Strollerderby : political

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

Brett Singer — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Remember the "Bye Bye Bush" video? Remember Fox News' pugnacious pundit Bill O'Reilly's reaction to it?

If not, here it is:

O'Reilly said that it was "wrong" to for little kids to be "used like that." Guest pundit Amanda Carpenter said that the video was "another example of people using children for political purposes… who knows what this is going to do to her future? She doesn't know what she's saying."

So what will Carpenter and O'Reilly have to say about this video? (If the embedded video doesn't work, click here.

Well, nothing. Why not? Because it aired on "Your World With Neil Cavuto." Which is on the Fox News Channel. And the views that these children are being "used" to espouse are on the same side as Bill's. The right-wing side. Which makes "using children" OK.

I personally don't make videos of my kids and put them online for everyone to see. But if someone does, that's their business. That said, my feelings about whether or not kids should appear in videos on TV or online is not based on the nature of the political view being expressed.

What's really galling is the hypocrisy. On my post about Bill's reaction to "Bye Bye Bush", a commenter going by the handle "Huh?" wrote "[Will Ferrell's] Landlord was for laughs, this is openly bashing someone. Jeeze!" Does that mean the Cavuto video is also "for laughs"? I thought Fox News Channel was supposed to be a news channel. (Hence the name.)

Of course that isn't what it means at all. It means that it's fine to "use" kids to spout a political point of view, as long as that point of view is right. And by right, I mean right-wing. Very fair and balanced.

Source: Fox News

UPDATE: Jamie Foxx Apologizes To Miley Cyrus

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

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

VIDEO-Obama Kids Say DC Schools Are Wimpy

Brett Singer — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:30:00 GMT

That's not exactly what they said… well, actually it kind of is. And as a New York parent (formerly a New York kid) I think I even agree. (In a joking way, of course. More on that later.)

The President, during a light-hearted moment at a meeting with business leaders the other day (this was before he spoke out against Wall Street bonuses; I doubt the mood would have been so cordial if it was after that), made a comment about Sasha and Malia's school being closed:

"As my children pointed out, in Chicago school is never canceled. In fact my seven-year-old pointed out that you'd go outside for recess. You wouldn't even stay indoors. So, it's--I don't know, we're going to have to try to apply some flinty Chicago toughness."

In one of my first posts for Babble almost a year ago, I wondered if my children would ever have a snow day. The answer, sadly (sad for them, good for me), is that they may never experience the joy of "NO SCHOOL TODAY!" But while part of the reason could be global warming related, some of it is just that New York schools rarely close for weather.

Note: obviously, I don't really think that DC schools are wimpy, and I don't think the President does either. The President's comments were not warmly received by many in the DC area, but I really think he was making a joke. (Kind of like me saying "warmly" received. Get it? G'night, ladies and germs.) And of course it snows a lot more in other parts of New York State.

Also: I hate to keep repeating myself, but I'm still impressed at how at ease Obama seems to be, and how much like a "regular dad" he is. Granted, if his kids have to stay home from school, he's not the one who has to hang out and play board games with them. But he's not exactly removed from the situation either. He appears to be a parent who is involved with his kids. I like that.

Aside: what's the over-under on how many comments are left before someone posts something about Obama's birth certificate? One? Two?

Source: Politico

Paging NY State Education: It Snows There

Babble Podcast for January 26, 2009 (now with a working player)

VIDEO: O'Reilly Upset About Two Year Old Bashing Bush

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Beanie Baby Dolls

Parents Ripped Off On Inauguration Trip?

Brett Singer — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:00:00 GMT

It wasn't all fun and games (and hope – let's not forget hope) at the Inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009.

Congressional Youth Leadership Council organized trips to our nation's capitol for 15,000 students at a rate of $2500 for five-days. 1,000 of those students were from New Jersey, and some of their parents are mighty peeved that their young'uns didn't get a good view of all the Obama-mania.

According to New Jersey's Daily Record, parents are claiming that the students missed out on "many of the historic events," including the swearing-in ceremony. That was kind of a big one. I mean, if you had miss something, that wouldn't be my choice.

The company says that most of the attendees had "a positive experience." Whenever I hear that line, I always have to wonder if that means they just didn't complain.

For now, this all falls under the category of "allegedly." New Jersey's Consumer Affairs Division is investigating.

If the kids did miss the ceremony, it might not have been the company's fault. The New York Times reports that a lot of ticket holders were " abandoned by event organizers as they stood crowded, frustrated and cold in what some referred to as the Purple Tunnel of Doom," thus missing the chance to see Chief Justice Roberts show that he has difficulty reading. (Kidding. Sort of.) The name "Purple Tunnel of Doom" is a bit dramatic (ya think?) but I'd be annoyed too if I came to D.C. to see history being made and ended up standing in a tunnel. (I don't think I'd start a Facebook group, though.)

Maybe four years from now they'll just hit the Lego Inauguration. Cheaper, and probably smaller crowds.

