organic sticks and twigs? Shut down the area. We need a decontamination unit, stat.

Oh, er, where was I? So Moms, lay back, take it easy. Eat a peantu butter and jelly sandwich if you feel the need. Or maybe some Reese's Pieces . . . or how about some peanut brittle? What the heck, just go nuts.

Image: BBC

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Austrian incest mom speaks out

Brett Singer — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Remember Josef Fritzl, the human monster who locked his daughter in the cellar and got her pregnant multiple times? She's speaking to the press now, and while you know her story is a horrible one, the details are still chilling.

Elisabeth Fritzl, who was locked in an Austrian basement for almost 25 years and bore seven children by her father, says he raped her three times a week.

Josef Fritzl also regularly threatened to abandon her and three of her children in the cellar, leaving them to starve if they didn't follow his commands, Elisabeth said in her first public comments, The Times of London reported Wednesday.

This went on for 24 years. Other than mass genocide, I have to say that this might be the most horrendous story of all time. It's certainly in the top 10. Back when we first posted this story, commenter SussLW said, "Rather reminds me of some early V.C. Andrews novels, actually, which were also disturbing, but at least they were works of fiction." Indeed.

Source: UPI, via Madeline's excellent Morning News, which you should be reading if you aren't already

image: BBC

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A Baby Switch That Will Break Your Heart

Jen Chaney — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:58:00 GMT

Finding out your newborn was switched with another is a traumatic experience for any parent. But a recent baby switch in South Africa takes the trauma to a whole other level.

Two women there are still waiting for DNA results that will confirm which of two recently born girls belongs to them. Nurses neglected to put ID tags on the infants, which led to the mix-up. But here is the most wrenching part of the story: One of the babies subsequently died.

It's unclear what caused the newborn's death. Both mothers have been notified, but neither one is 100 percent sure whether she should be grieving a loss or breathing a sigh of relief.

"I am torn between grief of losing a child and the thought of explaining to the other woman how her child died, if it’s hers," Lebo Nkadimeng -- the woman who had been caring for the girl who died -- told a South African newspaper, as reported in this BBC story.

It's hard to imagine being in a more devastating position as a parent. You just gave birth, so you're an emotional wreck anyway. And you don't know if you've been taking care of your own child the whole time, or if that child is even alive. I have enormous empathy for these women and hope something like this never happens to anyone else ever again.

And Now - The Gay Brain

Brett Singer — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:10:00 GMT

First it was the gay gene (and it wasn't Bugle Boy! Apologies to Bill Maher whom I stole that joke from.) Now the powers that be have decided that there is a gay brain. Scientists studied the sizes of the left and right brains of 90 people, and found that, "Gay men and heterosexual women had halves of a similar size, while the right side was bigger in lesbian women and heterosexual men." So gay men have brain halves like straight women, and gay women have brain halves like straight men. Got that? This will be on the test.

This isn't the first attempt to "prove" that gayness is born, not made. There was the gay gene (see above), and then the theory that what happens in the womb could affect male sexuality. According to the BBC, "this is the first time…that scientists have used brain scanners" to attempt to determine the cognitive differences between gay people and us breeders.

In theory, this is a good discovery, since it helps put to rest the idea espoused by certain lunatics that homosexuality can be "cured." But it could help the loonies' cause too, couldn't it? Imagine if someone proposes a test be given to children at birth, or in utero. Then what? I know that sounds extreme but some people are, well, extreme (like this lady – don't click this link unless you want to get angry.) There's a part of me that wonders if sexual orientation is something we need to find a reason for.

image: The Situationist, and then messed with by me. * = Homosexualis Gaygaygayus is a term I just made up, obviously.

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Monster dad's daughter is awakened from coma

Brett Singer — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:00:00 GMT

It's Friday the 13th, which seems like a good day for a story like this one.

Kerstin Fritzl, the incestuous daughter of Austrian lunatic Josef Fritzl, was awakened from an artificial coma this week. According to Reuters, "Doctors put her into an artificial coma after she suffered from cramping fits due to oxygen deficiency and kidney problems and was brought from the prison cellar to hospital by Fritzl."

The case is still being investigated by Austrian authorities, who are looking into charged Fritzl with "coercion, rape, incest and the death" of one of the children he fathered with his daughter Elisabeth. He has "admitted incarceration and incest"; I'm not sure how the Austrian legal system works, therefore I don't know if that admission is equal to an admission of guilt.

Now this is a tricky sentence: "Austrian media reported that Kerstin might have been reunited with her mother, her grandmother and her siblings who are all cared for at the hospital." What I think it means is that Kerstin was reunited with her mother, Elisabeth, who is also her sister. Her grandmother is also her great-grandmother… is that right? It's a little confusing.

If you've forgotten the details of this story consider yourself lucky, but if you want to refresh your memory, click here.

images: BBC

Ladies, Ladies, No Need to Fight!

