Strollerderby : crime

Dad Gets 100 Years for Poisoning Campbell's Soup

JeanneSager — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:33:00 GMT

There is nothing Mmm, mmm, good about this Campbell's Soup story. Although, to be fair, it's not the soup company's fault.

A father decided he was so money hungry, he wanted to sue the Campbell's Soup Company. But instead of sticking a worm in his can of chicken noodle and crying foul, William Cunningham figured he'd go for the big kahuna.

He cooked up soup with prescription medicines and lighter fluid and fed it to his kids.

The good news? The children - eighteen months and three-years-old at the time - survived.

The just as good news? Cunningham's butt is headed to prison, NEVER to see the light of day. Convicted on multiple counts of cruelty to children and aggravated assault (he already pled guilty for trying to defraud Campbell's), the Georgia man will spend one hundred years (or at least as long as he lives) in prison. He's also lost his wife (go figure), and he won't be seeing the kids - who are likely to suffer lifelong respiratory problems despite their survival.

We all know people get desperate for cash, but is there ever a time when you'd put your child's life at risk to get it? Obviously, Cunningham went farther than a normal person. I'm not suggesting poison. But let's look at the parents who take their children along for the ride when they're off to sell drugs, rob a store . . . basically, the type of crime that someone slightly more sane (although still on a criminal bent, obviously!) might commit. They're affecting the child, risking the child's life but certainly not feeding their child a mix that could very likely kill them.

Some would even say that the Nadya Sulemans and Jon and Kate Gosselins of the world are doing something fairly similar. Not feeding their kids poison, but risking their emotional health for the sake of the cash.

What is it about these parents that allows them to treat the child as a pawn who they can do with what they please?

Image: Seattle PI

Dad Charges Daughter With Grand Theft Auto

Brett Singer — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:00:00 GMT

A girl in Fort Lauderdale, Florida took her dad's car while he was visiting her much younger sibling (19 months old) at the hospital. She's 12. She drove around without the headlights on and hit a police car.

Her dad isn't messing around. He asked police to charge his daughter with grand theft auto. Not the video game -- the crime.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, this is the second time the girl has stolen her dad's car, according to the AP. On the other hand, it's your daughter. Do you really want her to rot in jail? Is that likely to help?

Something similar happened on 'Gossip Girl' this season. (Yes! I know. You think I'm nuts. Stay with me for a moment.) Lillian Van der Woodsen gives her daughter Serena an expensive bracelet, which is a family heirloom. Then, when Serena does something Lily doesn't like (it's not worth explaining what that was), she calls the police and tells them Serena stole the bracelet. Serena goes to jail. Not exactly the same situation of course, but similar enough. Choosing whether or not to send my kid to jail is a choice I hope I never have to make.

(Side note: what the heck is in the water in Florida? Crazy juice?)

What would you do if your kid were a repeat offender? Turn them over to the police or try something else?

Source: AP via Fox News

Image: SXC

13 Year Old Alfie Definitely Not A Dad

Not Every Kid With a Mother Has a "Mommy"

Baby Asleep On Dad's Head

10 Year Old Burned By Tanning Bed

Colbert to Food Movement Guy: Yes, But Were YOU Breastfed?

Single Mom Sells Ad Space On Her Body on eBay

Top Cause of Death for Pregnant Women is Murder

Brett Singer — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:08:00 GMT

Well, now I'm depressed.

According to Baltimore TV station WJZ, "Murder is the leading cause of death for pregnant women."

The story mentions a number of murders, and makes the following even more depressing statement: "In each case, police say the killer was the unborn baby's father. Ending the pregnancy was the motive."

At least I'm not the only one to be surprised. Isabelle Horon of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, "We were completely shocked to find that homicide was the leading cause of death."

The WJZ story says that "Thirteen years ago, Maryland passed a law allowing prosecutors to charge a pregnant woman's killer with two murders." Prosecutors want to use the law in the case of Valicia Demery, a pregnant woman who was murdered. However, "Of the 36 states with similar laws, Maryland is one of the few that requires proof that the unborn child could have survived outside of the womb." California, by contrast, does not require such proof to charge a killer with a double murder.

Here's where it gets tricky. Clearly killing a pregnant woman is a horrible crime. And doing so beacuse you want to end her pregnancy is even more horrible. But is it a double murder? If it is, doesn't that open a door to equating abortion with murder?

