Strollerderby : CNN

Morning News - California Supreme Court Upholds Prop 8

Brett Singer — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

In a move that surprised many, the California State Supreme Court upheld Proposition on Tuesday. BUT they let existing marriages stand. Which seems odd to me. How can you have it both ways? I think it's beacuse the ruling doesn't mean the court believes that Prop. 8 is correct, at least as far as I can tell. "The 6-1 decision upholding Prop. 8 was issued by the same court that declared a year ago that a state law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman violated the right to choose one's spouse and discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation," says the San Francisco Chronicle. So the voters voted for it, and while it may be wrong, that's the law of the land. If I've got that wrong, I'm sure someone will let me know. (Be kind. I'm a New Yorker and we're very fragile.)

Now, the story that I know everyone was waiting for. An Alaskan man won the 2009 World Beard and Moustache Championships. This happened on Saturday, but the news only just made it to CNN. That's because it is VERY VERY IMPORTANT news. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin had no comment.

In the tech sector, Palm continues to botch the launch of the Palm Pre. Wired reports on a leaked document that actually includes the phrase "We Can’t Afford to Sell the Pre to the Wrong Customers." Even if there's a logic behind that statement, it's terrible PR. Add that to the fact that it appears that there won't be many Pres to be had when the phone is available for sale on June 6th, and Palm may have done Blackberry a huge favor.

President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court yesterday. She would be the first Hispanic woman to serve as a Supreme. Here's a sentence from Yahoo! News: "The White House tableau itself was history: A black president and his white vice president, Joe Biden, striding onto a stage in the ornate East Room with the nominee who grew up in a New York housing project where her parents had moved from Puerto Rico." Which is great, but I guess we should also know what her views on various issues are. Republicans will likely be fighting her appointment, but some say that Sotomayor isn't a great target for attack.

In entertainment news (and I use the words "entertainment" and "news" loosely here) a lot of TV critics served up some hate for the season premiere of "Jon & Kate Plus 8". Somewhat amusingly, said critics seem to have suddenly noticed that it's hypocritical to compain about paparazzi when you put your offspring on television for money. Guess what people? Putting her kids on TV wasn't any more wrong before all of the hoo-ha about her marriage to Jon became massive tabloid fodder. Also hatin' on Kate is her sister-in-law Julie, who urged "viewers not to watch" the premiere. And so it goes.

Finally, loudmouthed Brit Lily Allen says that Susan Boyle isn't all that. Allen tweeted: "I thought her timing was off on Britains Got Talent on Sunday - no control, and I don't think she has an amazing voice. She can sing, but it's not about talent with her, is it?" Zzzzzz... Oh! Sorry. Just nodded off there for a moment. I'm back. (You can see Susan Boyle's performance for yourself here, if you are so inclined. You can see Lily Allen on her MySpace page. If you really want to.)

Image: CNN

Morning News - Palm Pre Launch Date Announced

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Top Cause of Death for Pregnant Women is Murder

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Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the Gummi Bear Girl?

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Mom Arrested for Having 555 Pound Son

Brett Singer — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:30:00 GMT

This story is not to be confused with the one Madeline brought us, about the 550 pound woman who gave birth recently.

14-year-old Alexander Deundray Draper of South Carolina had been on the run with his mother, Jerri Althea Gray. Gray had been told by a family court judge to turn her son over to the state because they determined that he "was of the weight where it was decided by medical authorities that he needed treatment that was not being provided for by his mother."

That weight is 555 pounds.

According to CNN, the mother did not appear in court as ordered, "and has concealed the child."

It's one thing to be a little on the chunky side. But when your child is this heavy, clearly some enabling is going on. Barring some bizarre medical condition I'm unaware of, it doesn't seem possible for someone to reach 555 pounds at any age, much less 14, without a diet of nothing but unhealthy food. Hopefully everyone involved in this case will get the help that they need.

Source: CNN

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They Say: Swimming Pools? Yeah, They're Kind Of Gross

Jen Chaney — Sun, 24 May 2009 19:28:00 GMT

Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the kick-off of the summer season at most community pools around the country. But after reading this post, you may be a little less enthusiastic about taking the kids for their inaugural dip.

It may not exactly surprise anyone to learn that swimming pools aren't the most sanitary places in the world. But my eyebrows raised a little when I read this CNN.com story that says a recent study conducted by the Water Quality and Health Council revealed that 17 percent of adults sometimes pee in the pool. Let me get this straight: these are adults who (I.P.) freely admitted to a group that studies water quality that they sometimes let a little leak out when they're practicing their butterfly strokes? That leads me to believe that perhaps even more adults who participated in this survey may do the same thing, but simply weren't honest when asked. Translation: every time you think you're just going swimming, you're actually splashing around in a big, festering, germ-filled community toilet.

Honestly, if the over-21-year-olds can't hold it in, what are the odds that all those water-winged four-year-olds can? (Um ... zero.)

Of course, many of us have long suspected this and we still go swimming all the time anyway. Why? Because it's fun, it's refreshing, we've never gotten ill because of it and, most importantly, if we pretend the pee isn't there, it doesn't bother us. (Denial rules.)

