Strollerderby : California

Gay Boy Crowned Prom Queen

JeanneSager — Sat, 30 May 2009 15:08:00 GMT

He's a boy, and he's gay, but Sergio Garcia isn't ashamed to tell people he's a queen. Prom queen that is.

Describing himself as "flamboyant," openly gay Garcia was crowned the queen of his Los Angeles high school's prom this week after deciding he could better identify with being a queen than a king, and campaigning hard for the part.

After reading about the racially segregated proms still allowed in some parts of the south this week, I needed this story. Because Garcia's principal says this is a great example of how successful the school is at driving home the message of diversity. At a school that's offered LGBT programming since for the past twenty-five years, it's apparently working.

The vote wasn't unanimous, but speaking in front of his classmates to campaign for the part, Garcia told them, "I'm not your typical prom queen candidate. There's more to me than meets the eye." Kids who spoke to a local TV station said they were swayed by his words, and they cast their vote for him.

Now we can only hope the same kids start voting in California elections soon - and find a way to send proposition 8 back to pasture.

Image: Twirlit

California School District Approves So-Called Gay Curriculum

Brett Singer — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:30:00 GMT

This was a tricky story to put into a headline. See, it's not a "gay curriculum" per se. That's what the opponents of the program, officially called LGBT Lesson #9, are calling it. A better headline is this one from KCBS news -- Alameda Approves Elementary Curriculum on Tolerance. The "controversial lesson plan aimed at discouraging bullying and teasing based on gay and lesbian stereotypes" was approved by the Alameda school board by a vote of 3-2.

Yes, 3-2. And it's only in Alameda, California. When I first saw the story on Fox News a few days ago (before the vote had occurred), I initially thought that this was state-wide. Because based on the tone of the reporting, one would think that something HUGE was going on.

Watch this fair and balanced (not) report from Fox News:

(If the embed doesn't work, please click here.)

Listen to the way Steve Ducey says "transgendered people" as if he were saying "horrible, evil nazis who would like nothing more than to eat your family dog."

The question the Fox report raises is whether or not it is "age appropriate" to teach K-5 kids about what they refer to as the "gay lifestyle." Also, "Opponents [of the curriculum] say that this is an effort to advance the gay, lesbian and transgendered agenda," according to Fox. Next: those opponents want to recall the board members who voted for it. Then Steve Ducey wraps things up for us by saying "OK. Same sex penguins. Only in California." (Well, also in New York, at the Central Park Zoo. But hey, East Coast, West Coast, we're all heathens in the eyes of the Duce.)

So what is everyone so upset about? One item is the book "And Tango Makes Three," described by FoxNews.com as a book that is "about two gay penguins who raise a baby peguin, is the basis for grade school teachings on gay and lesbian lifestyles."

Right. Because that's what the point of the book is. To showcase the gay lifestyle. Because being gay is just a lifestyle choice, right? A choice made by irresponsible Sodomites who hate America and all of the values on which we stand.

The purpose of the lesson plan is to promote tolerance. And judging by the reaction, some tolerance is needed.

Another take on this is provided by KGO-TV, an ABC News affiliate in San Francisco. That report says that parents are upset that they will be unable to "opt-out" of the lessons if they feel that they go against their religious beliefs. They also say that "race and religion...can also lead to bullying," but those things are not discussed.

Here's the thing. I don't know the full extent of the curriculum being proposed. But tolerance for gay people is not taught the way tolerance for people of different races are taught. Wen I was in school, we learned about racial tolerance. I very clearly recall a film strip (remember film strips?) in which Bill Cosby said, "There's a Black man sitting in your loafers," and pointing out the racism in old movies ("When they got scared -- these dudes turned white!"). We read "Native Son." What we didn't do was discuss anything about gay people.

Fast-forward thirty a few years. My son is in school. He learns about racial tolerance. He has told me more than once that anyone who believes that one race of people is better than another race of people is "insane." He learns about the holidays of religions that he wouldn't otherwise be familiar with. But as far as I know, he hasn't read "And Tango Makes Three." Why not? Maybe because gay stuff still makes people uncomfortable. (The Onion had a headline that reflected this brilliantly. I can't find it but basically it said that the popularity of "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" could attributed to the fact that gay people are so cute without all that gay sex. The Onion said it better than that.)

I admit that this is based on my own experience, but I think there's something to it. Is this particular curriculum the answer? I don't know. Will reading "And Tango Makes 3" in second grade cause the sky to be consumed in hellfire? Nope. Gay parents are out there (no pun intended). Why shouldn't kids know that?

What do you think? Is K-5 too young to learn about gay people? Or should it be treated as another path down the road to tolerance?

Source: Mercury News

Image: Amazon

Mom Arrested for Having 555 Pound Son

13 Year Old Alfie Definitely Not A Dad

SNL Mother's Day Skits

Morning News: Idol, Terror, and Credit Cards

Amy Kuras — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:01:00 GMT

If you care about this, you already know, but Kris Allen was crowned the winner on “American Idol” last night. If you’re like me and like to look like you’re keeping up with the kids without actually having to subject yourself to American Idol, perhaps this helps.

In much more serious news, terror suspect Ahmen Ghalani will be sent to New York from Guantanamo Bay to face trial in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. President Obama is expected to announce the trial during an address today on Guantanamo and other security issues.

New York City Police and federal agents arrested four men who were plotting to bomb synagogues and other landmarks in the city. Police say there was little chance the men could have carried out the attacks, but still.

Also? California is coming apart, pretty much. It’s out of money and now looking at a constitutional convention.

Maybe they could put some cash on a credit card, because there are some new rules passed by Congress today that both keep credit card companies from hiking rates out of nowhere and let them spank you for paying your card off in full every month. And no more going after college kids to sign up for debt they will never be able to repay – those under 21 will have to prove they can pay back the money or that their parents will take on the debt if they can’t.