Source: Daily Record

Image: foreignpolicy.com

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

Crafty: President Obama, Cube Style

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Bronx Students Question Obama Through Poetry

Brett Singer — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:16:00 GMT

It's one thing when Rush Limbaugh attacks the idea that Obama is going to bring "change" to our country. Of course Limbaugh doesn't want change – as far as he's concerned, everything is fine. But it's a little different when high school students from the Bronx wonder whether or not our new President is really going to be all that different from those who held the office before he did.

These kids are a little bit older than those we usually talk about on Babble, but this video kept my attention from beginning to end. The poetry the students recite is pretty raw; to put it mildly, this isn't exactly Robert Frost territory:

Calling Mr. Obama, Calling Mr. Obama
Please Mr. President
Come In
…
Do you understand where I'm coming from Mr. President?

When one student says this in an interview:

"Just because your skin is dark doesn't mean your morality, your ethics are different from any other person."

That got to me. It's not cynicism, it's reality. When life isn't good, and everyone is talking about "change" this and "change" that, it's not unreasonable to wonder whether or not the problems in your life are going to get some of that "change." Combine that feeling with the general angst of being a teenager, and you get some pretty strong words.

The video isn't embeddable, so click here to watch it. If nothing else, it's certainly a different perspective on Obama's election.

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Kids to Obama: Read Books, Eat More Ice Cream

It's Official: White House To House First Grandmother

Morning News – Drunken Jokers With Bionic Limbs And Flying Cars

Brett Singer — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Happy Friday, everyone!

Comments on yesterday's Morning News got pretty heated. I considered doing nothing but stories about puppies, rainbows and sunshine today, but decided that was no fun. And as it turns out, the "Crossfire"-esque commenting has morphed into an interesting back and forth between persons of differing political persuasions. Thank you to everyone from both sides of the aisle who weighed in; check out the debate here.

Diane Sawyer appeared to be drunk during the Inauguration coverage on ABC. Was she celebrating Obama's victory? Is she a McCain voter trying to forget? No one knows. While it's not completely certain that she was nipping at the sauce, this video makes a darn good case for it.

Caroline Kennedy (Schlossberg) did indeed bail on her quest to be a Senator without the hassle of actually winning an election. The New York Times is reporting that "Problems involving taxes and a household employee" were uncovered during the vetting process, so she bowed out. Whenever information like this is "suddenly" discovered, I always wonder how it is that nobody knew about it until it was too late. As in, Ms. Kennedy (Schlossberg) must have known that she had a tax issue, right? Also, it's still unclear if New York Governor David Paterson would have picked Kennedy (Schlossberg) or not. Um, it kind of doesn't matter anymore, folks. Let it go. Paterson will reportedly announce his choice today; convention wisdom says Andrew "HUD? What's a HUD?" Cuomo will get Hillary Clinton's old seat. (Hillary is now officially Secretary of State, by the way – she started work yesterday.) UPDATE: I was wrong, wrong, wrong -- the Times is reporting that Governor Paterson has selected Kirsten Gillibrand as Hillary Clinton's replacement in the Senate. Ms. Gillibrand is a congresswoman from upstate NY who is mother to two young children and has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association, according to the Times. I'm mentioning the mom thing because this is a parenting web site, and the NRA endorsement because that makes her a potentially controversial choice, since most Democrats aren't big NRA folks. (Gillibrand's official bio page is getting jammed with web traffic, but here's Google's cached version.)

Interesting tidbit about the Roberts Oath Flub (Flubgate, anyone?) – a certain Senator Barack Obama voted against the Chief Justice's confirmation in 2005.

In business news, the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the "conflicting reports" regarding Steve Jobs health. First he said he wasn't that sick, then he said he was leaving for six months, blah blah blah. Personally, I thought "hormone imbalance" sounded pretty serious when it was first announced. If only the SEC had been equally diligent about Bernie Madoff, poor Kevin Bacon wouldn't be reading the script for "Footloose 2". (I'm only joking about "Footloose 2." I hope. Kevin is looking for work though, so if you hear of anything, give him a ring.)

A very cool medical story from England: 19-year-old British college student Evan Reynolds now has a bionic hand. Reynolds lost his appendage three years ago, and can operate his new prosthetic limb by thought. ''It's so sensitive I can grip a bottle of water or a paper cup without crushing it and even swing a racket," he says. ''All I have to do is imagine picking something up or gripping it and the fingers and thumb move automatically." Like I said: very cool.

Oh, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 81st Academy Awards. Some were surprised that Heath Ledger got a Best Supporting Actor nod for his performance as The Joker in "The Dark Knight", but the real surprise to me was Robert Downey Jr.'s nomination for "Tropic Thunder." Not only is it a comedy, it was also a controversial one as I recall (that whole "retard" thing). Personally, I think Ledger will win. If he does, it won't be undeserved -- he gave an incredible performance. Brad Brevet says that Kate Winslet's nomination for "The Reader" is "fishy"; I admit that I couldn't read the full post, which actually quotes Academy voting rules. I was surprised that Clint Eastwood didn't get some love for "Gran Torino," but hey, you can't win 'em all.