No matter what, this is a very depressing statistic.

Source: WJZ.com

Boy Accidentally Shoots Self With Forgotten Gun

Fox News Hates Kids In Political Videos Except When They Don't

Mom Puts 9 Year Old Girl On Craigs List For Revenge

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

New Graffiti Law May Make Parents Pay

SunnyChanel — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:30:00 GMT

Hide those markers, spray cans and Sharpies. If a decision is passed in Los Angeles, parents there could be financially responsible for their kids rebellious tagging and attempts at street ‘art’. Under this new proposed law, mom and dad would be cited for vandalism and have to pay a fine along with being sent to parenting class. The money paid by the parents would go to help clean and repair the property that had been damaged by the graffiti.

But this proposal isn’t unwarranted. Los Angeles pays more than $7 million a year to clean up graffiti at about 675,000 locations across the city. In the City of Industry the cops launched an anti-graffiti sweep to try to catch members of two of the main ‘tagging teams’. In the sting, ten juveniles and two adults were arrested. The decision on the law will take place on May 20th.

Do you think parents should have to pay for their kid’s youthful indiscretions like graffiti?

Source

Image Source: Guardian UK

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

Three Year Old Left On School Bus

Brett Singer — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:30:00 GMT

A three-year-old boy in Milwaukee was left on his school bus for two and a half hours.

When his son didn't arrive home at 3:30 as he usually does, his dad called the Northcott Head Start school. There was no answer, so he went to the school to check things out. He saw someone washing a bus, kept walking. He walked by another bus, and heard crying. It was his son. He got him out through a "half-opened passenger window."

OK, I'm upset now. Imagine how the father must feel.

The headline at TMJ4 Milwaukee's web site says "Another Child Left on Bus" which is even more depressing. How many times does this have to happen before someone starts paying more attention? Sorry to be so high and mighty but stories like this tap into very basic parental fears, at least for me. We give a lot of people that we really don't know all that well a lot of responsibility when it comes to our kids.

This happened to a friend of mine when I was too young to remember. We were coming home from day camp and they just left my friend there. I made it home. My mother was not pleased.

Something similar happened when I was a bit older; this one I recall pretty well. The bus company, which I think was called Elmsford (this was quite some time ago, so if there is a company called that today, this is not a reflection on them), sent out a driver who didn't know where any of us lived. After dropping one or two of the kids off, he just started driving around the Bronx, lost. This was before cell phones, and for some reason Mr. Dopey Driver didn't pull over and call the office. I remember giving him directions, which were very wrong; I think I was six years old, and was saying things like "I think I live near here. It looks familiar. Yeah! Turn there. That's... no, that's not it. Let's see..." Eventually he pulled over, knocked on the door of someone he didn't know, and called the bus company, who called our parents to come and get us. Luckily he knocked on the door of a nice old lady who fed us all cookies. I remember not being all that scared, but I'm sure my mother was less than thrilled.

Anyway, the boy was fine, according to the report. The bus driver may face charges of child neglect, and the incident is being investigated by the "Sensitive Crimes Division", which is a great name for a law enforcement group. (Next on NBC -- "Law & Order: SCD, Sensitive Crimes Division.") Hopefully everyone will be more careful from now.

Source: todaystmj4.com

UPDATE: Jamie Foxx Apologizes To Miley Cyrus

Man Jailed For Spraying Urine On Food And Children's Books

Boy Calls 911 When Mom Drives Drunk

Homebirthing Advocate's Baby Dies During Homebirth

14-Year-Old Topless Dancer Found By Police

SunnyChanel — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:30:00 GMT

An afterschool job can sometimes be a wonderful character building experience. Babysitting, delivering newspapers, mowing the neighbors yard: all classic teenage employment opportunities. But one 14-year-old girl in Akron, Ohio went on a different part time path. She became a stripper.

Last Friday the aptly named Playhouse bar was raided and four of the exotic dancers were arrested. The club isn’t licensed as a ‘sexually oriented business’ and there was allegedly contact with the customers. The Vice squad witnessed the 14-year old in question dancing topless, but thankfully she was not one of the dancers who made contact with the clientele.

The owners of the club were arrested and charged with “illegal use of a minor in a nudity-oriented performance and two counts of child endangering” and the young teen has been placed with child services and is not cooperating with the police.