Seriously, once we start focusing too obsessively on all the germs and bodily fluids we can pick up at places like this, I think it's only a matter of time before we wind up in Howard Hughes-ville. The best thing we parents can do is make sure our kids are not contributing to the pool grime, and that the pools they swim in are maintained properly. The CNN story points out the importance of showering before going swimming, for example. And it also notes ways to tell if the pool is clean, like listening for signs that the filtration system is functioning, spotting the presence of a working drain and (this one kind of cracks me up) feeling the tiles and sides of the pool to make sure they are neither sticky nor slippery. Okay, sticky would seem a little strange. But slippery? I'm not sure I've ever touched a wet tile surface that wasn't slippery. Then again, I always assumed that most grown-ups know better than to piss in a pool, so what the heck do I know?

Also, it's probably a good idea to train kids as soon as possible that they shouldn't use the pool as a potty. Heck, if need be, remind some adults, too. Because together, America, we can stop unnecessary peeing in the pool, and ensure that we're all swimming in water that contains slightly less bacteria in the future than it does today.

Adopted Brother Was Living Across The Street

Brett Singer — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:30:00 GMT

This is nice. And bizarre. But still nice.

Joellen Cottrell gave birth at the tender of 16. She gave the child up for adoption. Later, Joellen had a daughter, Candace Eloph, and told her that somewhere out there, she had a half-brother.

30 years later, Candace moves to Shreveport, Louisiana. Some guy named Jamie Wheat lives across the street. One day they're chatting, and find out that Jamie was adopted. And that Candace's mother gave someone up for adoption. They compare notes. Lots of coincidences.

Except that they weren't coincidences. Turns out Jamie Wheat was Joellen Cottrell's biological son.

To make sure, Joellen and Jamie took DNA tests, which showed a 99.995% chance that they were related. Bingo. CNN has video of the family opening the envelope:

Embedded video from CNN Video

If the video won't play, click here.

What are the odds? They have to be astronomical, right? It certainly beats the switched at birth story.

Side note: on today's Babble Talk Radio, Shannon gave us a lot to think about regarding adoption. Click here to listen.

Source: CNN

Babble Talk Radio - Friday May 22 - Listen Here

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Poolside Breastfeeding Violates No Food Rule

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Boy Accidentally Shoots Self With Forgotten Gun

Brett Singer — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Before I say anything else, let me point out the most important thing, which is that the boy is in stable condition, according to CNN.

Here's what the CNN story says:

12-year-old Jacob Larsen found a ".25-caliber European semi-automatic handgun" in the closet. The gun had been stored there by Jacob's parents when they moved a few years ago, and they had forgotten about it. The mother, Tracy Newman, told police that the gun was a gift from a "former employer." Jacob found the gun and accidentally shot himself in the head. He was discovered by his stepfather, who called 911.

Again, the most important detail is that the boy is, for now, alive. Hopefully he will recover. But it's worth pointing out something that is often skipped over in debates about gun control.

Guns are dangerous.

Why do people keep guns at home? For protection. Or maybe because they hunt. That assumes some active involvement in the ownership of a gun, which is a dangerous weapon. Whenever "the right to bear arms" is discussed, we hear about "responsible gun owners." And I'm sure there are many.

But then you have a situation like this. Local police told CNN that when she received the gun "The mother never checked it, never fired it." How do you not know that you have a loaded firearm in your house? If someone gave me a gun as a gift, the first thing I would do is check if it was loaded. Wouldn't you? And I know next to nothing about guns. (OK, I know what I see in movies and on TV, and I do read 'The Punisher.' The occasional Ludlum novel. But that's not real life.)

Interestingly, the CNN story focuses on the legality of the incident. Apparently "Florida law prohibits a person from leaving a loaded firearm where a minor might have access to it. Prosecutors do have some discretion, and depending on what happens with the gun, charges ranging from a misdemeanor to a felony can be filed in the event of death or serious injury." Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett is quoted as saying that "Sometimes, the injury of a child is more severe from a punishment standpoint than any kind of criminal charge…those parents will blame themselves from here out, and you have to look at things real close to see if it warrants any enforcement from our end."

Fair enough. And I can't say enough that I sincerely hope the boy comes out of this safely. But how can anyone defend unrestricted gun ownership when something like this occurs?

Source: CNN

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Family Awarded Millions For Circumcision Mistake

Best of FameCrawler - Week of April 17th

Whit Honea — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Pete Wentz Posts Photos Of Baby Bronx's Nursery

I was Right - Heidi Klum is Pregnant

THIS Photo Is Why Joel Madden Loves Nicole Richie!

Controversy City Continues: Levi Johnston Dishes More About Palins

Gisele Bundchen, Tom Brady and 'Their Son' On the Beach

There Is a God: Leaked Nude Pictures of Hugh Jackman! (PHOTOS)

Farrah Fawcett Near Death?

Suspect Arrested in Killing of 8-Year-Old Sandra Cantu

Hugh Laurie Says "My Children are Perfect"

Mel Gibson's Wife Files For Divorce (PHOTOS)

Tragedy Strikes Katie Holmes and Family

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Baby Born in Penn Station During Rush Hour

Brett Singer — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:30:00 GMT

Rush hour in New York is so dull. Pushing, shoving, playing the old "how many people can we fit into this subway car" game. A couple of days ago, commuters heard something new:

"Forget the ambulance ... I'm going to have the baby right here."