The mother who named one of her children Adolf Hitler wants her kids back. "The parents insist they're not racists and want only to honor the heritage of the Third Reich," says the Daily News. What can one say to that?

Finally, someone has actually made a flying car! Terrafugia, the company that makes the vehicle (called the "Transition") calls it a "roadable aircraft," which doesn't exactly trip off the tongue. It goes 500 miles on a full tank of regular unleaded gasoline, and features folding wings. Bottom line: IT IS A CAR THAT FLIES. It also costs $194,000 and probably requires a good-sized garage with access to a ready supply of fuel. So it's not exactly ready for mass consumption. However, IT IS A CAR THAT FLIES. Did I mention that?

Have a great weekend!

Image: Times Online

(Late) Morning News: Finally!

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Live Inaugural Tweets From A Working Mom, And Video

A Prom? At the White House? Awesome!

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Beanie Baby Dolls

Brett Singer — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Here's a good one. Ty Inc., maker of the once-insanely popular Beanie Babies, has introduced two new Beanies – Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia.

The good part? The company claims it's just a coincidence. Company spokeswoman Tania Lundeen says the names were chosen because they are "beautiful," according to US Weekly.

Do you buy it? I don't. A commenter on USWeekly.com points out that the dolls don't look much like the First Daughters. But no one ever mistook a Beanie Penguin for a real-life fish-eating bird that can't fly.

The dolls were released this month to retailers; I'm sure the timing was also just a coincidence. Supplies are limited, so if you see 'em, BUY BUY BUY. They could be worth more than the Obama/Spider-man comic book.

UPDATE: Mama Obama is none too happy about the dolls.

Source: US Weekly

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Michelle Obama Objects to Sasha and Malia Dolls

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Babies Understand Presidential Material

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Brett Singer — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Hello and welcome to Morning News! I'll be your Morning Newsperson for today, and possibly for tomorrow as well. Madeline will return after that.

I don't know if you heard anything about it, but we had one of those peaceful transfers of power on Tuesday. We do it every four years whether we want to or not. This time around there was a tad more pomp and circumstance, with 10 Inaugural Balls. I only saw the Neighborhood Ball, where Jay-Z had the most powerful performance of the night; Sting also sang well but looked like he slept in an alley. Note to Gordon Sumner: if you are performing at a public event of this magnitude, at least TRIM the beard, 'k?

Adorable first daughters Sasha and Malia spent the big night watching "High School Musical 3" and getting a scavenger hunt-tour of the White House; the final clue led them to the real-life Jonas Brothers, who were hiding in a closet. So much for that normal childhood thing. Today it's back to school for both; they were allowed to sleep in on Wednesday.

President Obama did not take the day of and got right to work on Wednesday, signing executive orders to close Guantánamo Bay "within a year", and also putting a freeze on salaries for many White House aides. Smart move -- in this economy, he's not likely to lose anyone to the private sector.

Speaking of the economy, the financial markets ended the day up slightly after a big drop on Inauguration Day. Some say this is because "the market" doesn't like our new President, others blame "macro forces", and use big scary finance words that I don't fully understand. Bottom line: the economy still sucks, and it's going to take time for it to recover.

Folks who thought Sarah Palin would shrink from view after the election were wrong, wrong, wrong. The AP has an article about how the Alaska Governor would like some privacy for her children and the L.A. Times reports on a new energy plan she is proposing in the Alaska State legislature. Bonus: if you read the comments you will see that Palin still has plenty of supporters out there. Palin 2012, anyone?

In other political news, Caroline Kennedy may or may not have withdrawn from the race to replace Hillary Clinton as the junior Senator from New York. (Is it a race if its just one guy deciding who wins?) The New York Post (an ultra-conservative tabloid owned Rupert "Fox News" Murdoch) is reporting that Kennedy (what happened to "Kennedy Schlossberg?") pulled herself out of the running because she heard that New York Governor David "SNL Hasn't Been Funny Since John Belushi Left" Paterson was going to pick someone else. BUT the New York Daily News (a less conservative tabloid owned by Mort "I Gave My Money to Bernie Madoff and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt" Zuckerman) is reporting that sources close to Caroline whose last names are also Kennedy say that she hasn't dropped out at all. UPDATE: NY1 is reporting that it is indeed official -- Caroline Kennedy will not take Hillary Clinton's place in the Senate. Whether or not she will start using the last name "Schlossberg" again has not been determined. In the words of the great Kent Brockman, only time will tell.

Glenn Harlan Reynolds writes in the Wall Street Journal that he appreciates the "tone" our newly minted President has displayed; Reynolds says that by "reaching out to conservative columnists, and by going out of his way to say that he thinks George W. Bush is 'a good man,' Mr. Obama has made some efforts to transcend the nastiness that has emanated from much of the Democratic Party over the past eight years." Hey, if Obama can be gracious about Chief Justice Roberts messing up the Oath of Office, I think he can be kind to just about anyone. (The President re-took the Oath, by the way. Can't be too careful these days.)