There has been speculation that the girl had a fake ID and claimed she was over 21. If this is the case is she at fault or the men who hired her?

Source

Photo Source

13-Year-Old Plays Cops and Robbers For REAL

SunnyChanel — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:57:00 GMT

13-year-old kids will partake in the occasional act of hijinx and mayhem. Usually this runs along the lines of mild offenses such as tagging the school bathroom, drinking a beer, or stealing a porno mag. But a kid in Peoria, Illinois pulled off a much bigger crime. He robbed a bank.

According to Reuters, the unidentified boy was caught soon after sticking up a local bank with a gun. He was found about a block way, literally red handed. The boy was caught with a bag of money stained red due to a dye pack, which was hidden in the bag of loot.

The county’s Sheriff said that it was the youngest person he can remember ever robbing a bank, and he’s been in the sheriff’s office for over forty years.

The kid may be tried as an adult. Do you think he should be?

Source

Image Source

Six-year-old Goes to Traffic Court

JeanneSager — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:34:00 GMT

He wasn't behind the wheel, but a six-year-old New Mexico boy was sentenced by a judge to traffic court. After all, it was his fault his mother ended up with a traffic ticket.

The boy's mom was pulled over and ticketed for not ensuring her elementary schooler was wearing his seatbelt. Rather than pleading guilty, the mom took the case to court - where she explained to the judge that nothing she does seems to get through to her son the importance of keeping the belt on.

"He took off his seat belt, I pulled over again and put it on and he took it off right in front of the cop," the mom told a New Mexico TV station. The judge agreed something had to be done - and he used his position to make it happen. He told her to take him to traffic school.

It doesn't seem to matter how on message you are with the seatbelt talk, some kids just love to rebel. We switched our daughter out of the carseat and into a booster the second she was tall enough - despite all the parents who told me they weren't as safe - because she couldn't be convinced NOT to move the chest plate down onto her belly. Every time she slipped it lower, I worried about the impact that would have on her internal organs if we were to get into an accident. The booster seat ensures she can't move the belt around, and the impact would be spread across more of her body.

Other parents say their problem is once they move into the booster seat, they can't keep their kids from the fascination of clicking the seatbelt button.

Some kids never test the limits, but there will always be that bunch who do. The best you can do is make sure you never take your kids out for a ride without the seatbelt and to always wear one yourself. I also used the cop next door as an excuse - reminding my daughter that he would have to come arrest me if she wasn't wearing a seatbelt. I'm not lying - it's essentially what happened with this New Mexico family!

The mom ended up taking her son to a seatbelt safety class - judge-approved. He's considering making future offenders and their kids take the same class, but it's not a bad idea for parents who are struggling with the problem - to prevent the ticket, and prevent a horrible accident.

Any other tips, Babble readers? What tricks have you used to keep them belted in?

Image: Edmunds

Baby Dies After Being Left In Day Care Van

Brett Singer — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:30:00 GMT

This is just awful.

A 4-month-old child died on Thursday after being left in a van for more than five hours. The driver of the van has been charged with a felony and the day care center, Bumble Bee Learning Center, has been shut down pending an investigation. The Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel says that the driver "has no record with Milwaukee police but has two arrest warrants with the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department for paternity." To me that should disqualify him from working with children, but I guess not.

Even more horrible is the fact that this is the third time a child in Milwaukee County as a result of being left unattended in a day care van.

Alphabet Street Learning Center, owned by the same company, was also shut down. That's where an employee was accused of breaking two kids' arms.

Stories like these remind us of how much trust we place in the people who take care of our children when we're not around. It's bad enough that something like this can happen once. But three children dying, and others injured? How can these centers still be open?

Source/Image: Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel

Family Awarded Millions For Circumcision Mistake

Dad Accused of Selling Daughter For Beer and Meat

Brett Singer — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So here's one you haven't heard before. At least I hope not. Because it's a bummer.

California resident Marcelino de Jesus Martinez was charged with selling his 14-year-old daughter in for, and I quote, "$16,000, beer and meat." He first pled not guilty, but that plea was switched to no contest, meaning that he will be sentenced on May 7. The penalty is deportation and up to a year in jail. Had he been found guilty of the initial charges, he could have spent ten years in jail.