Well then. You go right ahead, Miss. As Susan Wagner at ParentDish wrote, "And you thought your commute was rough this morning."

Marie Boothe went into labor at Penn Station in New York City on Wednesday (she was on her way to the hospital with her husband), and successfully delivered a baby boy with the help of three members of the NYPD counter-terrorism patrol team, as well as an Amtrak police officer. Adhering to cries of, "'Name him Penn, after Penn Station!" from the crowd, Marie named her seven-pound bundle of joy Caesar Penn Boothe.

I wonder if counter-terrorism officers, or Amtrak police, receive training in labor and delivery. Somehow I doubt it, but maybe.

Mother and baby are doing well, proving that yes, you can give birth just about anywhere. Doesn't mean you have to, but if it happens, hey, go with it.

Anyone give birth someplace a little different?

Image/Source: CNN via ParentDish via Babble

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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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Morning News - March Madness or March Sadness?

Brett Singer — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Apologies for forgetting St. Patrick's Day yesterday. I could make a culturally insensitive joke and say that I was drunk, but the truth is I just forgot. Apparently everybody was Irish on Tuesday, but today you're back to whatever it is you are the rest of the year.

Speaking of being culturally insensitive, it's a St. Paddy's Day tradition for the current Irish leader to bring the U.S. President a bowl of shamrocks. Faith and begorrah, laddie! Why doesn't he just dress up like the Lucky Charms mascot and dance an Irish jig on the White House lawn?

A group in Boston conducted a survey of local teens and asked them about Chris Brown and Rihanna. The results? Forty-six percent thought the beating Brown allegedly gave Rihanna "was Rihanna's fault, and fifty-two percent said it was both Rihanna and Brown's fault. Fifty-one percent blamed Brown." Wow. This story gets more depressing by the minute. I'm increasingly of the opinion that there are a lot of guys out there who think it's acceptable to hit a woman if she, you know, just doesn't listen or something. Scary thought.

In goofier entertainment news: Wow, Harry Connick Jr. got fat. I know that doesn’t really matter, but women are usually the target of this sort of nonsense, so I thought I'd share a pic of a famous guy who got caught lookin' chunky on the beach.

I'm not sure what it means when Judge Judy makes more sense than most of the people who talk about the state of our world today. It may be a sign of the apocalypse. Granted, anyone can look good next to Larry King, but Judge Judy sounds quite reasonable here.

There's a six-year-old boy out there with a 176 IQ. At that level, shouldn't he be able to move objects with his mind or something? (Oh, and I bet his father was young.) When you see a story like this, do you look at your own kids and say, "Why can't you be that smart?" Yeah, me neither.

February saw an increase in the number of new homes being constructed, aka "housing starts." Here's the headline, which is pretty typical these days: "Housing starts take surprising jump in Feb. / But can gains continue amid all the housing industry's woes?" It’s like giving a child a piece of chocolate cake and then telling him you might have dropped it in the sink. Or that the frosting is actually made with carob. (Remember carob? It was supposed to be healthier than chocolate. I think people stopped using it in the 1970's.) Just once I'd like to get a piece of good news without being told, "hey, it's good, but don't expect it to last."

Alex Rodriguez, whom I refer to as The Rod, has revealed his true talent -- being annoying both on and off the field. I mean, how is it that the highest paid player in baseball isn’t playing and is on the cover of Details magazine with the headline, "A-Rod: Confessions of a Damned Yankee"? Yes, the cover was planned before he had his surgery. But what the hell, dude?

And finally, March Madness has arrived. If you're like me and have no officemates to play with (let's call it March Sadness), you can make a bracket at NYTimes.com and compete against random people for an Amazon Kindle, which is a nice prize. And CNET has a list of several NCAA-related websites to choose from. The tournament starts tomorrow (Thursday March 19), so get your bracket ready if you want to play. It's like the stock market, only more fun and with less sweating.

Image: CNET

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Morning News - Cheney, Duct Tape, Outer Space

Brett Singer — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Madeline is taking a little time off, so I'll be your Morning Newsperson for awhile. Gosh, I sure wish there was something to talk about. The news is so dull right now... Oh! Wait. My bad. Here we go:

Dick Cheney did an interview with CNN's "State of the Union" where he said that "reversing [Bush administration] anti-terrorism policies endangers Americans." See, if a Democrat said that about a Republican President, there would be an outcry. The former VP also said the Bush administration spent so much money (remember that surplus we used to have?) because "Stuff happens," and discusses the fact that his former boss (George W. Bush, remember him?) did not pardon Scooter Libby. That last one is interesting, I would have thought that Bush would do that. Guess not. There's a meeting it would be fun to be a fly on the wall for. "Dude, I am SO not pardoning Scooter." "Dude! You totally have to!" (Note: I wasn't there, but I bet that's not what they said.)

Some people who are out of work have decided to make their own jobs. The New York Times reports on a few folks who have found their inner entrepreneur, including Alex Andon, who makes jellyfish tanks. Seems that some people will spend big bucks for a nice home for their jellies. Who knew? If you can't make jellyfish tanks (and if not, that's OK, we can't all be good at everything), maybe one of your kids could make a YouTube video asking someone to hire you.

Investigators want to freeze the assets of Ruth Madoff, wife of Bernie. My only question is why did it take them this long to decide to do that?