Speaking of nastiness, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh isn't hopping on the Peace Train. He says that he has four words to describe how he feels about the leader of the free world: "I hope he fails." No really, that's what he said. Listen in:

And just to get away from politics and all things Inaugural, we leave you with this: French officials are investigating a possible scam by a woman in Paris who was selling "magic cheese" that she claimed could be used as cosmetics. Those French. Always good for a laugh.

Read more:

(Late) Morning News: Finally!

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Live Inaugural Tweets From A Working Mom, And Video

A Prom? At the White House? Awesome!

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Brett Singer — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:00:00 GMT

One of the things I've grown to like about the Obamas is that I find them relatable as a family. Barack and Michelle take the kids to school in the morning. They appear to be involved in their daughter's lives in a positive way. The girls give their dad a hard time. It's very sweet.

Adding to their overall normalness, Sasha and Malia got bored at the HBO Concert on Sunday. From NYMag.com:

"…while our president-elect, seated stage right, showed steely resolve by nodding and singing along through even the most terrible performances, heroes Sasha and Malia Obama bravely broadcast their non-enjoyment by looking completely bored (Malia) or falling asleep on their mom's lap (Sasha)."

New York Magazine even calls the First Daughters "America’s Adorable New Statler and Waldorf." Cute.

In other Sasha and Malia at the HBO Concert news:

- Sasha was seen "squirming and then having a chat with Michelle before they both disappeared for the duration of John Mellencamp’s 'Ain’t That America.' We’re guessing potty break." (It also doesn't appear to be a song that she cares too much about, although both are reportedly "big fans of Beyoncé, Usher, and Kal Penn.")
- Denzel Washington waved to the girls after his speech.
- "Michelle tried unsuccessfully to get Malia and Sasha to sing along" to Garth Brooks’s censored rendition of "American Pie" ("good ol' boys SINGING whiskey and rye"? I don't think so.) NYMag says, "Think it’s a little before their time?" Maybe, but my 3 year old knows that tune.

Anyway, for the moment, I can't get enough of these two kids. It'll fade but let's enjoy it for now.

Source: NYMag (1, 2)

Inauguration Coverage Information

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Sasha & Malia Had Their Own Ball on Inauguration Night

Live Inaugural Tweets From A Working Mom, And Video

Brett Singer — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:22:00 GMT

I wrote about this already but I'm following the stream now while I watch the coverage on television so I thought I'd point it out again.

JuJu Chang from ABC News is posting tweets (is it "tweeting"? If you know, tell me. I feel old.) live from the Capitol. It's fun to get a perspective from someone on the ground. For example:

people r standing on newspapers or cardboard to keep their feet warm in the crowd

It gives a personal touch, adding a nice element to the proceedings. Plus you can check out the tweets periodically, or just watch the TV coverage and then catch up when its all over. You can also read blog posts from JuJu Chang at ABC.com.

I'm tweeting (man, does that need a new term - can I say "twittering"?) while I watch, but I'm just in my living room, which is inherently less interesting.

UPDATE: here's a video report from the Mall:

If anyone wants to share their feelings about this while they watch, please do. We'd love to hear from you.

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Kids to Obama: Read Books, Eat More Ice Cream

Morning News: Bush Says "We had fun!"

It's Official: White House To House First Grandmother

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Brett Singer — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:00:00 GMT

This is cute.

Legoland California (the Lego theme park) has created a full Lego version of the Inauguration Ceremonies, complete with Lego versions of various folks, including outgoing President George W. Bush and his wife Laura, the Cheneys, and of course, Barack and Michelle Obama.

Here's a video featuring spectator reactions and a British reporter using the word "loo":

And SFWeekly.com has a nice slideshow of images, including this one, which depicts the swearing-in ceremony:

And the lines for "The dreaded inauguration Porta Potties." (All Porta Potties fall into the "dreaded" category as far as I'm concerned.)

One more: Lego Aretha Franklin, who appears to have a large, um, Lego chest:

As the blog Feministe puts it -- "All hail the Lego-in-Chief!"

You can get information about the real-life Inauguration here.

Source: LA Times, Feministe, SFWeekly

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

Inauguration Coverage Information

Brett Singer — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:48:00 GMT

Like most people (except for maybe Ann Coulter) I plan to watch the Inauguration tomorrow (or today, depending on when you are reading this). The thing is, I don't feel like watching the build-up. (Think of it like the Super Bowl – the game is more important than the people talking about the game for hours on end. The Inauguration is more important, of course, although Arizona Cardinals fans might disagree. But I digress.) I realized that I didn't know exactly what time the swearing-in ceremony was. It wasn't too tough to find, but I wanted to share the information with our readers, along with a couple of other tidbits that I thought you might find interesting.

Anyway, whether you are keeping the kids home to watch the ceremony or if you are at work and they are at school, I thought it would be helpful to provide a quick roundup of the event and also tell you what time Barack Hussein Obama (that's his official Presidential name, not a political commentary – I actually kind of like saying it now that he's won) will be sworn in using the Lincoln Bible.

