Strollerderby : barack obama

Kelly Ripa Beats Obamas for Your Family Vacation

JeanneSager — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:01:00 GMT

I've got a bone to pick with American families.

Or at least those signing up for nitwit surveys. Because apparently you would rather spend your vacation with a talk show host than the leader of the free world.

That's right, Kelly Ripa has topped the vote of who American families want to vacation with this year, outlasting the Obama family by a full seven points.

Sure, she might be able to get you a line on a really nice washer/dryer, but she's still Regis' perky partner (we're assuming she'd be leaving him home, by the way?). Given the choice of her or the president of the United States, the absolutely incredible first lady and those cute little girls, you know where I'd be.

And that's not just because I'm a liberal. If you're a Republican, you can't tell me you REALLY wouldn't like to bend the ear of the guy on top of it all? No? What if he said he'd let you stay at Camp David for free this summer? The Lincoln Bedroom?

You'd still rather make bedroom eyes at Kelly Ripa?

Sheesh, America, let's wake up here. She's cute, but she can't get your out-of-work Uncle Lenny a job.

Ripa had twenty-six percent of the vote in the Ipsos Public Affairs poll, compared to nineteen percent for Barack and co. By the way, kudos to the folks who picked the Obamas over the Jolie-Pitts. Brangelina and their brethren had just sixteen percent of the vote.

Who do you want to barbecue on the beach with this summer?

Image: People.com

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

13 Year Old Alfie Definitely Not A Dad

Playdate: Does Your Sitter 'Love' Your Kids?

Top Cause of Death for Pregnant Women is Murder

UPDATE: Dad Who Forced Son To Get Tattoo is Arrested

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

10 Year Old Author Alec Greven Is Back

12 Year Old Knocks Em Dead On Britain's Got Talent

Morning News - Mike Tyson's Daughter Injured

Brett Singer — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:37:00 GMT

This is a strange and sad story. Mike Tyson's daughter was found hanging by a treadmill cord. She is now in critical condition at St. Joe's hospital in Phoenix. According to reports, it was a "tragic accident"; the 4-year-old became tangled in the cord while playing. Tyson was not home at the time but has rushed back to join his family at the hospital, according to Fox Phoenix.

Wondering where the Guantanamo detainees will go if they get released? How about Italy? Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (who has accused of picking his nose and eating it) said that "his country will consider accepting an unspecified number of detainees from the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba." Hey, I bet the food there is better.

I'm no business expect, but when I read that Microsoft is planning to name their new search engine Bing, my initial reaction was to say "wow. That's a horrible idea." We'll see if I'm right. The company that brought the world Windows ME and Microsoft Bob is planning to spend up to $100 million dollars advertising their new search thingy. Bing, huh? Oookay.

I thought this was already confirmed, but I guess not -- Mel Gibson's new girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, is pregnant. Look at that photo. Mel is looking really old. But still, you can see what a younger woman sees in him (money). I mean, seriously (money). What woman wouldn't want to date Mel (money)?

A chicago resident has died from swine flu, aka H1N1, or, as I call it, heinie. (Get it? H1N1? The 1's look like i's, sort of? And heinie is a funny word? Oh, never mind.) This isn't funny, of course. Just trying to add a little levity to the situation. This is the 12th person in the United States to die as a result of swine flu; the virus has killed 91 people worldwide. What I wonder is how many people die from other kinds of flu? That is, is swine flu worse or just getting more press? Regardless, I'm still stocking up on hand sanitizer for myself and the children.

And finally, I leave you with this: Congress and President Obama is still planning to "overhaul" the U.S. healthcare system, which basically sucks unless you have a good job. Even if you do, it can still suck. I freely admit that I don't know how to change it, but there are too many people walking around without health coverage and that can't be a good thing.

More tomorrow...

Image: Wikipedia

Dad Charges Daughter With Grand Theft Auto

Moms Taking Drugs to Stop Lactation

Did This Woman Commit Suicide Because She Couldn't Breastfeed?

Crocheted Doll Gives Birth

Women Switched at Birth Find Out 56 Years Later

Morning News - Talk Show Host Waterboarded

Brett Singer — Mon, 25 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Sean Hannity said he would do it but hasn't made good on that pledge. So Erich “Mancow” Muller stepped up and got the job done. Here's a video, which is not safe for work or anyone who feels that watching a wildly unpopular talk show host get waterboarded is an insult to their intelligence.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. The great thing about Republicans these days is that they are so tolerant. Case in point: Colin Powell, who felt the need to go on CBS' "Face The Nation" and tell everyone that yes, he is still a Republican. This depiste the fact that Dick Cheney recent said "My take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican." And the lovely Mr. Rush Limbaugh, who says he would like the former Secretary of State to "close the loop and become a Democrat." An article from the AFP wonders if all of this "our way or the highway" stuff is going to be a turn off to anyone who might, gawd forbid, disagree with the Cheney/Limbaugh hive mind. Gee, ya think? On a personal note (shocking, I know) I would genuinely like to have a civil discussion with a person of the Republican persuasion so I can find out what the appeal is. Seriously. I know people who lean to the right politically and yet aren't braying maniacs like Limbaugh or "Mancow". So far I haven't worked up enough nerve to discuss politics with any of them. If someone wants to leave a comment about why they are a Republican, please do so. Understand that I'm not saying that all Republicans are kooks, just that the only ones that we hear from in the media seem to be on the kooky side.

Staying with politics for a moment, President Barack Obama is expected to announce his pick for the Supreme Court this week. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that unless he chooses, say, Dick Cheney, most Republican politicians will not be pleased with his choice. But hey, ya never know. I've been wrong before. (Like the time I said, "Hairspray" as a musical? No one wants to see that. Or when I suggested that Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman make a little film called "Ishtar." Only one of those statements is true. Guess which one!)

Moving on to the world of entertainment, Susan Boyle moved on in the "Britain's Got Talent" contest. She sang "Memory" from "Cats." Daring choice. (Meow.) Here's a video, which is safe for work but not safe for those who find the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber to be only slightly more pleasurable than fingernails on a chalkboard:

Speaking on TV talent contests, Queen might have a job for "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert. They'd like him to do their laundry. Kidding! He would be the lead singer. Everyone said he (Adam) was just like Freddie Mercury, right?

In movie news, "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" beat out "Terminator Salvation" by about $10 million. When asked for a comment, Christian Bale said, "OHHH! GOOD FOR YOU!"

Last, but not least, today is Memorial Day. I couldn't find one story that I thought was "the one" to link to, so here's a bunch of them from Google News.