The space shuttle launched! Um, what's that? You don't care? C'mon, isn't this still a cool thing? I remember being a kid and we were all so stoked whenever there was a launch. I guess it's just not that big a deal anymore. This particular mission sends the Discovery to the International Space Station "to deliver and install the fourth and final pair of solar wings." I don't know what that is, but "solar wings" sounds really cool to me.

Demon dad Josef Fritzl will plead guilty to some charges, but not the ones that carry the really long prison sentences. There will still be a trial, which CNN says will probably last less than a week. We could learn something from those Austrians.

In my day, if a kid made clothes out of duct tape, that meant he was nerdy. Nowadays, it's a contest, with the winner getting $3,000 in scholarship money, provided by Duck brand tape. Tough economic times have increased the number of participants: 25 last year, 80 this year. You can see lots of pics at CNN.com.

Catfight on the catwalk! Or something like that. There was a riot at the tryouts for "America's Next Top Model" in New York City. Clearly this is the result of opening the competition up to women under 5 foot 7. Or this particular crop of "hundreds of hotties in heels" are nuts, no matter how tall they are. Who knows.

And finally, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says that the recession could -- COULD -- end this year if -- IF -- the government can get the banks to lend money and make the financial markets "work more normally." I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel like a class A moron whenever people start talking about the economy. (Derivatives? What?) So all you finance types: Fix it, OK? Sheesh.

More tomorrow... same Babble time, same Babble channel...

Image: CNN

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When Toxic Mold Attacks

SunnyChanel — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:41:00 GMT

You know what’s scary. Mold. And not just that little spot that appears on your shower wall. No, the kind of mold that takes on monstrous proportions and grows into a toxic threat that poses a risk to you and your family. CNN news anchor Campbell Brown knows far too well the health issues involved in household toxic mold. Her son was a victim of its’ sickening powers.

Just before the busy news event that was the President’s inauguration, Campbell’s young son had an “unexplained illness.” This past September her son (who’s now 14-months-old), got a cold that just wouldn’t go away. Campbell told the Daily News that, "It was crazy to me," Brown said. "The doctors couldn't figure it out. I would get home at 9:30 or 10, and he would wake himself up with these horrible coughing attacks." When they went on a family trip out of town, all his symptoms disappeared, she then figured something at home was affecting him. Back home, she discovered something on the wall of their apartment and she got confirmation that it was mold. Her son didn’t just have a long lasting cold, he was suffering from exposure to the toxic growth. The family was instructed by mold specialists to leave their home and have since been living in a hotel.

"When something like this happens," Brown said, "you become an expert in toxic mold. But I certainly realized how fortunate that I am, in this economic climate, that we had the ability to get out. When they said, 'You need to get your baby and get out now,' we were able to get out."

She was very much relieved to find out what was affecting her son saying “"It was the not knowing - and as a mother, to know something's wrong with your child, you instinctly feel, this wasn't right…Finding out, there was a great sense of relief."

Has your family been affected by toxic mold? If so, what were you able to do about it?

Source

Woman Trades Two Kids For Bird

Brett Singer — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Be ready to get annoyed. Or at least shake your head.

OK. Ready? Heeere we go.

Two people, Paul and Brandy Romero, wanted to sell their cockatoo for $1500. So they placed an ad in the local paper.

Donna Greenwell called and said, hi. I'd like to buy the bird. But wait -- there's more! Greenwell told the Romeros that she was taking care of three children that weren't hers, and she offered to sell the couple two of them for $2000.

I'll just quote the next part:

"The parties allegedly negotiated a trade involving the two kids, the bird and $175."

Some tipped off the appropriate authorities, the kids were placed in foster care, and the adults involved were arrested. The charge is "aggravated kidnapping," according to CNN.

So what the hell, right? Here's a twist I didn't see coming. "The children were well taken care of when they were with the Romeros, who badly wanted children."

I know this is going to sound insane. But if someone can find a couple to take care of children whose parents are unable to care for them, as it sounds like these kids were, is there a way to make that happen? Should there be? I know, adoption, foster care. But I don't think I can choose the parents in a situation like that.

Lots of questions, of course. How did the three kids come to be living with Donna Greenwell, a truck driver who is not related to them? In case you were curious, the third child was "placed" with another Louisana family, although no one seems to know if there was "bartering" involved with that one. No word on any birds either.

I know it's morbid, but I have to admit that I would love to hear that phone call. "Hi, I'm calling about your bird for sale? Mm-hm, mm-hm. Well, while I've got you on the line, would you be interested in these two kids I'm taking care of?"

All kidding aside, it's a terrible situation and I hope everyone ends up OK. Sometimes you have to laugh to stay sane.

Source: CNN

Image: sxc.hu

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Morning News: Obama Says 'I Screwed Up'

Madeline Holler — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:30:00 GMT

President Barack Obama took full responsiblity for the latest embarrassment to his new and still forming administration. He told CNN's Anderson Cooper last night that though he thinks Tom Daschle was the man for the job, ignoring the former senator's tax mistakes would send the wrong message to Americans.

Politico has a whole list of Plan Bs (not that Obama had a Health and Human Services secretary Plan B). But the good president is right: none seem quite the perfect fit that Daschle was (except for that damn tax thing ... is it really so hard?) In case you're out of the loop, Daschle surprised everybody by withdrawing his nomination for the top HHS job yesterday.