1. What Time Is The Swearing In Ceremony?
If you only want to see the Big Event, it is scheduled for 11:30am. I would suggest leaving the TV on in case it starts a little later than that, but according to pic2009.org, the swearing-in starts at 11:30am. Before the President-elect becomes the President there will be musical performances by The United States Marine Band, Aretha Franklin, and the Boys and Girls Choruses of San Francisco. Biden gets sworn in as Veep, and then Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma Gabriela Montero and Anthony McGill will play music by John Williams. (I don't think they will play the Star Wars theme, but that would be fun.) THEN Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. will make it official using Lincoln's Bible from 1861.

2. Can people bring strollers to the ceremony?
To coin a phrase – No You Can't. Strollers are actually the only item that relates to babies and/or children that is on the Prohibited list. Personally, I can't imagine going anywhere near the Capitol tomorrow, but I don't even like parades. Bringing little kids there would make me very nervous, but you won't be alone if you do decide to bring the kinderfolk – there are reportedly quite a lot of families and children making the trip. Also worth noting: cameras are fine, but tripods and camera bags are not.

3. The Inaugural Poet Is a Mom
Elizabeth Alexander will read an Inaugural Poem. In December, she was asked how she planned to avoid having her text blow away in the wind, something that happened to Robert Frost, the first Inaugural Poet, at John F. Kennedy's 1961 Inauguration. (According to the Times, the poem was "awful" – "Summoning artists to participate / In the august occasions of the state / Seems something artists ought to celebrate".) Frost's work, "Dedication", was written on a piece of paper that literally blew away, so the poet had to go with "Gift Outright." Anyway, when asked what she planned to do, Ms. Alexander said, "I am going to have many copies of the poem tucked away. I really am. In a boot. I’m serious. I will have backups. I’m a mom." That made me smile. (Source: NY Times)

4. Inauguration Coverage From a Working Mother
ABC News Correspondent JuJu Chang is blogging about her experience covering the Inauguration and various balls at JuJu Juggles. Updates are also being posted (or "tweeted", as the kids like to say) at twitter.com/jujujuggles, where I found out that outgoing Vice President Cheney hurt his back moving boxes and will attend the ceremonies in a wheelchair. (Why was he moving his own boxes?) JuJu is also a mom, and on the blog you get to see her very cute son helping her pack. You can read more about JuJu at TVNewser.

So there you have it – a little info about the events and some mom-related angles as well. Despite what some commenters said at this post, I am excited about Obama's election and do feel that this is a historic occasion. I'm not keeping my kids home from school, but if you choose to do so, have fun. Wherever you are, make sure you're watching TV at 11:30am. That's when the real history will be made.

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Kids to Obama: Read Books, Eat More Ice Cream

Morning News: Bush Says "We had fun!"

It's Official: White House To House First Grandmother

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Brett Singer — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:16:00 GMT

ParentDish spoke to Linda Ellerbee of Nick News about this Tuesday's swearing in of President Barack Obama. (You may have heard of it. It was in all the papers.) Ellerbee tells AOL's parenting hub that parents should, "Keep the kids home from school, spread out some yummies and settle in to watch the peaceful transfer of power from one opposing party to another… Missing school to stay home and watch the parades and the swearing in is just as good or better than any history or civics lesson your kids might get in the classroom that day."

Man, do I disagree with that.

I have nothing but respect for Linda Ellerbee. She's a cancer survivor, and as far as I know has done some good in this world with her news programs aimed at children. But on this one, I think she's completely wrong.

First of all, a lot of schools are going to broadcast the Inauguration ceremonies during the school day. Some parents are keeping their kids home from school because of this. I don't agree with that either, but I understand it.

Why? What's wrong with letting kids watch the Inauguration? Ellberbee says families should treat "the event like the Fourth of July. It is, after all, just as significant."

Except that I don't think kids would be watching the Inauguration at school if John McCain had won.

There is, of course, a huge reason why the Inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States is more historically significant than previous Presidential swearing ins. (No, it's not because he's a comic book fan, although that is probably a first.) He's an African-American and that is a very important historical fact. But I don't believe that this is why so many schools are having kids watch the ceremony, and I don't think that's why so many people are traveling to D.C. to experience the event in person. At least, it's not the only reason. Part of it is that "our guy won." Another part of it is that "George W. Bush has been a terrible President."

(I should point out that I agree with both of those statements. I voted for Obama, and will probably do so again in 2012. And the 27 percent of Americans who believe that George Bush has done a good job in his eight years as President must be looking at very different news reports than I am. And by "different", I don't mean Fox News. Even they thought the federal response to Hurricane Katrina was abysmal, whereas Bush recently defended it. But I digress.)