Martinez reportedly "sold" his daughter to the family of Margarito de Jesus Galindo, and she lived with them for a week. The plan was marriage, the cash, beer and meat were the dowry. When Martinez didn't get his cash (it's not clear if he ever got the beer or the meat), he called the cops, who presumably were somewhat less than sympathetic.

The last part creates an interesting question explored at this USA Today blog entry. Apparently this practice is not uncommon in indigenous Mexican communities. For this reason, police dropped an initial charge of human trafficking. The Californian quotes Honorary Mexican Consul Blanca Zarazua as saying that "This whole case is a convergence of multiple layers of misunderstandings."

So I think I'll take back my opening paragraph. For some people, the only weird part of the story is the involvement of the police.

In general I'm pro-cultural sensitivity, but in this case, it's trickier. On the one hand, selling your daughter into marriage is something we clearly frown upon in this country. On the other hand, the father clearly had no idea that what he was doing was illegal, as shown by the fact that he went to the police in order to get paid.

What do you think? Should people who live in the United States be bound by our laws? Or can we make exceptions?

Source: AP via Google

Image: The Californian

Finish Line - April Fools And More

Family Awarded Millions For Circumcision Mistake

Spiderman Rescues Autistic Boy

How Do You Get 634 Years in Prison?

JeanneSager — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:32:00 GMT

If there's ever a time when a judge should be justified in throwing the book at a criminal it's when a kid has been hurt.

When a kid has been sexually abused by some sicko? I suspend all of my righteously liberal let's be reasonable here mantras . . . string 'em up. But six hundred thirty four years in prison?

Don't get me wrong, I'm cheering a jury's decision not to pull any punches for a guy who raped a little girl and forced her and her friend to perform sexual acts on one another while he watched. Robert Walter Bonner is a class A scum-sucking maggot.

I was just mystified at how they work out six hundred thirty four years in prison?

Turns out it's based on the number of charges - six counts of aggravated sexual assault, plus four counts of indecency with a child and two counts of sexual performance of a child. A jury decided Bonner deserved ninety-nine years for each aggravated sexual assault count . . . then tacked on an extra twenty years each for the latter six counts.

The judge opted to give Bonner the six ninety-nine-year prison terms and two twenty-year terms, to be served consecutively. Four twenty-years sentences are to be served at the same time as his first ninety-nine year sentence.

Add it all up, you've got six hundred thirty four years for him to rot. Which means Bonner won't be getting out of prison anytime soon, and kids all over Texas are a little safer. It won't give these little girls back their innocence, but you know what? This sentence sounds just right to me.

What do you think?

Image: GabesGuide

Young Girl Charged in her Baby Brother’s Death

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:00:00 GMT

A 14-year-old Pennsylvania girl is facing homicide charges for the death of her brother, who drowned when he was one-year-old. His sister, who was just eleven at the time of his death, was originally going to be tried as an adult, but—thank god—a compassionate county judge moved the case to juvenile court.

According to the prosecution, the girl found the baby boy in a trash can partially filled with water. She screamed for her mother and then pulled the boy out. A few days later, according to a family friend, the girl was very distraught and said that her brother’s death was her fault, but she didn’t elaborate.

Either some very important facts are going unreported in this tragic story, or our country is in serious need of more stringent protections for juveniles. I find it alarming that there is no mention of the parents at all. The girl was just a child at the time of her brother’s death. Whatever role she played in the tragedy is at least partially her parents’ responsibility.

The prosecution is relying in part on testimony from the girl’s aunt, who says that the girl was physically abusive to her baby brother and that she once said she wished he would die. Why didn’t her parents address these serious concerns? Why was the girl left alone with her brother if she was known to be physically abusive? And why was she so troubled in the first place?

Yes, there are some children who are simply violent, no matter how loving their parents are. But this is a tiny fraction of the population. When young children are involved in something as deplorable and tragic as a baby’s death, a lot of tough questions need to be asked before locking a child up. This is not to say that youth are not responsible for their actions, just that they are likely not the only people responsible for their actions. Psychiatrists and social workers—not just law enforcement—are needed to fully uncover the factors that contributed to this tragedy.

Photo: zipporah.com

Another Country Bans Spanking

Why Teens Are Quick to Blame Rihanna

Family Awarded Millions For Circumcision Mistake

Brett Singer — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:00:00 GMT

I know there are lots of people out there who regularly scream about how trial lawyers are destroying the world through lawsuits. And doctors are having trouble keeping up with their malpractice insurance payments. But here's a case where I think you'll agree the award isn't enough.