Morning News - Palm Pre Launch Date Announced

Brett Singer — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

This is important to a lot of people, although it isn't IMPORTANT in the way that, say, something important is important. Know what I mean? Anyway, the long awaited, much hyped, and often blogged about Palm Pre will be available for our greedy little fingers on... timpani, please... June 6. Of this year. What's a Palm Pre, you ask? A new cell phone that may or may not be better than the iPhone:

If you want the phone you'll have to sign up for Sprint, which could be a deal breaker for me. I had Sprint for home phone service in college, and they used to do the following: send a bill every two months, then charge late fees because I was a month late. This happened for a year until I finally switched to something else. (This was back before everyone had a cell phone, and land lines were more important. Thus endeth the history lesson.) I realize this was not, as they say, last Tuesday, but from what I've heard, Sprint's service is still only so-so. So... we'll see.

Now, on to really really REALLY important news -- "Ghostbusters 3" may start filming this Winter, according to Dan Aykroyd. According to the L.A. Times and Entertainment Weekly,"the franchise film is expected to feature a 'new generation' of ghostbusters." So its like the new "Star Trek." Well, more like the new "Get Smart." Which isn't nearly as cool, but I guess it's OK. My kids loved the first movie, as do I of course, but I doubt this new one will be any good. Money, though, it will make. You heard it here first. In a semi-related story, wrestler John Cena quoted the original film recently, saying "It's chaos, the sky will fall. Cats and dogs living together." Not an exact quote, but pretty close. That will likely be the only time you will ever see me talk about "pro" wrestling in Morning News. I promise.

Anyone else think that the state of California is just plain weird? Not to be a judgmental New Yorker, but it seems like there's always something wacky going on way out West. For example: "California voting on budget crisis measures," sayeth CNN. Again, not saying everything on the East Coast is peaches and cream. But we rarely have mudslides, and we don't have ballot propositions. Also, our governor has never played Mr. Freeze in a movie. "It's going to be a cold time on the old town tonight." Really, Arnold? Really?

Michael Steele, the head of the Republican National Committee, wants fellow GOPers to "attack" President Obama more often. Classy. Steele, who publicly apologized to Rush Limbaugh back in March, also said that "Obama's first several months [were] 'a reign of error'" and "that the Republican 'renaissance has begun.'" Not to be partisan, but how do you figure? Even a Republican friend of mine -- OK, it's my dentist -- said that we've got to give Obama more than a few months before we decide what kind of job he's doing. Seems reasonable to me. Of course, one person's "reasonable" is another person's "wimpy."

Speaking of President Obama, some people are not letting his spech at Notre Dame go without a fight, or at least a lot of fire and brimstone. Father Jonathan Morris is very upset at the President, and at Notre Dame for giving him an honorary degree. Because really, when you think about it, the biggest problem in the world today is the fact that our Democratically elected President believes that abortion, which is already legal, should stay legal. What a radical.

Remember Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse? Doesn't ring any bells? He was the kid -- they think he's a teenager, so I can call him a kid -- from Somalia who was caught and charged with piracy. PIRACY. Not downloading "Wolverine" piracy. Not fun Johnny Depp "argh, Mateys" piracy. ACTUAL piracy. On the high seas. Crazy. He's in New York now (I guess we do have some weird stuff here) and has been indicted on charges 10 counts, "including piracy and conspiracy to seize a ship by force and to take hostages," according to the New York Times. What must be going through his mind? Doesn't speak the language, probably only sort of knows what the heck is happening. Very odd.

Last but not least, a nice little NYC story. A newspaper seller was handed an envelope with $1000 cash in it. There was also a note that said, "From Chris and George." The paperman, Jerome Kabore (pictured above), has no idea who Chris and George are. He started wearing a sign that says "Thank you so much Chris and George," just in case whoever it is comes back. Read the whole story here, it's nice.

Morning News - Astronauts Watch Star Trek In Space

Homebirthing Advocate's Baby Dies During Homebirth

Mom Puts 9 Year Old Girl On Craigs List For Revenge

Boy Accidentally Shoots Self With Forgotten Gun

UPDATE: Dad Who Forced Son To Get Tattoo is Arrested

Brett Singer — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:15:00 GMT

Updating the story from a few weeks ago: Enrique Gonzalez, the Fresno father and gang member who allegedly forcibly tattooed a dog's paw on his 7-year-old son, has been arrested in Madera County, California, according to the Fresno Bee. Gonzalez was found hiding out at a motel with his girlfriend; he tried to escape through a window but police caught him. He is being held on $700,000 bail.

Original post follows below.

*-*-*-*

This is pretty hard core.

Enrique Gonzalez, a Fresno, California father, is a member of a gang called the Bulldogs. He wanted his son, who is 7, to get marked with their symbol, which is a dog's paw. The boy didn't want to, possibly because he's seven and tattoos hurt. (I can barely get my kids to stick a thermometer in their mouths to see if they have a fever.) So, according to a police report, Gonzalez held his son down while Travis Gorman gave him the tattoo.

Gorman has been arrested, Gonzalez is still at large. (Note that these are charges that the two men have been accused of, so everything here is "allegedly.")

Adding to the troubling nature of this story (if that's possible) is that Gorman isn't a licensed tattoo artist. So what, you say? That just seems less safe. Not that it would have been OK to do this in a tattoo parlor, of course.

In California, it is illegal for anyone under 18 to get "inked", although police acknowledge that they have seen gang tattoos on children as young as 14. "But never this young," said Fresno Detective Jesse Ruelas. I hope not.

Other details of interest: the boy lives with his mother, and was visiting his father over the Easter holiday, which I suppose means the parents have shared custody, or maybe just that the father has visitation. I'm guessing that won't happen anymore. The mother found the tattoo when her son came home from visiting with dad and wouldn't let her see him get undressed to take a bath.

Scary stuff. Hope the kid is OK and he can get over this.

Source: Fresno Bee

Update source: Fresno Bee

Boy Accidentally Shoots Self With Forgotten Gun

Australian Kiddie Show Star Appears In Laddie Mag

Dad Drives Drunk With Kids In Car

American Incest Dad Gets 109 Years In Jail

Boy With Toy Gun Shot By Deputy

Brett Singer — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:00:00 GMT

You hear about things like this happening from time to time but you always hope it will stop. But it doesn't.