Women Switched at Birth Find Out 56 Years Later

More Babies Named After Sports Figure than President

13 Year Old Alfie Definitely Not A Dad

Parents Blame Obama for Field Trip Snafu

JeanneSager — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:01:00 GMT

When in doubt, blame the president. Hey, it works for folks on swine flu, the economy and apparently for parents from Stafford County, Va. The parents of kindergartners slated for a tour of the White House who were turned away after arriving more than an hour late for their visit are blasting President Barack Obama for not being a man of the people.

The parents of kids from Conway Elementary School told NBC that their kids arrived ten minutes late for a tour of the White House that cost parents $20 per child. But staff at the president's home say the buses pulled in a full hour late, and they'd held the gates for them that long - fifteen minutes longer than they usually allow for late guests.

With an impending visit by members of the Pittsburgh Steelers that day (a visit during which White House staff and the football players put together care packages for the Wounded Warriors program for injured service members, by the way), the White House couldn't accomodate the tour.

The White House staff were the folks who would have had to lead the tour. The same staff who had to prepare for another scheduled visit that day, and in a place that runs like a well-oiled machine (in part because of security issues not faced by many other places on this planet), that's their JOB. But apparently they were supposed to ignore that and just let the kids in.

Said parent chaperone Paty Stine: "Here we have President Obama and his administration saying, 'Here we are for the common, middle class people,' and here he is not letting 150 5- and 6-year-olds into the White House because he’s throwing a lunch for a bunch of grown millionaires."

Because this was the president himself out there telling kids "you can't come in, nanny, nanny, boo boo!" The president who conspired to have Beltway traffic keep the kids from arriving at their destination at the appointed hour. Not to mention the president who could think of nothing better to do that day then rearrange his leader of the free world schedule just because someone didn't plan a cushion into a trip in (infamously nightmarish) D.C. traffic.

Got that? It's the president's fault.

Oh, and that president, by the way? Released a statement saying he and wife Michelle would like to see the trip rescheduled because they feel badly that the children were disappointed. But the kids, er, parents have apparently taken their marbles and run home. They told NBC the end of the school year is fast approaching, and they can't see how they can reschedule.

If your kids' bus arrived at a museum an hour late, would you blame the museum director for not letting them in? What if they showed up at a water park an hour late? A theater? How about blaming the school here folks.

Image: NBC (that Steelers visit)

via Gawker

Morning News - Government Issues New Fuel Standards

Brett Singer — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

In an effort to reduce automobile emissions, the Obama administration is planning to issue "a new national standard for cars and light trucks that incorporates California’s tough auto-emission rules." The President will likely announce these new rules today (Tuesday). The New York Times says that "As a result, cars and light trucks sold in the United States will be roughly 30 percent cleaner and more fuel-efficient by 2016." No one will have any money to buy them, of course. Well, maybe by 2016 we will.

Mel Gibson's girlfriend (not to be confused with his wife) has posed in lingerie. The New York Post has photos. Oh, and get this -- she's pregnant! (A commenter at the Daily News' web site says "mazel tov!" which is, frankly, hilarious.) Ah, Mel. How's it going, you anti-semitic hypocrite? Oops, did I say that out loud?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to get peace talks with the Palestinians back on track. BUT he won't endorse a Palestinian state. Bibi (that's Netanyahu's nickname, I didn't make it up) was at the White House to chat with President Obama.

You know what's great about religious people? They're so tolerant. Like Charlotte Allen, who wrote the following in the Los Angeles Times: "I can't stand atheists -- but it's not because they don't believe in God. It's because they're crashing bores." Why do I think that Charlotte would be the first to shout "discrimination" if anyone said something against Christians? Feh.

Apparently Angelina Jolie is all angry at Madonna for trying to adopt another Malawian child. Assuming this is true, I have a question for Ms. Jolie -- when did you become the queen of the world? “Angie sees what she and Brad Pitt do as being about saving a child, but she thinks Madonna does it for publicity," an "insider" told Us Weekly. I really do wonder if these "insiders" and "sources close to the star" actually exist. Can gossip magazines just make stuff up like that? Even if they can, isn't it unbelieveably tacky? I know, dumb question.

File this one under "for what it's worth": Next time bloggers get accused of sensationalist journalism, let us remember how the news of Mitchell Weiner's death was reported here on Babble. Allow me to quote myself: CNN reports that a "New York middle school assistant principal who was hospitalized with the H1N1 virus died Sunday. BUT he might not have died of swine flu. Compare that to the New York Post: yesterday's front page headline was "SWINE DEATH." But if you bothered to read the story, the second paragraph said "Complications besides the virus likely played a part in Mitchell Wiener's death." Even the usually sober Bloomberg News went with "New York Has First Swine Flu Death." They quoted a hospital spokesperson as saying that "Wiener had swine flu and no other pre-existing medical conditions that the hospital knows of." BUT then CNN reported the following: "An assistant principal who died after being hospitalized with the H1N1 virus did have an underlying condition, the New York City's health commissioner said Monday." So who is the more responsible reporter? That would be ME. The blogger with no resources other than my rapier wit and hands that are either typing or changing a stinky diaper. HA! Take that mainstream media!

Finally, Woody Allen won $5 million from American Apparel. The Woodster sued the clothier with the creepy ads because they used his image without first getting permission. I'm no fan of Allen's personal life, but in this case he was right and I'm glad he won. I still wish he hadn't, you know, married his own daughter. But we're none of us perfect, I suppose.

Image: Amazon

The Chubbiest Cheeks You Will Ever See

More Stuff Hip, Urban Parents Like

Australian Kiddie Show Star Appears In Laddie Mag

12 Year Old Knocks Em Dead On Britain's Got Talent

Did This Woman Commit Suicide Because She Couldn't Breastfeed?

Swine Flu - Maybe We Won't Close School

Morning News - Astronauts Watch Star Trek In Space

Brett Singer — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:01:00 GMT

You are either tired of hearing me talking about "Star Trek", or you can't get enough of it. It's like Kirk vs. Spock in "The Apple", a classic episode of the original series. Actually, it's not really like that very much at all, but saying that it was allowed me to get in another "Trek" mention. Sorry.

Anyway, even if you don't care about "Star Trek", you may still think that this is cool -- Real Live Astronauts are Watching ‘Star Trek’ in Outer Space - Right Now. Actually, it happened on Friday, but perhaps due to a singularity created by red matter, it's possible that the astroanuts are, in fact, watching the movie as you read this. Unlikely. But possible.

Moving on to a topic I don't really understand, how about some international economic news? The Motley Fool tells us Why China's Stimulus Plan Will Change the World. Um, OK. Remember when you thought putting 20 bucks a week into your savings account was a solid method of planning for the future?

Barack Obama spoke at Notre Dame, which was a big deal because he is pro-choice. MSNBC says that he called "for 'fair-minded' abortion debate." So they booed him. Not everybody, of course.