Sending the right message to many Americans, Obama set a salary cap for executives of the banks and companies getting bailed out by taxpayers. Sure, you hear that there are loopholes galore. But there shouldn't be. The cap is set at $500,000 a year. Come on, people, live with it!

Be careful what you reveal in your 25 Random Things About Me note on Facebook. MySpace deleted some 90,000 known sex offenders' accounts and word on the virtual street is that they're all moving over to Facebook. Of course the entity putting that word on the street is the company that was hired to clear MySpace of the perverts. Still. Maybe it's also time to change your Flickr settings to friends and family only.

Here's an uplifting-yet-makes-you-hate-the-world story: the world's youngest divorcee through a snowball and did other childish things in Paris last week. The 10-year-old (!) Yemeni managed an escape from her husband (who is three times her age) and found a judge who granted her the divorce almost immediately. She's now back in school and getting to be a girl. Not sure why the Time interviewer took her to a dimly lit bar in Paris to do the interview. The first line kind of creeps us out.

Have you ever thought about why organ recipients might reject a transplanted kidney, but pregnant women's bodies don't reject a fetus (which is not genetically identical to the mother)? Us either, but it's a great question! And researchers may have found a reason. Maternal cells seep into the fetus at a very young age, boosting the baby's regulatory T cells, which in turn tell mom's body to not reject the baby. Kinda sweet.

The latest in octuplets news: their mom has filed two worker's compensation claims in the past -- one in 1999 and another in 2001. What does this tell us? Not sure. But since her oldest child is 7, at least one of the claims was filed before she had been pregnant with him.

The publicist for Elizabeth Edwards's forthcoming book, Resilience, tells us that the wife of former presidential candidate John Edwards will make reference to her husband's affair and the woman who says he is her daughter's father. The book comes out in May.

Let's leave on a high note: Obama will sign into legislation this very minute an SCHIP bill, which will extend healthcare benefits to low- and moderate-income worker's children. Now, lawmakers of yore, was that really so hard?

Video: CNN

They Say: Get Some Sleep or Die

Brett Singer — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:00:00 GMT

CNN says that you need at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night. Otherwise you are "at greater risk of heart attack, stroke, and sudden cardiac death than their peers who get more shut-eye."

Do these people have kids?

In my case, I rarely get 7 hours every night. By the time the kids are asleep, I usually have other things to do, and then most mornings I need to get up and get everybody ready. Since I work at home, I can sometimes squeeze in a nap which helps to balance things out.

I'm not saying this is a good thing. I'm not one of these "I'll sleep when I'm dead" people. I like sleeping. I'd rather get more sleep but between parenting and working, 7.5 hours a night doesn't always happen.

How much sleep do you get? Is it enough?

source: CNN

image: Napping at Red Lights (which is a great title for a blog)

Disney Pulls Hannah Montana Diabetes Episode

Why Do People Still Hand Out Unwrapped Halloween Treats?

Guy Changes Name to Captain Fantastic

Rejected Baby Born to Surrogate Finally Home

Madeline Holler — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:35:00 GMT

Remember that story a few months ago, when a baby girl was born to a surrogate mother in India but wasn't allowed to be adopted by the father who commissioned her (or whatever it's called)?

Well, there's a happy ending.

The girl, Manjhi Yamada, is now in Japan, living with her father and paternal grandmother.

Manjhi's story in a nutshell:

Japanese woman and Japanese man, Ikufumi Yamada, hire an Indian woman to act as a surrogate mother. Japanese father provides sperm. Indian surrogate starts gestating. In the meantime, Japanese woman wants nothing to do with her husband and they divorce. She also wants nothing to do with the baby, who was born in July. Fine. So after Manjhi's birth, Yamada heads to India to adopt his daughter. Only authorities won't let him. Indian law requires a mother to be present for an adoption.

Baby is in legal limbo. Yamada's mother, the baby's grandmother, stays to take care of the girl while everything gets sorted out. Media pressure forces India to relent. And now, little Manjhi is home.

Photo: CNN.com

Woman changes her name to Cutout Dissection.com

Brett Singer — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT

There are all sorts of stories of parents who name their kids dopey things – Sarah McCain Palin, Miley Ray Cyrus Hannah Montana Lipschutz, etc. – but here is someone who changed her own name to something weird.

The former Jennifer Thornburg -- whose driver's license now reads Dissection.com, Cutout -- wanted to do something to protest animal dissections in schools.

Thornburg – sorry, Dissection.com – is an intern at PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The name is a web site belonging to the animal rights group.

Over at PETA's site, Jennifer – sorry, Cutout – has an amusing anecdote about getting a driver's license with her new name:

What did the DMV say when you got your new license?

It took me two tries to get my license. On the second try, the DMV worker looked very amused and confused, but also looked like she was afraid to ask for an explanation.

And what do the regular people think of her new name? "I normally do have to repeat my name several times when I am introducing myself to someone new…Once they find out what my name is, they want to know more about what the Web site is about." Yes, I'm sure it’s a real conversation starter. Her dad, Duane Thornburg, thinks its fine. No mention of the mom or other relatives.