A boy was "playing cops and robbers" in Palmdale, California when he was shot by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. He is now in the hospital in stable condition.

The police were responding to complaints from neighbors that someone was "riding a bicycle and brandishing a handgun." Deputies arrived on the scene, told the kid to drop the gun, and he pointed it at them instead. According to the report, the boy is 15, which seems a little old for that sort of behavior.

This quote, from sheriff's spokesman Deputy Ed Hernandez, is disturbing: "The deputies, fearing for their lives, shot him once. Later on, they determined it was a juvenile playing cops and robbers." I'm not blaming the police, especially since if the boy was really 15, he should know better. But the idea that a kid can have a gun that looks enough like a real one (the photo above is of a toy gun you can buy at Amazon.com) for a trained police officer to fear for their life...

Source: LA Times

Image: Amazon

10 Year Old Author Alec Greven Is Back

Women Switched at Birth Find Out 56 Years Later

Japanese Potty Training Video

The Orphan Trade and International Adoption

Parents Need To Eat, Too -- Right?

10 Year Old Burned By Tanning Bed

When Toddlers Attack The Neighbors

Morning News: Stress, Spending, and Suspects

Amy Kuras — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Good morning! So, remember how yesterday I told you those wildfires in California were not so bad? Yeah, that’s changed. Strong winds have strengthened the fire, which has now scorched 2700 acres, destroyed or damaged 75 homes, and injured 10 firefighters. About 12,000 people have been forced out their homes by the blaze.

Results of the “stress tests” conducted on the nation’s banks by the Obama administration found that nine of the biggest received a clean bill of health, but that the rest could need as much as $75 billion in capital to survive the recession.

Banks in trouble include Bank of America, GMAC (the finance arm of General Motors, which isn’t doing too well itself), Citigroup, and Wells Fargo. The New York Times story linked here has a staggering sentence: “Under regulators’ worst-case assumptions, the 19 banks might suffer $600 billion in losses through 2010, on top of the hundreds of billions that have already vaporized in this financial crisis. About 9 percent of all loans might sour — a figure that is even higher than it was during the Great Depression. One in five credit card loans could go unpaid, more than double the typical loss rate. Approximately one in 10 mortgages could sour.”

The Obama administration announced the finer points of its budget yesterday as well, and it includes a whopping one half of one percent in spending cuts. Spending on defense and housing would rise.

And finally, students (and their parents) at Wesleyan University in Connecticut are breathing a little easier now that police arrested Stephen P. Morgan at a convenience store, after he saw his picture in the paper and asked the clerk to call police. Morgan is suspected of stalking and killing student Johanna Justin-Jinich while she worked at a campus bookstore. He wore a disguise during the shooting and thus was bale to evade police, even though the stopped and questioned him after the shooting. The university kept students indoors for two days and even delivered box lunches to dorms while the manhunt for Morgan continued.

OctoMom Video Blog at RadarOnline

Brett Singer — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:00:00 GMT

I don't want to be mean here. I really don't. But I'm starting to feel sorry for Nadya Suleman and her children.

I really think she needs help. I don't mean financial help. Help from a doctor not named Phil.

In a new video blog posted exclusively at RadarOnline, she says "I want to be private." She means that she doesn't want people to know where she lives, because clearly she doesn't want to be, you know, actually private. "Being in the field I'm in, I know there's a lot of emotionally disturbed people in the world…I have trust issues."

She's not worried about anything, she's not overwhelmed. She's hiring help. The other moms are supportive, everything is FINE.

What?

You see her interacting with her children, who don't seem all that happy. The tape feels like an audition reel for a reality show.

Other highlights, in case you can't bear to watch the video:

-   New house, a rental. "I'm doing it myself," meaning no help from anyone. Unclear how it's possible to rent a 2800 square foot house with no job.
-    MSNBC says that the video "shows Suleman struggling to speak as one of her older six kids bites her, pulls her hair and slaps her in the face," but I didn't see anything terribly unusual. I mean, the kids don't look thrilled by the camera and are eventually ushered out of the room (presumably to a very weary grandmother, but you don't see that). Still, the kids' behavior looks like a kid trying to get mommy's attention.
-   This part I will just quote: "Suleman said her older children are already jealous of the octuplets. When a friend showed the kids a picture of their new siblings, 'they hit the picture,' Suleman said." Oy vey.

Also bizarre are her hand-written blog entries. In this one she talks about meeting Dr. Phil. (Because that's really what a mother of 14 should be thinking about.) By not typing her entries for her, Radar clearly wants us to see Nadya's nutty side. (Read the PDF file here.)

It's all fairly disturbing, actually. Hard to look, hard to look away.

Source: MSNBC, RadarOnline

OctoMom Says Denis Beaudoin is Not OctoDad

Gloria Allred Offers To Help OctoMom

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

Really Wanna Let Octomom Have it? Leave Her Alone

"Angels in Waiting" Apparently Still Waiting

OctoMom Loathes Being Pregnant

OctoMom Rejects Angels In Waiting Offer

Brett Singer — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:05:00 GMT

According to RadarOnline, Nadya OctoMom Suleman has rejected an offer from the group Angels In Waiting to "provide her with a temporary new home for six months."

Angels offer was pretty sweet. According to Radar: "around the clock individualized care by pediatric nurses and other early intervention professionals for her octuplets and their six other siblings." This is in addition to giving them A PLACE TO LIVE. Remember that the house she currently lives in -- her parents' -- is facing foreclosure.

Gloria Allred is all red with frustration -- actually, I don't know if that's true but I wanted to write that. Sorry. We'll learn how she feels later today when the attorney to the weird gives a press conference.

I can understand not accepting help from people for various reasons. In this case, I think Suleman should take what she can get, especially since she's already asking for help from anyone who is willing. So why turn this one down? Is it that she doesn't like Allred? She also seems to be rejecting offers of help from Denis Beaudoin, who said he'd give Nadya some money even if he wasn't the father. Can she really afford to be so, you know, choosy?