David Geffen may want to buy the New York Times. I hope someone does. The idea of the Times going under is something I have trouble with. It's not just the paper, it's the reporters behind it. Sure, they may have made mistakes. But it's a great institution that should live on. So if selling it to a massively successful music and movie mogul is the way to do that, I say "whoo-hoo."

Swine flu, or H1N1, is still here. CNN reports that a "New York middle school assistant principal who was hospitalized with the H1N1 virus died Sunday. BUT he might not have died of swine flu. They won't tell us. Fun. Keep sanitizing the children, and yourself.

David Wells, who has both pitched a perfect game and attacked someone at a diner while drunk (allegedly), says that any home runs that Alex Rodriguez -- aka "The Rod" -- hit while he was taking steroids shouldn't count. Wells was a great pitcher when he was sober (allegedly) but he's got a big mouth. I never liked The Rod, but Wells just rubs me the wrong way.

OK, getting back to movie news, "Angels & Demons" took the number one spot at the box office this week with $48 million, despite generally bad reviews and a complete lack of facial expressions from Tom Hanks. "Star Trek" was close behind ( like a Klingon Bird of Prey) with $43 million, and "Wolverine" dropped to third with only $14.8 million. I saw "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" this weekend, mostly beacuse it was playing nearby at a convenient time. It wasn't as good as it should have been. It's sort of a real-life "This Is Spinal Tap", except that when you watch actual 50-year-olds who never made it in the music business still trying to make it, it can get a little depressing. Also, the film itself was too long (even though it was only 90 minutes) and didn't dig deep enough to hold my interest. Oh well. At least I got to see a movie in a theater with my wife, which happens far too infrequently. And the sushi we had before the film was really good. So there's that.

More tomorrow...

Image: Wikipedia

The Chubbiest Cheeks You Will Ever See

UPDATE: Dad Who Forced Son To Get Tattoo is Arrested

Top Cause of Death for Pregnant Women is Murder

Mom Puts 9 Year Old Girl On Craigs List For Revenge

MIchelle Obama Visits Sesame Street

SunnyChanel — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:30:00 GMT

Michelle Obama apparently knows the way to Sesame Street. The first lady, while in New York, taped a public service announcement with her new pal Elmo. It was a ‘sunny day’ indeed. Obama said that the appearance was "probably the best thing I've done at the White House."

When making an address at the United Nations, Obama said, "I'm thrilled to be here but I was just at Sesame Street - I'm sorry…and I never thought I'd be on Sesame Street with Elmo and Big Bird, and I was thrilled. I'm still thrilled. I'm on a high."

The public service announcement was part of Sesame Workshop's Healthy Habits For Life initiative. In the PSA, Obama and Elmo discussed “eating right, exercising regularly and being a healthy and positive role model for children.”

Source

Morning News - Pirates Make a Mistake

Brett Singer — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

They might be terror on the high seas, but that doesn't make them smart. A group of pirates mistook a French military ship for a commercial vessel and attacked. (The CNN story actually uses the word "oops.") The French Navy captured 11 of the scalywags. Despite the fact that these stories are in no way amusing, I'm finding it difficult not to make bad pirate jokes. Avast, me hearties! That sort of thing. I know it's wrong but I'm still getting used to the idea of modern-day pirates. I'll get there eventually.

Amazon may release a new Kindle with a larger screen. This could be good news for newspapers who seem to be losing more money every single day. As Jeanne points out, they could also be used for textbooks. Would you read on a screen if it were big enough? I think the barrier is price. The current Kindle is priced at $359, which is much less than it used to be, but still kind of expensive for mainstream use.

The S&P 500 "jumped", moving into positive territory for the year. Not to be an eternal pessimist, but it's only May. Don't get me wrong. I'll take whatever positive news I can get about the stock market. But I think I'll keep the champagne on ice for a few more months, you know what I mean?

Speaking of money, President Obama wants to collect more tax revenue from money that is being kept in offshore accounts. I've never understood how this is legal. Don't you have to pay taxes where you earn the money, not where you keep it? And if a company does business in another country, but they're based in the United States, shouldn't they pay U.S. taxes? As you can see, I don't know the answer to these questions. Maybe the flat tax is a good idea. Wait, forget I said that.

Oh, the virus formerly known as swine flu? We're not scared anymore. But it could come back with a vengeance. But don't panic. Just keep washing your hands. A lot. Got that?

Take that, Apple! The Blackberry Curve is outselling the iPhone. Maybe. But the people with iPhones are sooo much cooler. Just ask them. (No offense meant if you have an iPhone and like or even love it. It's just that Apple fanatics can be fairly annoying, as this NSFW page deftly illustrates - click to read it, but I warned you.)

Remember Mitt Romney? Ran for President? Supported gay marriage until he didn't? He, sadly, does not seem to have gone away. He also gave a little dig to Sarah Palin, at least according to the Boston Globe. When asked about Sarah Palin being on Time Magazine's list of "The World’s Most Influential People", Romney said, "I think there are a lot more influential Republicans than that would suggest. But was that the issue on the most beautiful people or the most influential people? I'm not sure. If it's the most beautiful, I understand. We're not real cute." Which I suppose was meant to imply that Palin is getting by on her looks. Or something. The Globe points out that Romney, despite saying that he doesn't think of himself as "cute", "was on People magazine's list of 50 beautiful Americans in 2002." This is why I don't like him. He seems not to care at all if what he's saying is true. As a commenter at Boston.com puts it: "Multiple choice Mitt, pull his string and he'll tell you just what you want to hear."

And finally, something that I know we've all been very concerned about lately. Janet Jackson's breast. The Supreme Court told an appeals court to reconsider their ruling on "Nipplegate", meaning that CBS may have to pay a $550,000 fine after all. Well, thank goodness. I thought those criminals were going to get off scot-free. We cannot expose our children to such filth! Especially not during the Super Bowl. They need more time to show ads for beer and Viagra.

Image: Amazon

Morning News - Specter Switches Sides

Brett Singer — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The big news yesterday was Arlen Specter making the switch from Republican to Democrat. The reason is partially about his Senate voting and political views, which often go against the Republican party line. Mostly, though, it's about the fact that he faces a tough Republican Primary fight because of that voting record, especially his recent support of President Obama's stimulus package. (Anyone else think that tbe phrase "stimulus package" sounds a little naughty? Like, if Jenna Jameson were to say it? Nevermind.) Democrats have pledged to support Specter as he runs for re-election, and the President will even fundraise with him if necessary. To me, this illustrates the problem with political parties. Why do we have them? I'm sure there's a reason, but I don't know what it is. Ross Perot may have been nuts, but a third party would be a good thing, wouldn't it? Anyway, with Specter's switch, this means that when/if Al Franken takes office, the Democrats would have 60 votes in the Senate, which is enough for a "filibuster-resistant majority" if they vote along party lines. Which brings me back to my point about parties being a bad thing. Even if you agree with the way things go on a party-line vote, it seems like the wrong way to go about doing things.