I know I’m taking a not-that-nice tone here, and I apologize for that. I suppose it’s a fair way to raise awareness for a cause that you believe in, in this case, students dissecting animals. One thing occurs to me, though. It's never somebody who has to work for a living that pulls stunts like this. Although the CNN story says that Cutout "is working in Virginia", she's actually an intern. Which means she's not working, at least not for money. So there's a part of me that wonders if this is just a weird way for her to get attention. (Nerdy aside: technically, the name doesn't really work, since URLs don't have spaces in them. So the name should be cutoutdissection.com, not Cutout Dissection.com. Just one name. Like Prince. Or Sting. Or Cher.)

To be fair, Ms. Dissection.com has been against dissection since her name was still Jennifer; a few years ago she convinced her school to stop dissecting dead animals in science classes, according to PETA. (Now they only dissect them during Algebra! No they don't, that's a bad joke, I'm sorry.) So she has the courage of her convictions. But maybe there are better ways to do good in the world? Maybe it's hard for me to take this too seriously when the world economy is collapsing and the United States is in the midst of an increasingly ugly Presidential campaign. I'm not saying distractions are a bad thing (LOOK! PICTURES OF CUTE THINGS!), but Cutout is kidding herself a little bit if she thinks changing her name is going to make a tremendous difference. Unless I’m wrong, of course. What do you think?

Source: CNN, Source/image: PETA

11 names for private boy parts

Couple Asks Internet to Name their Baby

Father Names Newborn Sarah McCain Palin

Should Angelina Stop Nursing the Kids?

Lisa Marie Presley's Twins' Names Revealed!!!

A photo that has nothing to do with the news

Video of baby panda playing

British TV journo turns down big bucks for baby pics

What was your fake baby name?

Breaking News: Cadbury chocolate made in China recalled

Brett Singer — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:15:00 GMT

The AP is reporting that Cadbury is "recalling 11 types of Chinese-made chocolates after tests found they contained the industrial chemical melamine." This follows the recall of tainted milk powder in China.

AND, according to Newsinferno.com, a specific candy made by Cadbury called "White Rabbit" has been found to contain Melamine, the substance that cause more than 50,000 children to fall ill in China. The candy has been "distributed to California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington state through wholesale distributors to retail stores."

Before you say what I said ("Newsinferno? What's that?"), here's a link to the FDA's press release about the recall.

Newsinferno also reports that, "Pizza Hut suspended supplying cheese powder found to be contaminated by melamine in Pizza Hut’s Taiwan branch." Unless you happen to be in Taiwan, this one is pretty easy to avoid, but the White Rabbit stuff sounds like it could be in your local candy shoppe. Plus there are 11 other varieties, such as Eclairs (sold in Australia). So be careful.

But wait! There's more! According to Wikipedia, this White Rabbit stuff was recalled last year in the Philippines because it contained formaldehyde. Yum!

Anyone else in the mood for some good news? Like, "Field of unicorns found frolicking in Central Park, film at 11"? Sorry, I made that one up. Sounds good though, right?

Sources: CBS News/AP, Newsinferno.com, Sydney Morning Herald, Wikipedia (also image)

Arkansas Evangelist's compound raided, six children removed

They say: Chinese baby formula is dangerous

Mom finds hairy Goldilocks in 2 year old's bed

Dad buys beer for his toddlers

Now Chinese Coffee May Also Be Contaminated

Chinese Milk Scandal Heads to Europe. Is the U.S. Next? Yes!

YOU say: I got fooled (update to "They USED to say: give babies cola")

They say: Sarah Palin should step down

Brett Singer — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:50:00 GMT

A few they's are saying it, including "Prominent conservative columnist Kathleen Parker," who was a big fan of McCain's VP choice a few weeks ago.

See, if the Democrats had done this, you would have heard a chorus of "Flip! Flop!" But hey, what's bad for you is good for me, right?

In a column dated September 15, 2008, Parker wrote, "Both a frontier woman and beauty queen, the square-jawed Palin not only neutralized the sisterhood, but she animated the brotherhood. Men are suddenly riveted as never before by the frontal lobes of the vice-presidential candidates." In a column at NationalReview.com dated September 26, 2008, Parker writes that Palin is, "out of her league." Other comments about the woman she thought was just ducky a couple of weeks ago: "If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself." (Emphasis added, for obvious reasons.)

So how can Palin get out of this gracefully? "She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first." Gawker says that this is how we all got permission to be sexist. That sounds about right to me. No one with any sense is saying that Palin isn't qualified to be Veep because she lacks a Y chromosome. It's because she seems to have no idea what is going on in the world, or even a working knowledge of John McCain's record. Also, it needs to be said that Parker is suggesting that Palin blatantly lie about her reasons for dropping out in order to engender sympathy. Hey, maybe she could cry a little bit too! That'll really make the men weak in the knees!

It's worth noting that other writers are calling for Palin to go back to Alaska and keep an eye on Russia, including Peggy Noonan, David Brooks, George Will, and David Frum.

In closing, here are a couple of the numerous comments from the CNN article:

"Palin should take a flying leap."
Followed by:
"Be nice. She could just float away on her own HOT AIR!"

This one makes no sense at all:
"Let the smear campaign continue…"

Um, how is it a "smear campaign" when writers who support McCain are calling for Palin to get out of the race?