Commenter FoxyMoxie (thanks for the tip!) says that Allred will discuss the "'disturbing' phone conversations" she has had with the OctoMom. I mean, will this thing ever end?

Source: RadarOnline

Gloria Allred Offers To Help OctoMom

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

Really Wanna Let Octomom Have it? Leave Her Alone

"Angels in Waiting" Apparently Still Waiting

OctoMom Loathes Being Pregnant

Brett Singer — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:00:00 GMT

When lawyers represent mostly accident victims, we call them ambulance chasers. What about a shrink who only wants to talk to screwed up people who get lots of media coverage? We need a name for them. Oh wait -- there is one. Dr. Phil.

Yes, the man that Oprah unleashed on the world is at it again. This time he's chatting with Nadya Suleman. You know. The OctoMom! Where ya been, people? This is the only important news story in the world right now. Pay attention.

Here's a little video to whet your appetite:

Doesn't she sound like a delusional 'American Idol' contestant? It's not that you're single. It's that you're single, intentionally had TONS of babies, and have no way to support them. It's irresponsible. How much time could you possibly be spending with any of your kids, the six you already had or the octuplets, if you're always out doing interviews?

This quote was the one that got me:

When Dr. Phil asked her if she was addicted to being pregnant, Nadya responding [sic] saying, no, she absolutely loathes being pregnant and she looked into adoption after her third pregnancy.

She LOATHES being pregnant. So…why do it again? And again? (Reminds me of another Dr. Phil 'patient', Britney Spears -- 'Oops, I did it again / I had 8 more kids…')

And by the way. Of course you loathed being pregnant. You were pregnant with eight babies! That's like carrying around a Humvee in your stomach!

Having never been pregnant, I can safely say that I have no idea how it feels. But many of the women I've spoken to say that they do love it, at least at times. The baby kicking, the life growing inside of you -- that sort of thing.

Since I have no idea, I'll ask the moms out there -- did you "loathe" being pregnant like Nadya?

Source: EverythingOprah

Image: Me

Gloria Allred Offers To Help OctoMom

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

OctoMom Receives Death Threats

VIDEO-OctoMom And Doctor From Two Years Ago

UPDATE: GMA Snags an Interview with The Octuplet’s Baby Daddy!

Really Wanna Let Octomom Have it? Leave Her Alone

VIDEO-Octo Mom Publicist On GMA

What Octo-Mom Is Spending The Money On

Octuplet Mom Wants TV Career

OctoMom Says Denis Beaudoin is Not OctoDad

Brett Singer — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT

So you know that interview with Denis Beaudoin where he claimed to be the OctoDad? Nadya Suleman says that his pants, they are on fire. By that I mean he's lying, according to OctoMom. Suleman's new spokesperson Victor Munoz says that "Denis is definitely not the father."

What nobody is denying is that Denis donated sperm to Suleman on three different occasions. According to OctoPublicist Munoz, Denis twice "gave Suleman a sperm sample at home, which she held between her breasts to keep warm." Then a THIRD time, Denis "was brought to a fertility clinic after Suleman told him she had cancer and they were going to see a doctor." The sperm was placed directly into her womb, there were no embryos created, aaaaand… that's it. I'm done.

OK, one more detail. David Solomon is listed as the father of the oldest of Nadya's first 6 children, and Munoz says that there is one father for all 14 kids. But he won't confirm or deny that said father is Solomon.

Oh, and the hospital might not release the octuplets to Nadya. Seems they're concerned that she won't be able to care for them properly. So she called Dr. Phil. No. Really.

AHHHH!!!!

I'd call this a train wreck, but that's insulting because I kind of like trains. But I have to admit that I'm fascinated because there seem to be more details every other minute. It truly is… the never ending story.

Too much drama. Having kids is dramatic enough. Why include all of this other crap?

Source: ABC News

Image: Me, using Photoshop, using this from Amazon

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

OctoMom Receives Death Threats

VIDEO-OctoMom And Doctor From Two Years Ago

UPDATE: GMA Snags an Interview with The Octuplet’s Baby Daddy!

Really Wanna Let Octomom Have it? Leave Her Alone

VIDEO-Octo Mom Publicist On GMA

What Octo-Mom Is Spending The Money On

Octuplet Mom Wants TV Career

California Daycare Closed; Worker Was Mocking Kids' Genitals

Kate Tuttle — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

According to police reports, the owner-operator of a home daycare repeatedly pulled down the pants of the children in her care so that she and other adults could comment on the size and shape of their genitalia. In addition, the owner, Suzanna Best of the badly misnamed Best Family Child Care Home, let one child, a developmentally disabled girl, sit in urine-soaked clothes for several hours; another time, Best washed the child with a garden hose after she had pooped in her pants.

The report can be found by clicking through from the news article. It makes for interesting, if terrifying reading. Beyond the sexual abuse, Best was also violating state law by caring for more children than her license allowed (and had even planned for it by showing the children an "escape route" to follow in case the authorities ever came to inspect), and hired workers without conducting a criminal background check.

California's Departmet of Social Services is now investing the daycare, located in San Bernardino County. But for parents everywhere, this is one of those "worst nightmare" scenarios that can make you question your own daycare situation, wherever it is. Despite all the state licensing and inspections, it's still possible to find out you've put your kids into the daycare from Hell. Asking the right questions when you're choosing a daycare helps -- unannounced visits help even more.

More By This Author:

Bad Science: How The Autism Vaccine Scare Snowballed

Preteen Accused of Shooting Dad's Pregnant Girlfriend

North Dakota Passes Law Establishing "Personhood" at Conception

Kittens Have Their Say (Aided by Nutty Six-Year-Old)

Twenty-Year-Old Kidnapping Solved

Gloria Allred Offers To Help OctoMom

Brett Singer — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:47:00 GMT

Remember Gloria Allred? No? Lucky you.