As for Al Franken, he's good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, the people of Minnesota voted for him. But Norm Coleman is still contesting the election. The case will be heard on June 1.

With swine flu running rampant, pig farmers are getting pinched. And by that I mean fewer people are buying pork. This in spite of the fact that, according to MSNBC, "the strain may not come entirely from pigs and cannot be spread by eating pork." Some piggy people want a new name for the disease other than "swine flu." Yeah. That'll happen. How about "the other influenza?" Nah, that sounds as dumb as "the other white meat" did.

Some good news and some bad news about the kiddie porn industry. A British watchdog group says that there are 10 percent fewer sites than before, but the images are "more violent." So... I don't know. I guess 10 percent fewer sites is nice.

OMG! American Idol! It's down to the final five! I, like, totally think Adam should win, don't you? OMG, yes!!! OK, that'll be enough of that.

Katherine Sebelius was confirmed as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, despite Republicans who objected to the fact that a doctor who performed abortions had contributed to her campaign. See, I thought abortion was legal in this country. Lucky for her, there's not a major health crisis in this country. Oh wait! Swine flu. My bad. Have fun, Kath!

Let's end with a weird one: a Serbian union official "chopped off his finger and ate it in a protest over wages that in some cases have not been paid in years." Zoran Bulatovic said that "he did it to show how desperate he and other workers were." Dude. That is both impressive and really, really disgusting.

Image: MSNBC

Morning News: Susan Boyle's Dream Just Might Come True

Swine Flu - Are You Worried About Your Kids?

Sidwell Parents Say Obamas are Cheapskates

JeanneSager — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:02:00 GMT

First it was the British press all abub about Michelle Obama's gifts to the prime minister's children. Now fellow parents are claiming the president and first lady cheaped out on the gifts they donated for the auction at the school daughters Sasha and Malia attend.

Really? This is what we're worried about in light of the disastrous global economy, a swine flu pandemic that's taking lives and should I even point upward to that ever-widening hole in the ozone layer?

The Obamas reportedly donated a Rolling Stone with a picture of President Barack Obama on the cover, autographed by the president. They also gave a copy of Vogue Magazine with the first lady on the cover, autographed by Michelle Obama. Have you priced a presidential autograph lately? An Obama-signed baseball recently went for $1,500, but hold on to it and who knows - a recent estimate put his signature on a picture at about $6,000. Anything signed by JFK is estimated to bring at least $2,500 at auction. These were hardly dollar store trinkets.

But according to MSNBC, the parents were hoping for something more personal - then President Bill Clinton gave a golf outing with himself while Chelsea Clinton once offered up her own baby-sitting services. Cool experiences? Most definitely, although I will say an Obama autograph can be sold down the line - you can't make any money back on having someone babysit your kids.

And while I understand Sidwell Friends is an exclusive school, as I understand it the cachet of having a president's child attend is a big draw for the school in and of itself. So the Obamas send their kids there AND pay money to send their kids there, and they have to give their own time too? You know, the time OTHER than that used for running a country at war with a crumbling economy?

School auctions are not big in my very rural area, so I'm not familiar with protocol. Do parents really feel that everyone has to give something of equal value? Isn't the point of paying tuition to a school sort of enough anyway?

Image:

Ty Tries Again. Makes Bo -The First Dog Doll

SunnyChanel — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” This is the mantra that toymaker Ty must be repeating Ad nauseam in their attempt to cash in on the Obama families fame. Ty, the company that brought the world the Beanie Baby, recently released their Bo – The First Dog doll. They had recently tried to market a “Marvelous Malia” and “Sweet Sasha” Beanie Baby dolls inspired by the Obama girls, but the company ceased production after the First Lady complained.The Malia and Sasha dolls that did manage to make it out into the world are a very hot commodity on eBay.

Bo - The First Dog doll is based on the Portuguese Water Dog recently acquired by the Obamas. This plush representation of Bo hit the market on April 16th and sold out within hours. But in a move made to perhaps not incur the wrath of the white house, Ty are donating a portion of the proceeds of the sales of the dolls to be given to animal shelters. You can check out the REAL Bo in action here.

Do you think that it makes it okay to cash in on the Obamas since they are giving somehting back?

Morning News: Susan Boyle's Dream Just Might Come True

Madeline Holler — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Last week's internet sensation, Susan Boyle, the frumpy, heavily eyebrowed Scot whose performance on Britain's Got Talent went viral, told Simon Cowell and the other judges that she'd like to someday sing with British musical actor Elaine Paige.

Well, guess what.

Elaine Paige said she's considering it.

People have been so moved by Boyle -- and her demonstration that a good set of pipes comes in all kinds of packages -- that they inundated the award-winning British singer with pleas to do it. She should do it, right? (Did you watch the video? Come on, it made you smile, din'it?)

Over the weekend, Meghan McCain made us smile. She told a meeting of Log Cabin Republicans that old school GOP are "scared shitless" of the future, and then called for a new brand of Republicanism. Wow. If the new brand of Republicanism includes working blue on a regular basis, consider us delighted shitless ... or something like that.

Not scared shitless of weird-ass Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, President Obama defended having greeted the man at the three-day Summit of the Americas. Chavez, a total showman if anything, pushed his way in to shake the hand of Obama (whom he called an ignoramus last month -- smooth). Chavez shoved a copy of "Open Veins of Latin America," a 1971 book that chronicles western imperialism Latin America. Obama smiled, accepted the book and untangled himself from Chavez. Not good enough.

From the LA Times:

Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, appearing on CNN on Sunday, said it was "irresponsible" for Obama to be seen "laughing and joking" with the Venezuelan president.

What's he supposed to do? Hit Chavez over the head with the book Three Stooges style?

Oh, but Obama is planning to poke credit card companies in the eyes over their abusive (but legal!) tactics for capriciously raising interest rates and charging hidden fees to already debt-saddled consumers. Wise guy!

Finally, Grey's star Ellen Pompeo and her husband Chris Ivery are expecting. This will be the 39-year-old's first child.

Photo: blogs.nypost.com

Obama Reads One of His Favorite Children’s Books

SunnyChanel — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:04:00 GMT

It turns out I have something in common with Barack Obama. We share a love for the same classic children’s book. Barack and I, we both site “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak as one of our all time favorites. It's nice to know I'm in some good company.

Obama read the book, complete with throaty monster roars, to the kids at Monday’s annual White House Easter egg roll. He asked his young audience if they’ve ever been in a “wild rumpus” and told the kids, "You guys look like you have a wild rumpus all the time.”