This one is my favorite:
"Ah.. the link was just to some little blog site. Sort of ironic when a tiny blog site says that someone is out-of-their-league."

Dude. That "some little blog site" is the NATIONAL REVIEW.

Same comment, gets better:
"Kathleen Parker needs to READ what the job of VP actually is. A squid with one brain cell would be over qualified for that job! The major thing you need to do is stay awake in the Senate."

Riiiight. Except that the "P" is VP stands for PRESIDENT. As in "next in line to be leader of the free world." Nuclear codes. (Or, as Palin would say, Nook-you-lehr codes.) That type of thing.

Lastly, it's worth pointing out that some random person at Yahoo! Answers was posting the "Should Palin step down?" question three weeks ago. Meaning that perhaps, at times, commentators, even nationally syndicated ones, can be a bit slow on the uptake.

Source/Image: CNN
Other Source: Gawker

Read more:

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Are your kids aware of the election?

Palin family online - real or fake?

Vice Stay-at-Home "Dude" ... or Something

Sarah Palin, Sportscaster

Muppet Op-Art

Sarah Palin Has A Penchant for Really Beautiful Scarves and More Tidbits For Those Obsessed

Dora the Conservative

McCain, Palin oppose teen pregnancy aid and sex education

Teaching Abstinence Doesn’t Work: Palin’s Preggo Kid.

So – who ya voting for?

Palin's Email Hacked and posted online; UPDATE: Anonymous Hacker Speaks

What Bristol Palin Can Expect, After Baby Algebra

Sarah Palin's Daughter Caught Doing Drugs On Tape

Morning News: Bipolar Markets, Campaigns, Now in Manic Phase

Maxed Out Moms Leaning Towards McCain & Palin

Morning News: No One Told Hillary That Palin Would be There!

Another 8 year old on the terrorist watch list

Palin's Town Charged Women for Rape Kits

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:15:00 GMT

You may have heard that the police department of Wasilla, Alaska--currently the littlest big town in the world--charged rape victims for forensic exams while Sarah Palin was mayor. This is a bit like asking the bereaved for hundreds of dollars before taking fingerprints at the scene of a murder.

Now CNN has covered the story, including interviewing the man who sponsored a bill to end the practice. He says, "This [the bill outlawing charging for rape kits] was something that just about everyone agreed on--except Wasilla." The McCain campaign maintains that Palin knew nothing about her town's administration of rape kits. (McCain, however, made his stance on rape kits perfectly clear when he voted against national legislation--introduced by Joe Biden--that would have made charging for sexual assault exams illegal.) This legislator says he finds it very hard to believe that the police chief of a small town waged a campaign against a piece of statewide legislation without the mayor's knowledge. I would add that, if Palin didn't know about the rape kit controversy, perhaps she was slacking on her duties as mayor a wee bit.

But I'm giving away all the good parts. Watch for yourself on Huffington Post.

Photo: pinkandchocolatebrown.blogspot.com

Preventing Teen Pregnancy One Tick at a Time

Clay Aiken Comes Out

Brett Singer — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:18:00 GMT

It's official – Clay Aiken is a gay dad.

In news that surprises absolutely no one, the AP is reporting that yes, Virginia (or is that Mary?) Clay Aiken is a gay man. Claymates everywhere are in tears.

The story highlights from CNN?

· "American Idol" runner-up and infant son are on new People cover
· "I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things," Aiken says
· Aiken made his debut on Broadway in "Spamalot"

So. The first two, OK. On the cover of People, interesting (especially since it was previously reported that no one wanted that picture because it was too "creepy"). Can't lie while raising a child, yes, right, newsworthy quote. And…he was on Broadway. This is relevant because…?

UPDATE: Famecrawler has the People Mag cover which features the headline, "Yes, I'm Gay." Pulitzer material, methinks.

Source/image: CNN

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SHOCKER: Clay Aiken Is Gay! (Cute Pic Of His Baby Too)

Clay Aiken Welcomes Son!!!

First Picture of Clay Aiken's Son

Arkansas Evangelist's compound raided, six children removed

Enormous baby sculpture

UPDATE: Tainted Milk Tally tops 50,000

Brett Singer — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:00:00 GMT

An update to the tainted milk story from VOANews.com:

China is vowing to stop tainted milk from reaching export markets, amid a growing scandal...Four Chinese infants have already died from drinking toxic milk products and more than 53,000 others have been made sick...The widening scandal has already claimed resignations from several officials, including Li Changjiang, the head of China's top quality inspection agency.

Apparently this was a known problem for eight months before anyone did anything about it.

53,000 kids sick? Nasty.

Original post follows.

*-*-*-*-*

The number of children affected by a dangerous chemical in certain brands of Chinese-made baby formula is going up. CNN is reporting that more than 13,000 children in China have been, "sickened by tainted milk."

The details are even worse: four babies have died, and a 3-year-old girl in Hong Kong was hospitalized after drinking the tainted formula. The little girl was released, but this means that the illnesses are no longer isolated to Mainland China.

AND: "In addition, nearly 40,000 other infants and young children have received outpatient medical treatment and consultation as a result of the tainted milk," according to Xinhua, China's state-run news agency.

The issue, according to published reports, is that the formula contains a chemical called melamine, which is a "key ingredient in most fire retardant materials." In other words, not something anyone should be eating.

Full details are on CNN.com.