She's an attorney with a knack for representing clients involved with high-profile cases, such as Amber Frey (Scott Peterson), and the family of Nicole Brown Simpson (O.J.). She also made headlines when she took the controversial stance of questioning Michael Jackson's parenting skills. (That was sarcasm.) She actually went so far as to request that California Child Protective Services investigate how he treats his kids. (That, unfortunately, is true.)

Well, the media-loving lawyer is back and she wants to help out OctoMom Nadya Suleman's kids. MomLogic reports that Allred has a "plan to 'provide for the medical and emotional needs'" of all 14 members of her brood.

Through the charity Angels In Waiting, Allred says that the family can receive the help that they need without relying on public funds, although they will need private donations.

While it's obvious that Allred is a publicity hound (there are other, less polite words one could use, of course), Angels In Waiting seems to be a worthy organization. (Note: I haven't done a lot of research into the group, just a cursory skimming of their web site.) So in theory there is a positive outcome from Allred's actions. Still, why not be a champion for children all the time? Why does it only matter when there's a camera around? The OctoMom story is fascinating, but it's also very sad. The last thing those kids need is someone else trying to get famous off of them.

What do you think – is Allred legit? Or should she, you know, quit? (Apologies for the extremely dated reference.)

Image/Source: MomLogic

OctoMom Receives Death Threats

VIDEO-OctoMom And Doctor From Two Years Ago

Really Wanna Let Octomom Have it? Leave Her Alone

VIDEO-Octo Mom Publicist On GMA

What Octo-Mom Is Spending The Money On

Octuplet Mom Wants TV Career

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

Brett Singer — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Remember the movie "The Neverending Story"? Nadya Suleman is starring in a real-life version.

Every day, heck, every hour, there a new detail emerges. I have two kids and never have enough time to do the things I need to do. Suleman, with six at home and eight more in the hospital, seems to have plenty of time to do interviews with anyone who wants her. (Maybe we should take Shannon's advice.)

ParentDish reports that the OctoMom told British newspaper The Sun that she will not date anyone until her youngest child turns 18. (Does that mean all eight of the new ones? Or just the kid that came out last? The mind boggles.)

She also said that she "can't remember" the last time she went on a date. Um, Nadya? You've said that you met the father/donor of your numerous offspring at a nightclub. Did that not count as a date? Maybe it was Girls' Night Out. ("Let's go, GNO…" – or should that be GYNO? G'night, ladies and gentlemen.)

So no hanky-panky for OctoMom for the next 18 years, adding to the 8 years that she has already done without. I guess The Bachlorette will have to look elsewhere for their next star.

Her reasoning is equally bizarre. "Boyfriends? I think I'd have to be extremely selfish. I cannot maintain a social life and be a mother. To even take one percent of every night and devote it to someone else, a stranger, would be wrong. I have to wait for that until my youngest have left school."

Is there a point when a journalist is going to ask Nadya about the charges leveled against her by, you know, her own mom and dad? That whole "she doesn't take care of the six kids she already has" thing? I guess not.

Source: ParentDish

Image

VIDEO-OctoMom And Doctor From Two Years Ago

Really Wanna Let Octomom Have it? Leave Her Alone

VIDEO-Octo Mom Publicist On GMA

What Octo-Mom Is Spending The Money On

Octuplet Mom Wants TV Career

OctoMom Receives Death Threats

Brett Singer — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:00:00 GMT

I'm no fan of Nadya "OctoMom" Suleman, the OctoDoc, and I particularly dislike her publicists.

But death threats?

According to ETOnline (and every other news outlet on the planet, because there is NOTHING ELSE HAPPENING IN THE WORLD), OctoMom and her kids have gone into hiding because of "several hostile telephone and email messages." The octuplets are still in the hospital.

Publicist Michael Furtney actually uses the term "undisclosed location" when describing where Suleman is. We don't like him.

Bottom line: I think that people who send a threatening emails or makes hostile phone calls to Nadya, or anyone else, are reprehensible and should be arrested (assuming those threats are illegal; I'm not a lawyer, although I have played one on TV, sort of – long story). At the same time, I imagine Suleman could have cut down on the number of hateful messages she is receiving by not doing national television interviews. Setting up a web site didn't help either. Just a thought.

SOURCE

The Poor Man's Angelina Jolie?

Ann Curry Scores Interview with Octuplet's Mom

VIDEO-Octo Mom Publicist On GMA

Octuplet Mom Wants TV Career

Octuplet Mom Launches Donation Website

Octomom and Her Bulging Pregnant Belly – Photos!

Only Child Syndrome Doesn't Explain Octo-Mom

OctoDoc Under Investigation

Brett Singer — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine is investigating Dr. Michael Kamrava for implanting a heckuva lot of embryos into Nadya "OctoMom" Suleman.

The California Medical Board was already investigating the OctoDoc, and they had not made his name public. But as we pointed out yesterday, local news outlet KTLA interviewed Kamrava and his baby-loving patient in 2006. In her interview with Ann Curry, Suleman said that the same doc performed all of her IVF procedures. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

Dr. Kamrava allegedly implanted eight embryos into Suleman. According to reports, "No more than three embryos are considered the norm for a woman her age." So OctoDoc may have done something very naughty.

Is anyone else a little stunned at the speed this story is happening? It really feels like every day a couple of new details emerge. Sorry to be catty but I bet Nadya is loving every minute of it. Sad.

Source: ThisIsLondon

Image: SpiderVillian.com

The Poor Man's Angelina Jolie?

Ann Curry Scores Interview with Octuplet's Mom

VIDEO-Octo Mom Publicist On GMA

Octuplet Mom Wants TV Career

Mom Stuns Docs With Extra Baby, Stuns Us With Ambitious Feeding Plans

Madeline Holler — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:24:00 GMT

A California woman expecting septuplets stunned her doctors during the birth of the boys and girls, born nine weeks prematurely. Teams of doctors and nurses had already done a practice run so that the seven babies could be rushed to ventilators and other medical support for their barely one-pound bodies.