Four years ago, a boy had part of his penis cut off during a circumcision. The part could have been reattached if his pediatrician had acted quickly enough to do so, according to the plaintiff. A Georgia jury agreed and awarded $1.8 million to the boy and $500,000 to his mother. Their names are being kept private, but the doctors' names aren't. They are "Haiba Sonyika, the obstetrician who performed the circumcision, and Cheryl J. Kendall, the pediatrician who treated the child later." The hospital was not found to be at fault.

See, this is a big screw-up, especially the part about the pediatrician not doing enough to re-attach the, um, piece. This is assuming that the jury's verdict is accurate; I don't know the specifics of the case, so I'm going by the article I read.

I'm always curious how a jury comes up with an amount of money in cases like this. This time, the mother received $500,000 for psychotherapy, and the $1.8 million for the boy "was based on a per-day formula for the child's life expectancy."

The attorney for the plaintiffs, David J. Llewellyn, "has been representing victims of wrongful circumcision and genital injury since 1995." So calling him "some dickhead lawyer" isn't an insult. (Sorry. But sometimes they make it so easy.)

Also interesting was the defense team's strategy of loading the jury with women. Another attorney for the plaintiff, Craig T. Jones, thought this wasn't going to work. "I figured if you have one man on the jury, he can explain to the women -- if they don't know -- how important a penis is to a man's self-image." Yeah, even if they don't, I would say cutting off anything that you weren't supposed to during an operation is a bad idea.

Source: Law.com

Image: SXC

Texas School Accused Of Student Cage Fighting

Abortion Ads On Television?

Parents Forgo Circumcision to Save Money

Dad Robs Store with 9-Year-Old Daughter By His Side

SunnyChanel — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:00:00 GMT

It’s take your daughter to work day! At least for this Washington State Dad it is. And what kind of job does this Daddy have? Why, he’s dabbling in a career as a convenience store robber.

According to the Seattle Times, Robert Daniel Webb robbed a Ellensburg, Washington convenience store at gunpoint with his 9-year-old daughter at his side. His daughter, dressed in a cheery pink coat, is seen on video surveillance tapes right next to Dad as he pulls out a revolver and robs the clerk of $200. The undersherrif of the county said "I don't think I've ever heard of a little girl with her dad on an armed robbery. How anyone could endanger a child like that? You never know how someone is going to react when you pull a firearm out. How the clerk's going to react, somebody walking in? Absolutely can't even imagine it."

The man and his daughter are still at large.

How much harm do you think witnessing this crime will have on his daughter?

Source and Source

Woman Will Go Free If Son Comes Back To Life

Brett Singer — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:30:00 GMT

In what has to be a first, a Maryland court has accepted a plea bargain where she will testify against her fellow cult members and plead guilty -- unless her son is resurrected.

22-year-old Ria Ramkissoon is accused of refusing to feed her son Javon because "he didn't say 'amen' before breakfast." Ramkissoon and other parents were allegedly ordered to do this by a woman named Queen Antoinette, the leader of a group called One Mind Ministries. Queen Antoinette is charged with murder and child abuse resulting in death; in exchange for her testimony, Ramkissoon will plead guilty only to the latter charge.

Prosecutors do what they have to do to get convictions, so I guess the deal makes sense. In fact, they included very specific stipulations, claiming that the rebirth "would need to be a Jesus-like resurrection…It cannot be a reincarnation in another object or animal." So if Ramkissoon brings in a cabbage and says, "this is my son," no dice.

The only question I have is this: if Ramkissoon said that she believed her son had only traveled to Mars and would return in a year, would the same deal have been offered? Would that belief be any less sane? Is it possible that prosecutors are taking advantage of a mentally damaged individual? Or is this reasonable because the resurrection deal (which hopefully won't become commonplace in our courts) falls under the category of religious beliefs?

That's a tough question to answer, of course. For now, hopefully the people responsible for this horrific crime will be brought to justice.

Source/Image: Washington Post

Anorexia May Be Caused by Brain Chemistry

Morning News: Hormonal Women the Answer to Economic Recovery

Spiderman Rescues Autistic Boy

Joe Biden's Daughter Allegedly Caught on Tape Snorting Cocaine; Do We Care?