A reader emailed to ask if we knew whether or not any U.S. formula brands were affected. We do not. That's not to say that there is any reason to think that there IS a problem with any U.S. baby formulas; as far as I know (the key words there are "as far as I know") there have been no recalls or reports of infants becoming sick from baby formula in the United States. Still, I would be very careful with any formula that you buy, especially if you have any reason to believe it was manufactured in China. To clarify: we are NOT saying that you should avoid any brand of baby formula, we are only telling you what CNN has reported. There has been some concern that boxes of Sanlu-brand formula may be on store shelves in Chinese grocery stores in the United States; more details are here.

Source: CNN
Image: china.org.cn

Mom finds hairy Goldilocks in 2 year old's bed

YOU say: I got fooled (update to "They USED to say: give babies cola")

Babies R Us tells breastfeeding mother to get out

Mom leaves kids in a Jersey parking lot

Important news stories depicted by five year olds

Austrian incest mom speaks out

Arkansas Evangelist's compound raided, six children removed

Brett Singer — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:35:00 GMT

Arkansas police raided Tony Alamo Christian Ministries on Saturday. The church, located near Texarkana, was raided because of suspicions that children are being abused there. The raid was part of a child pornography investigation. The six children are currently, "in the custody of the state Department of Human Services," according to CNN.

Tony Alamo (that name!) is denying any shenanigans. "It's a hoax…They're just trying to make our church look evil ... by saying…that I rape little children. ... I love children. I don't abuse them. Never have. Never will." Then he compared himself to Jesus Christ, saying that, "Jesus is living within me." Yeah, that's what I used to tell people. Then the doctors switched my meds and I'm much better now.

I do wonder why the only way to find out what's going on in these places is to do a huge dramatic raid. CNN reports that, "About 100 agents raided the 15-acre site on Saturday and met with no resistance." Did they really need that many officers of the law to take six children into custody? Of course, if they had found armed guards, I guess that would be a different story. Whatever the facts turn out to be, I hope the kids are OK, or as OK as a kid could be after this sort of experience.

Image/source: CNN

Read more:

Mom finds hairy Goldilocks in 2 year old's bed

YOU say: I got fooled (update to "They USED to say: give babies cola")

Babies R Us tells breastfeeding mother to get out

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11 months old, 62 pounds

Dad arrested for leaving son at McDonald's

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Creepiest spam message ever: "we have hijacked your baby"

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Whit Honea — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Pam Anderson Marries Fat Old Guy (Photos)

CNN Newsmaker Found Dead With Child At Side

Sarah Palin's Daughter Caught Doing Drugs On Tape

Amy Poehler Crying About Everything These Days

Ryan and Redmond O'Neal Arrested for Meth Possession (Photos)

Megan Fox in a Bikini!

Josh Howard Hates America? The National Anthem Video

Sarah Palin's Tanning Bed

Mary Louise Parker Naked on Weeds: Photo!

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden Splitting Up?

All I Want For Christmas Is A Sarah Palin Action Figure

Keira Knightley's Odd Reason For Wanting To Be Pregnant

Pregnant Bellies Make Cool Art

Madeline Holler — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:57:00 GMT

Anybody out there ever do a cast of your pregnant belly? I always thought it was a nice idea, but figured if I did one (or two), it would just be crated up and moved around from place to place, eventually getting squished, never really being appreciated.

An Atlanta artist has turned belly casts into works of art that you'd never dare box up and ignore. While some of them aren't really my taste (I'm thinking the angel wings ...) others are really, really cool (pineapple belly for the mom who craved pineapple!).

This short video shows a bunch of them. What'd you wind up doing with your belly cast?

Should 21-Year-Olds Get Vasectomies?

Madeline Holler — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:29:00 GMT

Some just know they don't want to have kids. So what's the harm in doing something more permanent about it? Apparently, the risk of feeling regret makes young-adult vasectomies and tubal ligations a cautionary tale. Me? I call it life.

A lot of doctors question motives and ages and encourage their 21-year-old clients to think over the procedure some more. Some even refuse to perform them.

From CNN:

"I jokingly tell patients it's like buying a gun in Chicago," says Dr. Lawrence Ross, professor of urology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "You can go look at the gun but you can't buy it right away."

He argues it's because there's no guarantee a reversal will work and that 10 years or more after a vasectomy, the success rate of reversals drops to between 75 and 80 percent.

"Given those stats, it's best to consider a vasectomy "a permanent form of sterilization," Ross says. "I will always tell young men that in my 38 years of practice, I've seen many men change their minds."

I think it's OK to be cautious and also to remind clients of the statistics. But I think refusing the procedure or getting a little too preachy about it is bad medicine. So what if some men (or women) are going to regret the choices they made in their youth. Older people regret their choices too!

Anyway, it makes me wonder, why are we so scared of regret? Regret builds character, helps shape our lives, means we aren't entitled to each and every wish we want precisely when we want it. Regrets mean we have to be a little more creative with how we go about getting what we want. Regrets, we've all had a few.

So a guy suddenly wants kids but he's been shooting blanks for years now. There's always adoption, donor sperm, surrogacy. Not his first choice? Not now, but there can still be a happy ending.

Teaching Abstinence Doesn’t Work: Palin’s Preggo Kid.

Photo: CNN.com