After the seventh kid was pulled out, the doctors realized there was yet another baby tucked in there. An eighth! This mom becomes only the second woman in the U.S. to give birth to eight babies in one pregnancy.

Here's another little something-something I think is even more surprising than the surprise baby (at some point, don't you just lose track of the count?): she plans to breastfeed.

Hey, I'm not here to judge or elevate the status of or call crazy or whatever. So just let me say, "wow." Oh, and let me know where I can send her some nipple cream. Damn!

Image: fanpop.com

Smackdown: Boob Nazis - Is Breastfeeding that Big A Deal? NO!

Smackdown: Breastfeeding -- Why Not?

Smackdown: Breastfeeding -- Why Not?

Protect Children: Prohibit Divorce

JeanneSager — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:54:00 GMT

Since Californians who voted for Prop 8 late last year to strike down the rights of gays to marry said they were doing it for the children, there's a new movement afoot to keep kids safe:

Prohibit divorces. All of them. Keep heterosexual couples from breaking the bonds of holy matrimony.

After all - the sanctity of marriage and the children were at the heart of Prop 8, right?

A petition over at the Petition Site already has seven thousand some signatures, folks who signed their names to a letter proposing that divorce be stricken from the books to "keep the interests of children and families intact."

The marriage of a man and a woman has been at the heart of society since the beginning of time and it promotes the ideal opportunity for children to be raised by a mother and a father in a family held together by the legal, communal, and spiritual bonds of marriage. As a society we should put the best interests of children first, and those interests lie in traditional marriage. Permitting divorce destroys marriage as we know it and causes a profound harm to society. We should be restoring marriage, not undermining it.

Starting to sound familiar? Take out the word "divorce" and slip in "gay marriage."

Yup, they stole the whole thing from the Prop 8 folks over at ProtectMarriage.com; you know, the folks who warned Californians that "schools will now be required to teach students that gay marriage is the same as traditional marriage, starting with kindergarteners." (sic)

I'd love to say they won't be able to weasel out of their own words, but as the masters of twisting things to send people running scared of "the gay," I'm betting the evangelicals will have a field day with this one too. Only this time, the joke truly is on them.

Image: ThePetitionSite

FDA Asked to Approve Gardasil for Boys

Vatican to Women: The Pill Pollutes Environment, His Testes

They Say: Shunning Gay Kids Bad for Their Health

Having a Kid Alone? Don't Tell Me Why I Have it Better

UPDATE: Thrift Shops Won't be Affected Under New Phthalate, Lead Ban

JeanneSager — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:41:00 GMT

After the post below - and the Los Angeles Times story that prompted it - drew a lot of attention from parents worried thrift shops were on their way to extinction thanks to the impending Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act ban on children's products that test positive for phthalates and lead, we have good news!

Thrift shops are safe!

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a clarification today stating, "The new safety law does not require resellers to test children's products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold."

Stores are prohibited from knowingly sell products that don't meet the new standards, but the new ruling clears up major confusion (and major fears) for retailers. Considering how much time I spend buying used clothes to save money on my daughter's wardrobe, it put a huge smile on my face too!

The original post:

Think the answer to saving money on your kid's clothes lies in the thrift shops?

You might want to stock up fast. Because the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) that will go into affect on February 10 will affect not only sellers of new products but those selling used goods too.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times last week, Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Assn. of Resale and Thrift Shops, said the places most people go to save a few extra bucks on outfitting their families won't be able to cough up the thousands of dollars necessary for testing every product aimed at kids under twelve.

"They'll all have to go to the landfill," Meyer said.

In this economy? This is the best option out there? Thrift stores - or goodwill shops - are low-cost, sometimes free options for parents. I've found some great bargains on clothes for my daughter - clothes made by big names who might even have the money for the tests, but weren't required by law to do so when the clothes were actually made. In my rural neighborhood, most of the thrift stores are run by churches - who open the doors to families who are down on their luck because of illness, job loss or a fire, absolutely free of charge. Now, suddenly, the places that run on donations to GIVE donations, are being ordered to spend thousands that they don't have.

My biggest concerns about the CPSIA plans came after talking to moms who make and sell products online, who talked to me about possibly going out of business because the government plan is so generalized it doesn't take into account the fact that organic cotton (just an example) isn't likely to share a toxic profile with plastics anyway. The legislation calls for ALL products that could "reasonably" land in a child's mouth to be tested by an independent lab, then tagged to prove it.

If it hasn't been tested - even if there is no lead or phthalates - it will be considered toxic, and it will have to be trashed. As in sent to the landfill, like Meyer said.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is supposed to consider today an excemption for clothing and toys made of natural materials such as wool or wood, but even that won't help most thrift shops. Clothes made of cotton - but with dyes - or cotton-polyester blends will still be subjected to the (expensive) tests.

I've said it before - I'm all for protecting the kids. But protecting our kids also means protecting parents' ability to put clothes on their back and shoes on their feet. And if the thrift shops or goodwill stores have to shutter on Feb. 10, an overwhelming number of Americans suffering in the midst of a recession, won't be able to do that.

Image/Source: The Los Angeles Times

Teen Has Cancer and Lives in a Car

China Detains Dad of Baby Sickened by Tainted Milk

AAP: Delayed Vaccines Too Risky for Kids

They Say: Schools Near Fast Food Makes Fat Kids

JeanneSager — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:09:00 GMT

Think your kids are OK as long as you keep them clear of Burger King and Taco ~~Hell~~ Bell? Guess again.

A new study says kids who attend schools within walking distance of a fast food restaurant are more likely to be obese. If they can see the golden arches, they can walk.

The study, which appears in the most recent issue of the American Journal of Public Health, looked at data from half a million kids in middle and high schools in California. It found students who attend schools near fast food restaurants eat fewer servings of vegetables and fruits, and drink far more soda than students at schools not located near fast food restaurants. By near, by the way, they mean within half a mile of the school. They cite the restaurants serve as hangouts for the kids – and with hanging out comes eating.