Abortion Ads On Television?

Surrogate Agency Disappears With Potential Parents Cash

Brett Singer — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:30:00 GMT

If you were trying to have a baby using a surrogate mother, I hope you didn't turn to SurroGenesis for help. If you did, odds are your money is gone.

According to the New York Times, SurroGenesis' main office in California is closed, and many of the 60 locations they listed on their web site were P.O. boxes. According to the Times, the company emailed clients on March 13 "that their money was gone." How much? About $2 million, according to lawyers, "with some couples losing as much as $90,000."

The thing is, the Surrogenesis website is still active as of this writing. Although the Times calls the site "impressive," there are a few red flags:

Adoption: Can their be a genetic relationship between parent and child? Rarely.
(emphasis added)

Um, proofread much?

Some potential parents lost a lot of money, but even worse are the ones who lost all their money and were already involved with a surrogate. (Note: this is all "allegedly", using the Times article as a source.) Attorney Andrew W. Vorzimer (representing former Surrogenesis customers) says that one surrogate mother is 33 weeks pregnant, confined to bed rest, and facing eviction since she is unable to work or pay her rent. The couple she was carrying the twins lost $50,000, and they can't help her.

The article also points out that "There is no licensing requirement for egg donor and surrogate brokers." Maybe after this story, there will be.

Source: NY Times

Image: Surrogenesis (please don't give them money, since they allegedly took lots from people already)

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

Tourney Time = Vasectomy Time

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

Kate Gosselin Dreamt Of A Husband and Children - Did You?

TV Is Neither Good Nor Bad For Babies

Jimmy Kimmel And The Octomom

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

UPDATE - Josef Fritzl Sentenced To Life In Psychiatric Institution

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

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

Earlier posts follow.

*-*-*-*-*

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

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

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

*-*-*-*-*

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

Original post follows.

*-*-*-*-*-*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: timesonline.co.uk

Image: BBC

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The Best and Worst of 2008

Morning News - March Madness or March Sadness?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image: CNET

Half of Kids Surveyed Think Rihanna Had it Coming

6-Year-Old Boy has 176 I.Q., Bums out Entire Adult Population

GMA Tweets Details On Levi Johnston And Son

Jimmy Kimmel And The Octomom

Morning News - Cheney, Duct Tape, Outer Space

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image: CNN

They Say: Don't Bother With Sleep Wedges

How to Find a Job in This Economy: Let Your Kid on YouTube

Do We All Have a Right to Procreate?

Oprah Gets It Right On Chris Brown

Do We Need to Know How Many Calories Malia and Sasha Consume in a Day?

George W. Bush Visits Texas Elementary School

Photo - Obama Shocked by Schoolkids

Oprah Gets It Right On Chris Brown

Brett Singer — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:00:00 GMT

My mother and I sometimes disagree (shocking, I know) and occasionally we argue about Oprah. (Not a lot -- don't worry, we're not obsessed or anything. We have far more important things to fight about.) She'll tell me that Oprah said this or that, and oh, isn't it wonderful, and I'll say, feh, Oprah, she's not so great, she's responsible for unleashing Dr. Phil on the world. So when mom told me that the Gayle King's best friend was doing a show about the Chris Brown and Rihanna situation, I was skeptical. Too many celebrities have been talking about the incident and not saying the right things.

For example: Sean Combs (aka Diddy or whatever the hell he calls himself these days) kind of missed the point when he told Ellen DeGeneres, "I don’t think it’s right for anybody to hit anybody…. We know sometimes relationships get ugly (but) we don’t know exactly what’s going on (in this one). It isn't right for him to put his hands on her or her to put his hands on him" -- which to me implies that somehow if Rihanna had slapped Chris, it would be OK if Brown gave her a black eye. Which it isn't. Ellen, for her part, gets it right when she says that she doesn't want any girl to think that "it's OK to go back to a guy that hit her," although she says it in a very wishy-washy manner ("I don't want to judge" anyone, that sort of thing) and lets Diddy to the hook too easily ("I want to dance!"). Yes, her show isn't exactly "60 Minutes," but this also isn't a fluffy issue. If you're going to bring it up, you should be clear how you feel, and if possible get the last word. (Here's a clip if you missed it, which would be understandable. I never watch that show.)