If you regularly keep your kids home from school to watch the Inauguration, I suppose it makes sense to do so now. But I don't know anyone who does this, nor have I heard of anyone who does this. As an example, my mother took me to Opening Day at Yankee Stadium for many years when I was younger. I was the only kid whose mother did that. The school was a little perplexed but they eventually learned to deal with it since it was something my mom did regularly. It didn't matter if the Yankees had just won the World Series or not. We were big fans and wanted to go to the game. As I got older, this stopped happening.

Of course, a new President isn't a baseball game. It's more important. Which is why I think it should be treated with more respect, not less. What kind of message is being sent if you keep your kid home from school to watch television? The younger they are, the more likely it is that they don't fully understand the significance of Obama's election. Should we talk to our kids about how significant this is? Of course. Is there anything wrong with passing your political beliefs on to your children? No way. (Without that, I don't think anyone would ever be a Republican – ah, just kidding. Sort of.) But treating this January 20th as so much more important than any other January 20th is a bad idea.

While I think it's terrific that Barack Obama won, I also think that life goes on. We have no idea what kind of President he will be, and even if we did, we still have to go to work (assuming we aren't one of the millions who have lost our jobs in this economy). And for our children, school is their job. If the school chooses to spend time during the day watching the Inauguration, I suppose that's fine. If you don't think that's fine, you should complain. But keeping them home for that reason is a bad idea as well. It feels too much like pouting.

Another thing – both reasons to keep your children home from school this Tuesday add to the political divisiveness that is becoming a huge problem in this country. Civil discourse is all but gone, especially online, where name-calling, race baiting and anger have taken their place. Why add to that by putting your children on one political side or the other? Admittedly, "keep the kids home to watch the Inauguration" is more positive than "keep them home because I don't want them to feel good about the incoming President." But in both cases the message is "school is less important than who won an election." And while that's true in the big picture, I'm not so sure I want to give my kids another reason to think that school isn't such a big deal.

Ellerbee says that "the swearing in is just as good or better than any history or civics lesson your kids might get in the classroom that day." I hope that isn't true. If so, whatever my kids are learning at school must be pretty lame.

Source: ParentDish

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Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

JeanneSager — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:11:00 GMT

Across the country, schools will be tuning in Tuesday to let kids watch the forty-fourth president of the United States take his oath of office. But some parents will be keeping their kids home.

So they can celebrate together? Nope, these parents are calling foul on the schools for promoting a "biased, politically motivated hoopla."

Huh?

The inauguration of the president is biased? Why? Because there's just one guy up there with his hand on the Bible? Let me explain something to those of you who have cooked up this cockamamie idea: we have a two-party system, but in the end, only one person can win. You voted - let's hope - and if your guy didn't win, well, better luck next time. But you can't turn back the hands of time by convincing your kids that everything that happens for the next four years is just "biased and politically motivated." That's teaching them the lesson not of moving forward but of being a sore loser.

Inauguration day happens only every four years. For kids who spend the traditional thirteen years in school, there will likely only be three chances to experience an inauguration. Once they're out of school, if they're like the rest of us working stiffs (let's hope), they'll have to live vicariously like the rest of us when January 20 falls on a weekday.

Regardless of who is taking the oath, it's an incredible moment. It's historical. It's part of what makes our country . . . our country. There is nothing biased about celebrating President Barack Obama; no more so than teachers requiring their charges to watch the proceedings in Washington four years ago when a Republican president took his oath of office. I wasn't a parent at that time, but I would likely have made my daughter watch then if she had been - much as I'll be having her watch with me this year. In four years, I hope she'll watch it in school. If not, I can imagine finagling a day at home, watching it with her.

For some of us, Tuesday will have added meaning. For others, it should still be marked as the day when a new president took the helm of the White House, because he will be our president - all of ours. And that includes our kids.

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Best political shirt ever - Everyone Poops

Brett Singer — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:15:00 GMT

Birds do it
Bees do it
Even people in the news do it
Everybody (everyone)
Poops
Republicans and Democrats
All of them are full of crap
Everybody (everyone)
Poops

I don't know what song that is, but this t-shirt inspired me to sing. Kind of sums up politics in general. Very non-partisan as well.

The Everyone Poops shirts are available in all sizes, including onesies, which I'm sure will be the big thing on the playground. No matter who wins in November.

Image/source: Threadless.com

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So – who ya voting for?

Brett Singer — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:00:00 GMT

So. The conventions are over. Speeches have been spoken, mud has been slung, and nominations have been made.

I have a theory. I think that the country is very much divided this year, almost 50-50. I'm not saying I'm the next Amazing Kreskin here, this is what most of the polls show.

Still, I'd like to see if I'm right, albeit in a completely unscientific way.

In the comments, let us know for whom you plan to vote, even if you are undecided. This isn't an attempt to find out anyone's specific political leanings, so please feel free to post your candidate of choice anonymously. Up to you if you want to say why. If we get enough responses, I'll tally up the "votes" and see what the results are. My guess? 50-50, or something close.

So – who ya voting for?

image: some blog

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Protesters and journalists arrested in China (video)

Brett Singer — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

While we wonder whether or not the Chinese gymnasts are the age the government says they are, there's some other stuff happening over in China.