Before you start Google mapping the Mickey D's and Wendy's in your area to pick the best school, you might want to look at kids outside of California. The closest fast food restaurant is at least half an hour from the local school in my hometown. And we've got plenty of fat kids in my town. What we don't have much of? Sidewalks. Or kids who would have reason to walk past a fast food restaurant, or walk at all for that matter.

Living in the country might mean we're free of the fast food menace, but the need to drive everywhere and the lack of parks and playgrounds means we have a lot of sedentary children. But I dare not move - because this study shows I'm screwed either way.

The free order of fries goes to someone who can find me somewhere my kid WON'T be influenced by crappy foods

Image: FastFoodHealth.org

Source: Reuters

Why They Shouldn't Eat the Snow

Man Says Drinking Breastmilk Cured His Cancer

New Food Pyramid Promises to Help Picky Eaters

They Say: Pregnant Women Can Eat Nuts

Breaking News: CA Supreme Court Will Hear Prop. 8 Challenges

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:40:00 GMT

In case your post-election elation is starting to wear off, here's some good news in the fight for constitutional protections. The California Supreme Court agreed today to hear the case against Proposition 8 brought by the ACLU, the City of San Francisco, and gay rights organizations. This is the same court that unwittingly brought about the Prop. 8 firestorm after they ruled that banning gay marriage violates both the fundamental right to marry and the equal protection clause of the California Constitution.

The lawsuits against Prop. 8 hinge on two main arguments, namely (according to the San Francisco Chronicle) that "the measure exceeds the legal scope of a ballot initiative by allowing a majority to restrict a minority group's rights, and that it violates the constitutional separation of powers by limiting judicial authority."

The court's decision to review challenges to Prop. 8 is great news, but the fight is far from over. The court also ruled that same-sex marriages will remain illegal until it has considered the constitutionality of Prop. 8. And if it does find the measure to be constitutionally sound, the court will have to decide whether to apply Prop. 8 retroactively, nullifying the 18,000 marriages that took place between the court's legalization of same-sex marriage and the passage of Prop. 8. We'll keep you posted.

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Prop. 8 Protests Spawn Hope and Great Photos

Mom Kicked out of PTA for Prop. 8 Stance

Update: Wife of Mom Kicked Out of PTA for Prop 8 Stance Speaks Out

JeanneSager — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:28:00 GMT

When I wrote shared the story of a lesbian mom kicked out of the PTA for campaigning against Prop 8 this week, the last people I wanted to offend were Robin McGehee and her family. They are, after all, the victims here - not only of discrimination from the school and the Roman Catholic church as a whole but the entire State of California.

When Robin McGehee's wife, Kathy Adams, responded to the story here on Strollerderby, her words struck at the core of intolerance - what it does to the family, or, in this case, a little boy whose mom says "only wants to see his friends."

Adams shared more of the story behind the church's decision to make her wife their sacrificial lamb. Their little boy, Sebastian, had been enrolled there since pre-K because the public school program in that part of California does not offer pre-K. That Sebastian's birth father is Catholic and the family had a number of connections to staff and other parents at the school all played a role in their choice (as it would in any parents' decision regarding their child's education). They were depending, she said, on a belief that the people at St. Helen's "tried to enact general principles of faith that honors the dignity of all human beings."

Unfortunately, these people didn't try hard enough. McGehee was informed she was a face for St. Helen's as PTA president and her public face as a gay rights advocate put her in a conflict with the church's teachings. The family removed Sebastian from the school that very day, Adams said. Now their little boy mourns for the life he enjoyed with his friends at a school where his teachers were loving, caring individuals, where his recent participation in a walk-a-thon garnered the school more than $1,000 in donations.

Already saddened and disgusted by the church's actions, the details Adams layed out make it that much more difficult to fathom the possibility of one day sending my daughter to Catholic school. It was a question I asked this week - how does one send their child to a school where the teachings are in direct opposition to the family's basic values?

In Adams' and McGehee's case, it was what they saw as their best option. As Adams says, "Parents are often faced with choices that are far from perfect."

She's too right. Public schools in some areas are atrocious. In my rural area, the public school system has been on a rollercoaster ride quite literally since a few days after I graduated when my school was dissolved and merged with two other districts. Private school pickins' in a rural area are slim. A Montessori school with steep tuition is at least 45 minutes from my home on a clear day; the ride lengthens significantly in inclement weather. Living in the northeast, inclement weather is a factor during a large chunk of the school year. Homeschooling is not an option; in part because I don't feel confident in my own abilities to teach but even more so because of the work responsibilities of both myself and my husband. So what's left? A fundamentalist Christian school that churns out kids who head off to colleges headed by Falwell and Robertson. No. No. No.

So we're back to the Catholic school. I was raised Catholic. When I walk into a church, the scent of incense and flickering candles beckon like Grandma's kitchen on a cold winter afternoon. There is comfort in the church, comfort in the familiar. Yet I attend Mass only as an Easter and Christmas Catholic. I refuse to attend in January, when I know they'll be shaking the collection box for the trip to Washington, D.C. for the March for Life. I refuse to put my daughter into a Sunday School where she will be directed - as I was - to copy a form letter in my own child's penmanship to be sent off to my Congressman, begging for the reversal of Roe v. Wade. I refuse to allow my daughter to be instructed that her gay uncles are sinners, that their love for each other is any less powerful than the bond between myself and my husband.Yet, I appreciate the values of "thou shalt not kill," "thou shalt not steal," "the merciful shall obtain mercy." They're values I share with the church, values I want to share with my daughter.

The local Catholic school is akin to many across the country, willing to look the other way when families who skip Mass sign the tuition checks. The school has allowed actors from shows like the Sopranos to act as very public fundraisers - the very non-Catholic values of a HBO show full of killing, cursing mobsters be darned. It is a school first, a religious organization second. And it's schooling I want for my daughter, after all, an education.

So I feel for McGehee and Adams. They only want what's best for their little boy. Can they find it in our world?