Back to Oprah. I didn't watch the whole segment (hey, I'm busy) but I feel confident that the tone she took with was the correct one based on this quote:

"Love doesn't hurt. And if a man hits you once, he will hit you again."

See, it really is that simple. I understand that the charges against Brown are pending, and as Diddy so brilliantly points out, none of us were in the car with the young couple when the incident occurred. But Brown has shown no remorse at all. More disturbing is the way that many of Brown's peers are defending him, and that anyone thinks his alleged actions are OK. Grammy-winning Rapper T.I. said on Carson Daly's talk show that he told Brown "this too shall pass." He went back on that statement, perhaps when he realized that Daly's show is actually broadcast on television, which is a mistake I can understand. And Usher backtracked on his earlier statement that Brown should "have a little bit of remorse" about what happened, and not hit the jet skis at Diddy's house. (Good thing he apologized -- that's crazy talk!)

Brown dropped out of the Kids' Choice Awards, which was a good PR move, but it's also somewhat irrelevant, since his statement just said something about it being difficult to "focus on the music" with all of this other stuff going on. Oprah used my line (OK, other people said it too) and called this a great "teaching moment." Problem is, I'm not so sure that the right lesson is being taught. It's important to everyone, but especially important to parents, since many of our kids are still young enough to not have formed opinions about this issue yet. (Some of those kids, though, are much smarter than our celebrities, which is always nice to see.)

For me this is a simple issue. While legally what Brown did falls into the category of "allegedly," he hasn't denied it, and in fact has basically admitted that he beat up Rihanna. Rihanna got back together with him and decided not to press charges. Anyone who says anything about this issue in public needs to be very clear because many of Brown's fans are young and for better or worse they sometimes take their cue from celebrities. Hitting your girlfriend is wrong. If your boyfriend hits you, leave. Why is that so hard?

Source: Oprah.com

Image from here

UPDATE: Chris Brown's Skipping the Kid's Choice Awards

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Heath Ledger's Daughter Gets His Oscar

The Dr. Phil And OctoMom Show

Teens Talk Back to the Media on Dating Violence

Grieving a Lost Pregnancy? Sorry, We'd Like a Drug Test

Why Teens Are Quick to Blame Rihanna

4 Year Old Brings Pot To School, School Bans Backpacks

Brett Singer — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:30:00 GMT

When I was young and went to summer camp, people were always amazed when I said I was from the Bronx. I remember one kid actually took two steps back when I told him. Because people from the Bronx, you know, they were scary.

Clearly those guys didn't know what they were talking about. The really dangerous kids are from Florida. The 4 year olds.

Check this out:

A 4-year-old at a Tamarac preschool caused a furor when police say he pulled a plastic bag of pot from his book bag and casually told a classmate, "That's my brother's weed."

Can you imagine? What do you say to that? How does a 4 year old even know what "weed" is? His older brother, who is 21, must have told him when he hid his baggies in junior's bookbag.

The pot, by the way, is "scheduled to be destroyed." Wouldn't want to rush into anything, guys.

Here's the funny part. The school, in a reaction that I like to call "I have a headache THEREFORE I have a brain tumor", has banned bookbags. All of them. Because clearly, the backpacks are the problem. (Dora the Explorer had no comment.)

Source: Sun Sentinel and TRB.com via DetentionSlip and ParentDish

Image: Amazon

Evil Father Goes On Trial

Jon Stewart and His Pal Dora

Woman Trades Two Kids For Bird

Teen Dad's Father Wearing Halloween Mask In Public

Parents Say Hospital Took Son's Organs Without Consent

Dora The Explorer Gets A Sexy Makeover (Photo)

Interview - Disney Princesses Toy Designer

Casey Anthony Obsessed with Skull Images after Caylee’s Disappearance

Cole Gamble — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:00:00 GMT

In the time after Caylee Anthony disappeared, her mom, Casey, began collecting photos of skulls and sketches of skeletons kissing. This discovery comes after the Orange County Sheriff's Office released about 1,100 pages of interview reports and photos this week.

Caylee Anthony, who disappeared in early June, was not reported missing until a month after she vanished. Police records show the images of skulls and skeletons were posted to Casey Anthony's online photo account on June 26. The reason for Anthony's interest in the images is still not clear.