First up, British protesters were arrested for unfurling a "Free Tibet" banner (video below):

Second, and perhaps more disturbing, is this video of a British journalist being detained for covering said protest (video below):

But hey, what about that Michael Phelps? He won another medal, right?

Source/image: Daily Telegraph

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Savage stands by his stupid words

Brett Singer — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:30:00 GMT

Michael Savage meant what he said and he said what he meant. He's really a moron, one hundred percent. (Apologies to Dr. Seuss.)

To paraphrase Tom Petty, Michael Savage won't back down on his "autism is a racket" rant. Here's the latest clip, from Media Matters.

What's so fascinating about people like Savage is the way they defend themselves. He says that he is just being a "skeptic" about issues such as autism, or the "global warming fiction" of Al Gore. "I don't know when it became illegal to be a skeptic," he says.

Michael – can I call you Michael? – no one is saying that what you did was against the law. They are taking issue with what you said, and the criticism ranges from "factually inaccurate" to "deeply offensive." You must have known that you would get a strong reaction when you said it, just as you are getting a strong reaction now. You say, "to thine own self be true" and that you "can't please everyone…but you can please yourself." Standing by what you said is, in a way, admirable. Of course, there's also no shame in admitting that you made a mistake. 99% of autistics are faking it? Really?

In the same clip he bashes pediatricians for prescribing drugs to children with ADD, and other fun stuff. He's a real piece of work, Savage is.

It's worth pointing out that this isn't a free speech issue. No one is saying that Savage can't say whatever he wants to. But he may not be able to say things that are both incorrect and hurtful and continue to make millions of dollars doing it. Radio is a business, and advertisers are dropping out of his show; many radio stations are pulling him off the air. Whether he wants to believe it or not, there are some things that, if you say them in a public forum, can cause you to lose your job. (At least I would think that you would know that, since it already happened to you.) Whether or not you cast yourself as a "hero" of some kind is irrelevant. It's a job. When you tell me you'll do it for free, then maybe we can talk about "free speech."

Media Matters – a group that Savage refers to as "the homosexual mafia…fascist, homo" – is encouraging listeners to call their local stations and ask that Savage be removed. If you want to find out where he broadcasts in your area, click here.

image: Youtube

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Schools tying up autistic kids

Brett Singer — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:30:00 GMT

This is something that you would hope wouldn't happen anymore, like lobotomies. This isn't that bad, of course, but the fact that it happens as often as it does is pretty alarming.

According to an article in the New York Times, a large number of students with autism, ADHD and other diagnoses are being forcibly restrained when they misbehave. I say "misbehave" because, according to the Times, "defying a teacher’s instructions – 'noncompliance' – can invite a takedown or time alone in a locked room."

And before you say, "well, look, what's the big deal?" the article mentions three children who died because of these "disciplinary measures", including a 9-year-old autistic boy in Montreal who suffocated under a weighted blanket that was being used to restrain him. The harm done is psychological as well as physical: Tim Miller, a 12 year old boy with Asperger's from upstate New York, told his father that he didn't want to go to school anymore "because he thought the school was trying to kill him."

Isn't it illegal to tie kids up? Nope. "Federal law leaves it to states and school districts to decide when physical restraints and seclusion are appropriate, and standards vary widely. Oversight is virtually nonexistent in most states, despite the potential for harm and scant evidence of benefit."

OK, but these are just a few isolated incidents, aren't they? Wrong again. The article states that "one or two a week surface on some parent e-mail lists," which sounds like a lot to me. The Times also implies that for some kids, locking them up is the norm. An 8-year-old California boy was locked in a "seclusion room" 31 times – "at least" 31 times. His parents only found out when another parent "saw the boy trying in vain to escape."

Frankly, once a kid dies, you would think that would spark a major outcry, but that doesn't appear to be the case. This makes the incident where the teacher called a kid to the front of the classroom and invited the other children to berate him seem almost mild by comparison.

While there is a legitimate point about teachers not being properly trained to deal with special needs children, why is violence and dangerous restraint ever the answer? I went to a New York City public school, and I saw some pretty intense behavior, some of it violent. As far as I know, nobody was ever put in restraints or locked in a room. While I of course don't think its appropriate for one child's behavior to dominate a classroom, whatever the reason, there has to be a solution other than what's described here.

image/source: NYTimes

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Michael Savage says kids with autism need to get over themselves

Brett Singer — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Ah, talk radio. A world where measured political reflections are shared between like-minded folk who only want to make the world a better place.

Survey says: nope.

First, some background. Michael Savage is, according to various news reports, the third most listened to talk show host on radio (numbers one and two are Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity). Like many of the people who have followed in Howard Stern's wake, he has no clue how to be funny or interesting on the air, so he resorts to spewing bizarre and hateful things at anyone who will listen. For example, he once told a caller to "get AIDS and die," and to "go eat a sausage and choke on it." That got him fired from his television show.