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Are female celebrities really that much more hateful than their male counterparts? The answer is yes, according to a recent survey that revealed that the British public disproportionately reserves their celeb wrath for women. The top five most loved celebrities were men—Paul McCartney, Lewis Hamilton, Gary Lineker, Simon Cowell, and David Beckham—while four of the top five most hated were women—Heather Mills, Amy Winehouse, Victoria Beckham, and Kerry Katona. It’s interesting to note that two of these women—Winehouse and Beckham—also topped at least one Worst Dressed list. Is it just her miniskirts that make Victoria such an odious specimen while her husband deserves our adoration?

Probably not. Many experts think that there just may be a trace of the misogynistic to all this (shocking, I know, in these post-feminist times). Professor Diane Negra at the University of East Anglia believes, according to the BBC, that “despite years of equal opportunities, the media—and the people who watch and read—prefer the stay-at-home mother over a woman who lives her life in public, particularly one who is overtly ambitious or successful in making money.”

There’s evidence to suggest that this misogynistic method of judging celebrities is perpetrated primarily by other women. According to advertising and celebrity culture expert Hamish Pringle, men tend to look up to male celebrities, while women tend to trash female celebs.

Fellow women, please let’s not justify James Rigby of Wickford’s views on the female character. In a comment to this BBC article, he writes, “Women are generally catty about other women, rarely men. It’s a function of the primordial instinct whereby women fight to get the best mate. They see another woman, in a position of power, become jealous and seek to usurp her. These days the usurping is done by bitchiness and gossip.”

All in favor of being drastically different from the women in this Rigby dude’s life, say, “Aye.”

Photo: fabsugar.com

Satan upset at how he's been portrayed in the media

Brett Singer — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Well, not Satan specifically. But kind of.

Josef Fritzl, or "Incest dad" as CNN calls him, told his lawyer that he is unhappy at the picture of him that has been painted by worldwide media outlets. Apparently Fritzl told his attorney, "I'm only being portrayed as a monster and not as someone who committed monstrous acts."

Oh! Because you might be a nice guy who just happens to have committed an insanely vile act. Repeatedly. For over 20 years. Sort of a "Hitler liked dogs and children" kind of thing. Okay.

Fritzl also says that he "must have been crazy," because he knew what he was doing was wrong. "I tried as best I could to care for my family in the cellar…When I went into the bunker, I brought my daughter flowers and my children books and stuffed animals," Fritzl said, adding he would watch adventure videos with the children while Elisabeth cooked their favorite meals. "And then we'd all sit at the kitchen table and eat together."

Considering that the kids only speak in grunts, that must have been some dinner table conversation. Then after dinner he would go upstairs and continue to keep them locked in the basement. But he's no monster.

It actually gets worse from there – he first locked up his daughter (the one he fathered seven children with) when she hit puberty and stopped "following orders," and even makes a vague attempt to blame his actions on an unhappy childhood.

It bears repeating that even Howard Stern said there was nothing funny about this story. (The best I could do was "somebody's not getting a Father's Day present," which isn't very good.) The more we find out about this thing, the more disgusting it gets.

image: BBC

Pregcellent: Weird Cravings Are Up

Kelly Mills — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:02:00 GMT

You know that yen for a deli roast beef sandwich, extra mayo, with cheddar cheese potato chips inserted inside the sandwich that struck you suddenly while pregnant? Just me? Apparently not, because the BBC reports that pregnancy cravings are up. Three-fourths of women today experience some kind of craving while knocked up, compared with 30 percent just fifty years ago. Oh, and chocolate topped the list, because pregnant women are not stupid.

However, the cravings were not just for weird food stuff. In fact, a third were for odd things like coal, soap, toothpaste, ice, and sponges. These non-food items are probably cravings for smells and textures. I've never said to myself, "I could really go for some coal right now" but I'm not knocking it either. One theory on the craving increase is that we have a real variety of foods available to us now, so we can act on our desires. But nobody knows for sure, and some pregnancy researchers say it's unlikely the cravings are due to any actual deficiency.

So, what interesting things did you crave?

Iran hates Barbie, Harry Potter, freedom

Brett Singer — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:15:00 GMT

An Iranian official has decided that American toys are destroying Iranian culture.

Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi (I know it's politically incorrect, but that's quite a name), is described as the "Prosecutor General" but also a "high-ranking cleric." (They're not so much with the "separation of church and state" thing.) He also claims that Iran is the third largest importer of toys in the world, and creates a new word for the invasion of "Barbie, Batman, Spiderman and Harry Potter" toys, video games and films: Westoxication.

The importing of these items is against Iranian law. In the past Iranian police have "raided toy shops and put black stickers on the packaging of Barbie dolls to hide their bodies."

There is an Iranian toy that was created to combat Ken and Barbie: Dara and Sara.

It's not as popular as "buxom", "wanton" Barbie.

Of course, the real reason is that they hate freedom. (Excuse me, just channeling Rush Limbaugh for a moment there.)