Obama has talked about the love of the book before. The site Literary Obama had a transcript of Obama stating:

“I can’t say as a child what book influenced me most. My favorite book - and it continues to be one of my favorite books - was “Where the Wild Things Are.” I love that book. My wife still thinks that I’m Max, that I’m getting into mischief all the time.”

The artist Dan Lacey, who is known for his paintings of famous figures accessorizes with pancakes, even did a portrait of Obama as Max.

After his reading, Mrs. Obama and her mom took turns reading theLaura Joffe Numeroff book, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” with Sasha and Malia turning the pages of the oversized printing of the book.

Are you part of our 'club'? Is “Where the Wild Things Are” one of your favorites too?

You can check out the video of Obama reading the story here

Source

Obama Girls Meet the Easter Waterhound

JeanneSager — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:14:00 GMT

Charlie Brown had the Easter Beagle. Sasha and Malia Obama have the Easter Waterhound.

The president's daughters met their new puppy this weekend, just in time to ring in the Easter holiday by hiding their chocolate from him!

The dog will come home to the White House on Tuesday, but he's already got a name - Bo, the same as the girls' cousins' cat, and in honor of Michelle Obama's dad, whose nickname was Diddley.

Michelle had promised the dog would come home in April earlier this year when she released the news that they'd settled on a Portuguese waterdog, a pup that won't stir up Malia's allergies to pet dander.

It's not technically an Easter present - after all, Dad made the announcement that a pet was promised back in November - but the timing means the girls will probably always remember this Easter. It's a holiday that is often associated with getting kids bunnies and chicks (something most animal welfare officials advise against, because the kids soon tire of their new friends and all the work they entail). Have you ever considered Easter a pet-giving holiday?

Image: NY Daily News

Kid to Malia Obama: Save my Dad

Sisters Better than Brothers? We Have Proof

First Video of the First Dog at Home

Morning News: D.C.'s Lovin' Gay Families

Madeline Holler — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The walls of intolerance appear to finally be crumbling. It even seems like states -- and non-states -- are scrambling to show gay families the love.

On the same day that Vermont became the fourth state to recognize gay marriage, the Washington, D.C. Council voted to do the same. The Council's vote is the first step in passing a big fat gay marriage bill, which is just really exciting (and shhhhh, don't tell the Mormons!). All of this comes a week after Iowa (Iowa!) approved gay marriage. Man, when Iowa says gay marriage ain't no thing, doesn't that make California slap it's forehead once or twice?

Oh, oh, and as if recognizing gay marriage wasn't enough (and it's not, actually), those crazy Obamas invited a bunch of gay families to participate in the annual Easter Egg Roll. They've set aside tickets just for gay and lesbian families as a part of their effort to "reach out." Of course, with all this support and recognition of gay and lesbian families, the whole my-two-moms thing is going to lose some of its cool. Huh. Progress.

Speaking of losing one's cool, a couple of Gisele Bundchen's body guards apparently fired shots at photographers during Bundchen and Tom Brady's wedding. Costa Rican police are investigating.

Think Tom Brady had to give Bundchen a gift just to get her to sleep with him? We ask, because the Telegraph is reporting on a new study that says chimps will have sex for gifts and of course, we mean logically!, it follows that women put out for trinkets wrapped in pretty boxes. Oh, female primates. We're so simple!

We can also detect body odor better than men. Were just sniffing out biological information, the story goes (and also looking for a cute new purse!).

In bad economy news, the Juilliard School's program for poor students has been drastically slashed. While 50 students will return for a second year in the fall, the school won't be holding auditions for a new incoming group. The program was held up as a national model and is suffering the fate of so many arts programs.

The death toll from Monday's earthquake in Italy just keeps going up. The latest number is 228 -- many are young children.

Bloomin' Weird Name for Naked Chef's 3rd Girl

Quest for Sons in One-Child China Fuels Abductions

Photo: MSNBC.com

Barack Obama Discusses Sasha’s Battle with Meningitis

SunnyChanel — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Barack Obama has made the battle of reforming health care personal. Last week, during the While House’s ‘Open for Questions’ town hall, Obama not only discussed medical insurance in regards to his mother’s battle with ovarian cancer, but he openly discussed his youngest daughter being stricken with meningitis.

"When Sasha, our little precious pea, she got meningitis when she was three months old," said Obama. "The doctors did a terrific job, but frankly, it was the nurses that were there with us when she had to get a spinal tap and all sorts of things that were just bringing me to tears. And we've got a problem in this country, which is we have a shortage of nurses."

This is not the first time Obama has publically discussed Sasha’s health scare. In his book, “Audacity of Hope,” Obama used the example of Sasha’s illness and hospitalization to illustrate the “need for affordable and universal health care.”

In the book he wrote, "I still shudder when I think of those three days; how my world narrowed to a single point, and how I was not interested in anything or anybody outside the four walls of that hospital room -- not my work, not my schedule, not my future.”

Do you think having a president who has first hand experience dealing with medical industry will help reform America’s health care system?

Morning News -- Layoffs and Vampires Edition

Brett Singer — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Friday, Friday, Friday! Let's get to it, people.

"Obama to Set Benchmarks in Fight Against Militants." So sayeth the New York Times. What's that conversation like? "Have we found Osama Bin Laden? No? Okay, what else you got?" Another headline from the Times: "Pakistani and Afghan Taliban Unify in Face of U.S. Influx." Oh goody. Sounds fun. Not.

Here in North America, it's layoffs, layoffs and more layoffs -- Google (200 people laid off), the New York Times (100 people laid off and most remaining employees taking a 5 percent pay cut), and the Canadian Broadcasting Company (800 jobs cut, hoping to sell some assets). Google? Really? That's not good.

Speaking of Canada ("C'mon, say 'about' one more time. Please?"), Garth Drabinsky was finally found guilty. Drabinsky was the head of Livent, the producer of the Broadway shows 'Ragtime' and 'Kiss of the Spider Woman.' I admit that I was somewhat giddy to read news of Drabinsky's legal demise; I used to work in theater and was fascinated by the brazen way he left the United States to avoid prosecution. Apparently Garth and his co-hort Myron Gottlieb pulled a Max Bialystock and kept two sets of books -- one fiction, one non. What I've never completely understood about schemes like this is why they keep them both. Wouldn't it make more sense to only keep the fake books? I don't want to give anyone ideas or anything. No word on whether or not Garth is wearing a cardboard belt. (I hope someone gets that reference.) Amazingly, Garth has been appearing on a Canadian reality show called "Triple Sensation" where he and some other people "look for young stars who can sing, act and dance." But not add. That's not needed. Despite Garth's conviction, there will be a season 2. I might need to find that show. (If you want to know the whole saga of Garth, click here.)

If you live in New York and ride public transportation, prepare to pay more. The MTA voted for a big fare increase and cuts in service. Hey, at least it's green.