Last week, in a bizarre tirade, he said that autism was "A fraud, a racket. ... In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out." What hasn't been reported quite as widely is his statement about asthma, where he says that "everyone had asthma from the minority community" because "The children got extra welfare if they were disabled." No, really. He said it. Here's a clip:

I often wonder if these people actually mean what they say or if they're just trying to get attention but saying something outrageous. Autism is a "racket"? If you want to talk about an increase in diagnosed cases, the expansion of the autism spectrum, maybe there's a valid point to be made – MAYBE (really, really, really BIG maybe). But this: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.' "

Sounds like somebody has some daddy issues to work out. Personally, I'd prefer he do it in private.

UPDATE: he's standing by what he said. What a guy.

image, Youtube, video source: MediaMatters

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DVD Review: Our Country, USA to Z

Brett Singer — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:00:00 GMT

With July 4th coming up in a couple of days, many of us are feeling patriotic. But in our current political climate, patriotism can be a highly charged topic. Personally, I think you should be able to love your country without buying into the ideology of a particular person or political party. More "celebrate what's great about America" and less "keep the immigrants out."

"Our Country, USA to Z" (Team Baby Entertainment) is more the former than the latter. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg in her usual slightly sleepy-voiced style, this is (mostly) politics-free patriotism.

The disc opens with a relatively painless song (performed by John Lennon Songwriting Award winner Joe McDermot) about our nation and how good it is, with shots of cute babies dancing around. Football, kids, cities, Native Americans, Statue of Liberty – pretty straightforward stuff, pleasantly presented.

Then come the letters. (The chapters on the DVD, available in the main menu, are helpfully split up by letter so you can skip around if you need to.) A is for America (duh), B is for Bell, as in "Liberty Bell," C is for Columbus (with no mention of Native Americans), D is for Diveristy, and so on. My favorite segment was J, which is of course for Jazz. Whoopi should do a whole DVD for kids on the history of jazz. M is for Military was a little weird, but kids will like the trucks and Coast Guard boats. There is a slightly right-of-center leaning revealed (I think) in the choice of "great presidents" (the letter P, of course): George Washington, Abraham Lincoln (a "civil war hero", no mention of freeing the slaves), Teddy Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. It's not a huge deal, but I'm guessing that the Democratic version of this disc might not mention ol' RR in this grouping.

There is a teeny amount of suspense when you watch "USA to Z" for the first time – what the heck are they going to do for X, for example? Since K was for King (as in Martin Luther King), I thought maybe we'd get Malcolm X, but they went with Railroad Crossing, which is a little lame, but at least features subways as well as railroads. Then there's "Road Trip," another original tune with a nice montage of video from the 50 states. These include cities as well as purple mountains majesty and amber waves of grain, something that, as a lifelong city dweller, I always appreciate. As always, there are cute kids of various colors and creeds bouncing around.

"Our Country, USA to Z" is a little different from the DVDs that Team Baby Entertainment typically puts out. Most of their content (which I've never seen) seems to be geared towards indoctrinating young children in the ways of sports fandom – Mets Baby, St. Louis Cardinals Baby, Red Sox Baby World Series Edition narrated by Ben Affleck (ouch, that was hard to type – guess who my favorite team is?), and of course, Yankees Baby, which I've never seen but is of course the best of the bunch (that would be my team.)

For the most part, this relatively short DVD is cute, harmless patriotism that does a decent job of including the different types of people and places that make up the United States of America. There is no mention of more controversial topics – Native Americans, slavery – but it is geared towards very young children; 2 or 3-year-olds is about right in my view. "Our Country, USA to Z" is educational, colorful, and doesn't go too far to the right. And when it does skew a little bit more Red State than Blue, that's tempered by the presence of the Whoopster's narration. Whoever hired her deserves a big, fat all-American raise.

image: Team Baby Entertainment

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School T-Shirt Controversy: "N the 'N' Word"

Kelly Mills — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:38:00 GMT

Eight-year-old Jaiden Haber was sent to the principal's office for wearing a shirt that said, "N the 'N' Word" and below that, "It's time!" The principal of the Amityville school told Jaden to change the shirt. The executive director of the Nassau chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union says that violated Jaiden's First Amendment rights. The district superintendent says, "To send a little white girl wearing this shirt into a very diverse district that is almost 90 percent nonwhite was not the way to address this word. It's a lightning rod." Jaiden's mom says the school should have used this as a teaching moment, and that Jaiden innocently made history. But you know what really bothers me about this story?

What Jaiden says. "My mom picked it out. She thought it would look nice on me. I don't know why they made me take it off." See, her mom didn't explain the shirt to her, saying she wanted to "keep her innocent." So while I'm with the New York Civil Liberties Union on the fact that she should have the right to wear the shirt, I am really, really bugged by the fact that her mom sent her to school in a controversial shirt without telling her the significance of it. Frankly, I think it's totally unfair to her kid, and her comments make it sound as though she wanted to start something, in shades of lamb to the slaughter. What do you think? And how does this stack up against political onesies and the like?

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