Ultimately, of course, this isn't about toys. It's about that whole "women are meant to be covered and subservient" thing. I mean, if a kid sees Barbie wearing pants and showing her hair, they might start to think its OK to, like, vote and stuff. And if they saw the Harry Potter movies, they might want to be wizards. Then we'd really have a problem.

The thing is, as much as it's easy to joke about this, Western culture does dominate the world. So it's worth noting that Western movies, TV shows and other product have undeniably taken over the cultural landscape in many countries. Is anyone else bothered when they see a McDonald's or a Starbucks in a country where it might be nicer to sample the local cuisine?

images: Amazon.com, Amazon.com, BBC

The face of evil: Cellar Dad revealed

Brett Singer — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Austrian Police have released a photo of Josef Fritzl, who has now confessed to keeping his daughter, and the children he fathered with her, in the cellar of their home for 24 years.

I mean, ouch.

The BBC has a bunch of coverage on this story, reporting that DNA evidence backs up the charges, a timeline of the events of the case going back to 1984, and an analysis of the possible psychological effects the whole being-kept-in-the-basement thing can do to a person. One London pediatrician is quoted as say, "It is possible that if you eat a good diet, you won't necessarily need much sunlight." Oh, OK.

Here's a shot of the cellar, which has "a concealed network of windowless chambers."

This story is so horrible that Howard Stern actually said there was nothing funny about it. If he can't come up with a joke, I don't know who can.

Man kept his daughter in basement for 24 years

UPDATE: Dungeon Kids Only Speak In Grunts and Gurgles

images: BBC

Breastfeeding: Stick to 10 Minutes Per Boob

Jen Chaney — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:03:00 GMT

At least, that's what a recent British study suggests. After tracking 63 mums, researchers concluded that babies who spent 10 minutes at each breast during every feeding gained more weight and were breastfed for a greater number of months. Mothers who let their babies "lead," i.e. suck at the teat until they got full, wound up with kids who didn't put on the pounds they needed during those first six to eight weeks of life. In addition, the mothers -- presumably frustrated by the lack of weight gain -- were more likely to ditch breastfeeding during the first three months post-partum.

As with all things related to boobs and the milk that leaks out of them, someone disagrees. Indeed, a breastfeeding adviser is quoted in the BBC article as saying the 10-minute theory is just wrong, wrong, wrong. She insists letting the baby lead is the superior approach since the child will let Mama know when he/she is full.

Personally, I like the 10-minute theory, if only because it limits the time spent feeding. I say this as someone who had a terrible time breastfeeding and was advised to feed my son every two hours, then pump any remaining milk and feed him again. This advice, when broken down to its most basic level, translated to: "Stop living."

That said, the research seems a little questionable in that it appears to assume every feeding goes smoothly every single time. As any suckle-source knows, that's not the case. Sometimes baby latches on and drains the liquid from its mammary dispenser with no problem. Other times, the kid may be fussy, not sucking correctly, cranky or pissed because the milk coming out of that thing still doesn't come in a variety of flavors. In those cases, 10 minutes might give the child absolutely no nourishment.

In those situations, it seems like the mom kind of has to let the baby lead. No one wants to feed for hours on end if the baby isn't getting what he/she needs. But if you cut off the child after 20 minutes regardless of the quality of feeding or signs that he/she might still be hungry, that doesn't seem like the right move either.

Maybe, as I suggested earlier today, we should just let the statues do the work.

Photo Credit: BBC.com

Planet Earth: If You're Not Watching, Start

Patti — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 21:55:00 GMT

The BBC's 2006 documentary series Planet Earth is currently being rebroadcast on the US Discovery Channel cable network, and it is worth every bit of Tivo memory, if not actually reorganizing your life to watch it with your family.

We watched "Ocean Deep" together last night for a little while before bedtime, and it was absolutely breathtaking. Our three-year-old didn't utter a sound as she watched dolphins leap and sharks lurk, and our four-year-old issued a running commentary the likes of which I've never heard: "Is that a shark? What kind of shark? What's it doing? Where's it going? Oh wow, is it eating that fish? Are those DOLPHINS! There are so many of them! And they jump so high! And LOOK AT THE BABY TURTLES MAMA OH MY GOODNESS THEY ARE SO CUTE I WANT ONE LOOK AT THEM SWIMMING OH MY GOODNESS TURTLES". And you know, it wasn't even annoying, because as she asked questions, narrator Sigourney Weaver answered them and we just carried right on. Although at one point, the kid turned to me and said "This lady talks a lot. Like Rachael Ray".

There are certainly parts that are difficult to watch, but we're watching it together and answering questions as they arise, and because it's on Tivo we can skip or pause if we need to. Parents of older children might not even have to do that, but if you've got younger or more sensitive kids and no way to pre-record the show just in case you want to control the content a bit, or if you don't have cable, you won't have to wait long for DVDs. The BBC aired a version with narration by David Attenbrough, and that version will be released in the US on DVD later this month. Meanwhile, the Discovery Channel will market its own Weaver-narrated DVD set in the same timeframe.