Speaking of New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has resorted to quoting Popeye the Sailor. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

By the way, if anyone didn't know what I meant when I referred to funny car radio ads, here's an example. Except that this ad is for church. "Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!" Seriously. Check it out. Consider this your "Moment of Zen", Daily Show style.

And speaking of Comedy Central: I like Stephen Colbert, but naming a space station after him is stupid. The faux-conservative's fans "stuffed the virtual ballot box with 230,539 write-in votes, overriding the four official choices NASA offered," according to Wired.com. NASA can change their mind, but why did they put themselves in this position? Not exactly rocket scientists over there, are they? Oh. Oh! Never mind.

Finally, a fun little item from Gawker. Students at the Boston Latin School have been spreading rumors that the prestigious institute of pre-higher learning is infested with vampires. According to MTV.com, "The headmaster [had become] concerned that some students' safety might be jeopardized, particularly if they were accused of being members of the undead." (Maybe private school doesn't always offer the best education.) Police were called. Parents were alarmed. But school officials promised that it's not true. Then they turned into bats and flew away. (Note: They didn't really turn into bats. Although the rest of the story, as far as I know, is true.)

Thanks for joining me on Morning News the past two weeks. I'll be handing things back over to Madeline, but will continue to do a daily round-up of newsy goodness at DaddyTips.com. Have a great weekend, don't take any wooden nickels.

Image: SXC

Husband Loses Job, Wife Loses Respect For Him

UPDATE - Josef Fritzl Sentenced To Life In Psychiatric Institution

Oprah Gets It Right On Chris Brown

Soldier Gives Birth At Army Barracks

Heath Ledger's Daughter Gets His Oscar

The Dr. Phil And OctoMom Show

Morning News -- Twitter Makes Nothing But Is Worth Something

Brett Singer — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Thursday! Yesterday I outed myself as one of the millions of Americans who knows zip about college basketball. I guess that's what happens when you go to a Division III school. On the plus side, I received a quality liberal arts education that allows me to do… well, this.

We'll start with something fun -- a Queens man played the lottery using the last three digits of Bernie Madoff's prison number and won $1500. The Daily News points out that this is a "16,000% return on his $9 investment - far more than even Madoff promised his bilked investors." It turns out that 501 other people hit a winner with those same three numbers (0-5-4, if you want to try it out yourself).

Back to the NCAA for a moment: Yahoo! Sports released a report claiming that the University of Connecticut violated recruiting rules in their contact with former player Nate Miles. Lots of people claim that the NCAA's rules are too confusing to follow, but I have an easy solution: hands off. Oh, but what about the shoe companies? They can contact the players. Well, under my plan, they can't. No one can. Amateur is amateur. If you want to play college ball, you can't accept any gifts from anyone at all. Ever. End of story. Of cause, its not that easy, but the solution isn't "make the rules go away", which is what some nudniks are saying.

Speaking of nudniks, somebody bilked Apple out of 9,000 iPod shuffles. What, you couldn't get them to send you a Touch? Piker.

A Chihuahua named Pebbles saved her owner from freezing to death when the two were stranded in the mountains of Wales. Beverley Burkitt is a dwarf, small enough that the little dog could keep her warm until help arrived. I still prefer bigger dogs, but this is a sweet story.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that our "insatiable demand for illegal drugs" is partly to blame for all of the violence happening in Mexico. "I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility." Well, it takes a village.

Democratic Senator Benjamin Cardin would like to help newspapers survive by letting them "restructure as nonprofits with a variety of tax breaks." Since many of them are losing money anyway, sure, why not? The bill had no co-sponsors as of Tuesday. BusinessInsider thinks that there are some papers that will survive even without Cardin's bill. Personally, I like newspapers, but I'm forcing myself to read more news online beacuse that's where it's going, whether I like it or not.

Twitter is going to start trying to make actual money, although maybe they shouldn't bother -- despite having no revenue at all so far, the company was recently valued at $250 million, according to Julia Boorstin at CNBC. Potential sources of cash are "the ability to search what people are saying in real time", and since such searches are valuable, the ads placed next to them are also valuable. And Twittter CEO Evan Williams also wants to start "charging companies who use the site to reach customers, helping them better target and communicate." I know it makes me sound like a luddite, but sometimes I hate the new economy. Would somebody please go back to making money by making stuff that people want to buy?

Finally, Monster vs. Aliens opens tomorrow. If you have kids, you'll probably be seeing it. Let us know what you think.

That's all for today -- see you on Friday, folks.

Image: SXC

Husband Loses Job, Wife Loses Respect For Him

UPDATE - Josef Fritzl Sentenced To Life In Psychiatric Institution

Oprah Gets It Right On Chris Brown

Soldier Gives Birth At Army Barracks

Heath Ledger's Daughter Gets His Oscar

The Dr. Phil And OctoMom Show

Morning News - Spring Break Broken?

Brett Singer — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Good morning parents and anyone else who happens to be reading this! (We don't want anyone to feel left out.)

The New York Times says that genre films are back, because DVD sales are down and producers want to see some action at the box office. And some people are trying to say that since "Watchmen" isn't doing Spider-like business, that means superhero movies are past their sell date. Um, no. They're not. Memo to producers: I promise you that I will go see almost any superhero movie you release. OK? I'll even bring a couple of friends. So get cracking!

Six Flags Over Texas had record earnings this Spring Break week. Park president Steve Martindale said, "Our guests recognize that Six Flags Over Texas is the ideal place to spend quality time with family and get the biggest bang for their hard-earned dollars." Humble. On the other hand, "Beheadings in Mexico, Mom and Dad's busted bank account and the rise of the booze-free break" caused a drop in traditionally bacchanalian Spring Break festivities. Maybe they were all at Six Flag Texas, where, as far as we know, there has never been a beheading. Maybe some puking on the Tilt-A-Whirl. But that's all.

Some advice for what to do with your 529 college savings plan. See, my advice is to tell your children it's time to learn a trade.

Meghan McCain says that Obama might be on the verge of being "overexposed." As opposed to Meghan, who the world can't get enough of. To be fair, Meghan actually had some nice things to say about the President, and her overexposure comment referred to the fact that President Obama risks alienating his older constituents, since younger people -- like Meghan -- are the Twitter/YouTube/Facebook Generation, and they like exposure. Oh, and she doesn't want her country or President to fail. Because she loves her country. So now ya know. Meghan talks like a Valley Girl but don't hold that against her.

Qualcomm, maker of mobile phone chipsets and an email program that no one uses, is behind the technology for a new gaming console called the Zeebo. Zeebo's hardware is old school, with "technological capability…somewhere between that of the original PlayStation [and] the PlayStation 2." You know, about 10 years old. But it uses only a teeny amount of electricity, and the games will be downloaded via a cellular network rather than sold on disks and cartridges. Also, it's starting in Brazil, where the Sega Mega Drive (aka Genesis) is still popular. So maybe this will work. Personally, I prefer the older games, and my kids like them as well. So Zeebo could be on to something.