Click here to read Adams' entire story and the original post

Image: St Helens School

Journalist Suing for Sperm-Donor Dad's Identity

Same-Sex Marriage: "A Tiny, Symbolic, Semantic Grain of Happiness"

School's In Session for Boys Who Want to Be Girls

Prop. 8 Protests Spawn Hope and Great Photos

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:22:00 GMT

Yesterday, thousands gathered in 300 cities across the United States to protest the passage of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California. The protests were a poignant and powerful reminder that no civil right is easily won.

Equality for gay families will be an uphill battle--all of the 30 states that have voted on gay marriage have banned it--but the impressive organization and high turnout of yesterday's peaceful protests demonstrate that the gay rights movement has the momentum to fight for as long as it takes.

Jezebel has posted a slideshow of photos of the protests submitted by readers across the country. I'm unable to post individual selections from the slideshow (aptly titled "Love Not Hate"), but, as you can tell from this one highlight on the right, it's worth browsing the whole thing, especially if you're feeling discouraged about the election's decidedly anti-gay rights outcome.

One of the photos shows a young woman carrying a sign that says, "Jesus Says Relax." I'd like to add to that my favorite Jon Stewart quote. Speaking of gay marriage a few years back, he said, "I really don't see what the big deal is--unless, of course, they're going to make it mandatory."

Photo: Jezebel

Let Your Daughters Grow Up to Marry Princesses

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:01:00 GMT

I was particularly struck by a column in the LA Times that talks about the long road ahead to equality in the wake of California's recent ban on gay marriage. In a brilliant essay, gay rights activist John Corvino invokes one of the more popular, and insidious, ads used to defeat gay marriage.

In it, a girl comes home from school and tells her mother what she learned that day: that princes can marry princes, and that "I can marry a princess!"

The mother, of course, looks shocked. (The girl, for what it's worth, seems positively thrilled -- what little girl would not want to marry a princess? Only their bigoted parents and their tinhorn, ancient scriptures think that's not cool. Work on Sundays? Sure! Equals rights for gays? Whoa, slow down -- the bible says no. Hypocrites.)

Anyway ...

Corvino talks about the trend lines that will one day lead to equality for all. In 2000, 61 percent of Californians said no to gay marriage. This week, it was 52 percent.

"One thing is clear: That shift is on the side of gay and lesbian equality. More and more gay and lesbian couples are openly committing to each other, having weddings, and even calling it marriage. The word is important. Princesses don't dream about someday "domestically partnering with" the person they love. They dream about marrying him -- or, in a minority of cases, her."

In my view, it's only a matter of time. A new generation of wiser parents is raising a new generation of wiser children. As Madeline said the other day, our kids will fix it.

As Corvino says: "When the smoke from this battle clears, Americans will realize that gays are not interested in confusing children or in forcing princesses on little girls who don't want them. But they also will realize that, when girls grow up to love princesses, they deserve to live happily ever after."

It makes me wonder: If your daughter does grow up to "domestically partner with" a princess, what kind of fucked up, vile parent are you to point to a book and say, "You, my flesh, my blood, my all, are worth less now." Just because it's in a book, doesn't mean you have to believe it. Our daughters, no matter who they are, all deserve the happily ever after.

About Gay Marriage ... Our Kids Will Fix It

Madeline Holler — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:31:00 GMT

I sort of can't tell you how little my marriage means to me. My husband? Oh, he means the world to me. Our little committed family? Truly, the greatest thing I have. But the marriage? Enh. I'm just not one to count on paperwork and words and ceremonies and stuff like that to shape my personal life. But that's just me and not everyone is like me and I like that.

I've written here about how I felt when laws and policies intruded on my personal life and forced me into the exclusive and exclusionary club whose membership is made up of a selected group of committed couples in America -- the legally wed. I hated being forced down the aisle. It pissed me off. It made me feel like a child. It took away my control of my life and didn't value me, an individual with choices. It was unfair and wrong.

The same judgment and oppression wrapped in the silky bow of "tradition" that forced my husband and I to get legal has a darker, more painful and actually harmful side that people in Florida, Arizona, California and Arkansas are going to have to answer for someday. Voters in these states have banned same sex marriage (or in the case of Arkansas, banned foster parenting and adoptions to unmarried -- read: gay -- families).

Here in California (where I was extorted or blackmailed or whatever into tying the knot), the ban's campaign focused on "protecting" children. They claimed school kids would read prince-on-prince love stories during circle time, to the exclusion of "Knuffle Bunny" and the Eric Carle ouevre. What else? Maybe watch a little gay porn during health class. Who knows. Those commercials appear to have scared enough people shitless that the vote, while close, eventually passed the ban.

But really, here's what parents who fell for that rhetoric should know: you can ban gay marriage all you want, metaphorically duct tape teachers' mouths and take away their copies of "And Tango Makes Three," outlaw any mention of two dads or mama and mommy or refuse to attend Uncle Ted's commitment ceremony, but your kid is going to learn about -- and learn to love -- legal partnerships and weddings between all sorts of couples. How?

My daughter will teach them.

See, my daughter -- and many, many other kids (who can't vote -- yet!) -- says "who cares who you love?!" when I take too long to explain political signs around town. My daughter isn't an off-putting sledgehammer like her angry mother, rather a sweet, sensible kid who hates wasting time on all this talking and just expects people to be fair and nice and hug a lot.

And ohhhhhhh your kid likes my kid. Your kid likes what she has to say. She makes so much sense! She's talking about love! And happy families! Who doesn't love happy families?! And pretty soon, if not already, your kid will shut you up with "who cares who you love," too. You, supporter of the ban, can prattle off a bunch of "our family's values" and "our traditions" but your kid ain't buying it. Oh, she may nod her head. He may say, "that's right mom." But kids these days! Kids! They get it. It's the parents (and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) who don't.

So while it kills me that we have to wait even a day longer to see the laws of this country aligned with its mission of equality and justice for all -- especially if waiting means more gay teens thinking they're weird and/or committing suicide -- we're going to see it. My kid will fix it. Our kids will fix it. For everyone. No, really -- everyone!

Photo: AdamGoldbaumGoldGallery.com