BestBuy is being sued over its Price Matching policy. See if you can follow this logic: "Best Buy promotes a 'price match guarantee'. Best Buy guarantees that it will match any local competitor's lower price and if a customer has already purchased the product, Best Buy will refund the price difference, plus an additional 10% of that difference. The suit alleges that Best Buy has a policy and/or practice of not honoring its 'price match guarantee' when customers request that Best Buy match a local competitor's lower price." So it may not, in fact, be the, um, best buy around. Or something. As a commenter on Engadget put it, "Wal-mart actually does not sell any walls." You know, there are good lawyers out there, but these are the ones that make people think otherwise.

OK, so "Race to Witch Mountain"? Really bad. I can't remember any much about the original films, but I don't think they had quite as many guns or creepy "24"-style government agencies. I would give it a D, but I'll bump that up to a C+ because it was 88 minutes, and we saw it on a rainy day and the theater was dry. Not recommended for parents, but as a distraction agent for children it served its purpose. It was a bit loud and violent; I don't mind movie violence, but in this case it seemed gratuitous and overdone. Also, The Rock. He's no Ah-nuld, but I have to admit that he doesn't really bother me as much as he used to. And Carla Gugino is always nice to look at. OK, maybe a D-, and a C for the fact that it wasn't too long and was shown indoors.

That's all for today -- go Gonzaga! (Yes, I know nothing about college basketball. Oh well.)

Image: Nerdlike.com

UPDATE - Josef Fritzl Sentenced To Life In Psychiatric Institution

Letting Kids See Watchmen

Morning News - Money Money Money

Roll Your Kids Over to the White House for Easter

JeanneSager — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:39:00 GMT

Get ready, get set, because for the first time ever, White House Easter Egg Roll tickets are available to you and me.

The Obama administration loves them some Internet (in case you hadn't noticed), and they've set up the first-ever online lottery for families of kids under ten to get their mitts on tickets to the world-famous Easter egg roll.

In the past, tickets were only distributed to people in Washington on the Saturday before the roll (maybe to make up for the fact that the poor residents have to live with politicians all day?), but the lottery which will open Thursday at a White House sponsored site is national.

Tens of thousands will be available for people to show up on the White House lawn and get their roll on with the First Family on April 13. Click here to get your chance.

If you won, would you take the kids on the road?

Image: WTOP News

Morning News - The Obama Bracket

Brett Singer — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Monday Monday… Can't trust that day…

Actually, you kind of can trust Monday. It's fairly reliable in that it always comes after Sunday. I don't think that's what Mama Cass and Co. were talking about, but then again, it was the 60's, so who knows?

Anyone make an NCAA bracket? I did. I know nothing about college basketball, and my picks are proving it, especially in the Midwest Conference. At least there's no money at stake for me. President Obama made one, which is being resoundingly mocked by many. Some were upset that he even took the time to make his picks, which is hilarious if you consider the amount of vacation time that former President Bush took while in office. (I know, it's a cliché, but it happens to be true.) Taking a few minutes to fill out a bracket is a pleasant distraction from the day's events for everyone, Leaders of the Free World included. If people want to complain about Obama's policies, fine, but his bracket? Let it go.

Damn those blasphemy laws -- a Pennsylvania man tried to register a limited liability company called I Choose Hell Productions, LLC but was told he had to pick another name because PA has an anti-blasphemy law on the books preventing such things. The laws were common the 19th century, but this one was enacted in 1977 when someone tried to register God Damn Gun Shop. The ACLU is suing the state. Heh heh. God Damn Gun Shop... (NYT)

A revival of "West Side Story" opened on Broadway with some of the songs translated into Spanish. Interesting idea but I can't imagine that makes the songs better. Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter saw the show and agrees, as did many other critics. (Note: I haven't seen this production. I'll probably stick with the movie.)

The post office is in trouble. They lost almost 400 million dollars last quarter and are offering early retirement to 150,000 employees, in addition to staff cutbacks and location closures. Not enough people mailing letters I guess.

Susan MacDougal (remember her?) can't have the transcript of her own testimony in the Whitewater trial. She was hoping to use it for a novel or screenplay. Whitewater looks pretty damn tame compared to all the nonsense going on these days.

Some governors, including Nevada's Jim Gibbons, are turning down federal money to beef up their unemployment funds because they don't like the 'strings' that are attached. The thing is, those strings disappear when the federal cash runs out. (This according to a New York Times editorial.) Nevada will run out of unemployment money by the end of the year if they don't take the government cheese. (Nose, you don't mind if I cut you off to spite my face, do you? Cool, thanks.) You can't play games like this when people are out of work. And unemployment money gets taken out of your check every week for a reason. You get it back if you're unemployed. Hence the name. So it's not unreasonable for people to expect to receive that money if they lose their jobs. In other Republican Governor news, Alaska's Sarah Palin (perhaps you've heard of her?) is only accepting Federal money for projects that are truly "shovel ready." Alaska Democrats are not happy, saying that she is playing politics with state residents. There's definitely a shovel needed for what's coming out of the mouths of both Republicans and Democrats these days, but it's not the kind you use to fix roads.

Eliot Spitzer is talking smack about Andrew Cuomo. Hey! Here's an idea, Spitzy. Shut up. You have no credibility anymore. Sorry. You screwed up. Apologize and go away. Although maybe you can blog for Huffington Post like Gary "Monkey Business" Hart. ("G'head! Follow me! You won't find anything! Wait, you thought I meant that? I was only kidding! Aw, crap…")

Responding to Sheri's comment: I hadn't heard about what the President said on TV, so I looked it up. Seems that while being interviewed by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show, President Obama said of his bowling skills, "It's like the Special Olympics or something." He apologized to the President of the Special Olympics before the show aired. Comments at ABC News' web site range from "who cares?" to "see? I told you he was an idiot." (I'm paraphrasing.) I can't say I agree with those who say that this is somehow on the same scale as other "gaffes" spoken by Republican politicians, or even "gaffes" from Democrats. Personally, I think the President is a little bit too much of a regular guy, at least in the way that he sometimes speaks in public. It was a dumb joke but hardly the worst thing ever. He also invited Special Olympians to the White House to do some bowling. There's one Special Olympic bowler who has three perfect games to his credit, so maybe he can give the Prez some pointers. By the way, Sarah Palin weighed in on the President's comments, because she's not all about politics like some politicians. This issue really effects Alaska, hence her very public reaction. Also: the President of the Special Olympics is Tim Shriver, Maria's brother, and therefore Ah-nuld's brother-in-law. That has nothing to do with anything except that I think it would be fun to have Arnold Schwarzenegger as your brother-in-law. The Governator, by the way, supports Obama's stimulus plan.

Tuesday, Tuesday… I trust that day… Nah, doesn't have the same ring to it. I guess John Phillips knew what he was talking about. See you tomorrow.

Image: WhiteHouse.gov via Washington Post

Morning News - Natasha Richardson Dies (UPDATE - Autopsy Information)

Morning News - March Madness or March Sadness?

Morning News - Cheney, Duct Tape, Outer Space

Open Letter To The Woman Who Pushed Me While I Was Picking Up My Kid

Back to the Third Grade for This 71-Year-Old

They Say: Old School Lice Checks Are All Wrong

UPDATE: Did M.I.A Really Name Her Baby Ickitt?

Why Teens Are Quick to Blame Rihanna

Keep This Kid Away From The Dog

Morning News - iPhone Gets Feature Other Phones Already Have

Brett Singer — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Updating yesterday's Natasha Richardson story: an autopsy reveals that she died of bleeding in the brain and "she might have survived had she received immediate treatment." The thing is, people with this sort of injury typically feel fine at first. So sad.

NBC is launching a show to compete with "American Idol." Simon Cowell probably thinks this is a "horrible" idea. ("Horrible" is one of the words he uses a lot, right?) On "Idol", Alexis Grace went home. She was shocked. Shocked. Why are they always so surprised? I guess you have think you're a major talent to get on TV and sing like that but just once it'd be fun to hear someone say, "Yeah, I suck. It was only a matter of time before I got the boot."

Why is Steve Wozniak on "Dancing With The Stars"? Based on this quote from his website, I guess the reason is because people said he wouldn't be able to do it. I wonder if Apple fans will keep voting for him the way football fans did with Jerry Rice. Woz has definitely been keeping in touch with his audience, accusing "Dancing" producers of rigging the voting in order to goose the ratings, then apologizing, all via his Facebook page. If this keeps up, I might actually have to watch the show.

Speaking of Apple, the new iPhone software will include bleeding edge features like the copying and pasting of text. What's that, your phone has been able to do that for years? Mine too. The iPhone is nifty but certain omitted features prove that Steve Jobs could probably sell water to a drowning Apple fan if it had that logo on it. (Personally, until the iPhone has an actual keyboard, I won't even consider buying one.)

Financial news update: stocks tanked and it wasn't CNBC's fault. Are you happy, Jeff Zucker?

Austrian monster dad Josef Fritzl was sentenced to life in a psych hospital. Life in prison would be better, but even though he could be paroled in 15 years, it's not likely to happen. The speed of the trial was kind of impressive; in the U.S., these things seem to take a lot longer. I'm sure there's a reason for that but I don't know what it is.

And finally, there were a heck of a lot of babies born in 2007. Madeline points out that it wasn't Octomom's fault -- "she only gave birth to one baby that year."

That's all for now. Have a great weekend and we'll see you on Monday.

Image: Woz.org

New Baby Boom

Morning News - March Madness or March Sadness?

Morning News - Cheney, Duct Tape, Outer Space

Jimmy Kimmel And The Octomom

Barack Obama to Pen Book for the Kids

SunnyChanel — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:29:00 GMT

Barack Obama doesn’t have to worry about getting a job after he leaves office in four or eight years, depending. He’s already sold his next book for a pretty penny. His next book, which has bestseller written all over it, will be a “youth oriented version of his published memoir,” Dreams of My Father. Yeah, he’ll be doing just fine. Last year alone he received about $2.5 million in royalties for his book/s.

In January, before he took office, he agreed to deliver the abridged youth version of his book after he leaves office. Before the inauguration, Obama signed the deal for a $500,000 advance (half for him and half for his publisher) for the middle school /young adult version of Dreams of My Father. The deal and his advance was discovered in his new personal financial disclosure report that was released to the public this week.

Do you wish he signed on to do a board book version too, for those really young readers?

Source: Huffington Post

Morning News - Natasha Richardson Dies (UPDATE - Autopsy Information)

Brett Singer — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Starting on a sad note -- Natasha Richardson has died. UPDATE: according to this AP report, an autopsy revealed that "Richardson died from bleeding in her skull caused by the fall she took on a ski slope...The medical examiner ruled her death an accident, and doctors said she might have survived had she received immediate treatment."

She's one of those actresses that everyone seemed to absolutely adore on and off stage. I saw her perform in 'Cabaret' just before the show opened to rave reviews; she was amazing to watch. An appreciation of her life is here.

Pope Benedict XVI has folks up in arms because, speaking about the AIDS epidemic in Africa, he said, "You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, it increases the problem." Cathy Lyn Grossman at USA Today has an intriguing post in their Religion section titled, "Could choosing condoms mean choosing life?" Interesting idea.

The way everyone is carrying about the Jon Stewart / Jim Cramer kerfuffle (and really, what is it if not a kerfuffle?) you would think that their "feud" actually had some effect on the world at large. Or that more than 2.3 million people actually watched it. I'm not saying that's not a good number, but it's not exactly Earth shaking. Anyway, Jeff Zucker, the head honcho of NBC Universal, is all up in Jon Stewart's grill, saying that Jon is like, being unfair and stuff when he blames the financial crisis on CNBC's reporting. (That's not an exact quote; you can read Zucker's full quote here.) The thing is, that's not really what Stewart was saying. To me, the most important line from the interview he did with Cramer was, "It's not a f**king game, man." Cramer seemed to be telling Stewart that it was perfectly OK to say something under the guise of financial advice that wasn't entirely accurate as long as it was entertaining. Frankly, that pisses me of as well. For Stewart to question the worth of a network's reporting is a good thing, or it should be. Disagreeing with him is fine as well. Sing it with me now -- ain't that America, you and me… Also, if Jeff Zucker wants to yell at someone, it should probably be Cramer. He's the one who turned a bit on The Daily Show into something that has dominated news cycles for several days now.

Continuing with financial news, the Fed is doing more things that I don't entirely understand. This time they're buying "long-term U.S. government debt." (Someday someone will explain to me why anyone would want to buy debt.) This causes many things to happen, including wailing and gnashing of teeth. One possible good outcome of whatever-this-is is that mortgage rates will be vewy, vewy low for now, so if you need one, this is a good time to get it. Also on the good news front: fears of economic deflation have decreased! Why? Because the Consumer Price Index rose by .04%! Whoo-hoo! (Disclaimer: If you are getting your financial news from me, stop. Right. Now.)

Last but not least (if you're into college basketball), the NCAA Tournament, aka March Madness, starts today at noon. You can watch every game online at CBSSports.com, which is good for fans who will be stuck in an office all day. Of course, these people should probably be, you know, working. But who are we to judge?

That's all for today, back on Friday. Quick, fill out your bracket!

Image: Famecrawler