Strollerderby : president

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

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Jimmy Kimmel And The Octomom

Morning News - Cheney, Duct Tape, Outer Space

Morning News - Watchmen, Wiper Fluid and the World Wide Web

Brett Singer — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:30:00 GMT

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday! (You need to hear that in the voice of a 1980's era Monster Truck radio ad announcer. That reference either makes sense or it doesn't. Apologies if it doesn't.)

Quick comment: I have to say that when I said I would fill in for Madeline for a few days, the last thing I thought I would be writing about was former President George W. Bush. Not that I mind, but it seems strange. I had an item about him yesterday, and there's one today. I'm not looking for them, believe me.

And now -- the news!

Update from Nerdy Movie Land (which, surprisingly, is not located at my house): 'Watchmen' dropped to second place, losing the top spot to 'Race to Witch Mountain.' Proving... nothing, really. Personally, I want 'Watchmen' to do well so that studio executives keep greenlighting superhero movies. So far it's made about $85 million, which is pretty good for two weeks. Unfortunately, there are reports that many people are walking out of the film before it's over, which doesn't really help with that whole word of mouth thing.

The guy who pretty much invented the World Wide Web – Tim Berners-Lee, not Al Gore – once got scammed online when buying a Christmas present. He's also warning people against "website snooping" and talking about keeping your personal data safe. Good idea, Tim, but if even you got scammed, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Campbell's Soup is not planning to cut their prices. Got that? How is this a headline? Seems that the company feels that prices are low enough, and sales are growing anyway. Hence, no price lowering. I repeat -- why tell anyone this? I prefer the organic stuff, myself, and my kids wouldn't eat soup if they were starving, so it doesn't affect me. But if I did eat Campbell's Soup, hearing this might make me NOT buy it. Just saying.

President Barack Obama wants to block bonus payments to AIG execs, and NY State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo wants to know who is getting the money. This is not going to end anytime soon, methinks.

In other financial news, former White House spokeswoman Dana Perino says that her former boss deserves some of the credit for a recent bounce in the stock market. I didn't realize that being a Presidential flack was a lifetime position.

Lindsay Lohan will NOT, repeat NOT, be arrested. C'mon, you know that makes you happy. Her arrest warrant was recalled and she "enroll in a new alcohol education program." TMZ reports that she had a "personality conflict" with the program she was in before. What does that mean, that she wanted to drink while she was there?

The kids who drank the wiper fluid are OK, which is good. I'm still not clear on why this stuff tastes good. Wouldn't that flavoring have to be an additive of some kind? And if it is, why include it? Is it possible that wiper fluid just tastes sweet naturally? That would be, as my son might say, weird.

And finally, Shannon tells us about a new dinosaur, more specifically "a new species of pliosaur." The photo (above) is just flat out cool. Apparently this particular pliosaur was "more powerful than T Rex, with a head twice its size, a set of 12-inch teeth, and a weight of about 45 tons." Yowsa. Show this one to your kids, unless you think it'll give them nightmares. Heck, it might give me nightmares. Look at those teeth...

That's all for today - more tomorrow...

Photo: Guardian

Superman Comic Sells For Over 300k

Morning News - Cheney, Duct Tape, Outer Space

UPDATE - Austrian Incest Dad Pleads Guilty To Some Charges

Morning News - Cheney, Duct Tape, Outer Space

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image: CNN

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Oprah Gets It Right On Chris Brown

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George W. Bush Visits Texas Elementary School

Photo - Obama Shocked by Schoolkids

Brett Singer — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:11:00 GMT

What is the President doing in this photo? Listening to Sasha and Malia's ideas for dog names? Hearing Republican ideas for his stimulus package? Hearing Sasha and Malia's ideas for the stimulus package? Nope. Read on.

The President was surprised by a question from a student during a recent school visit. (Call "shock and awwww.") I imagine that he's just playing around with the kids. At least I hope so. If not, can you imagine what the question would have been?

I know this is unfair, but our current President looks less goofy when he's playing around then George W. Bush did (and does). Then again, he also appears to be less goofy than Dubya. So there's that.

Maybe they should just have Dubya do all the school visits from now on, and let President Obama just, like, work. Bush seems to enjoy it, and he's got time now.

Source

Fun Stuff To Do When The Kids Get Older

RENT Too Risqué For Some Schools

Kid Forced To Stand In Public Square For Bad Grades

Will the Stimulus Package Help Your Family?

Latest Action Figure Brings Together Imagination, Ponzi Schemes

Playdate: Anti-Racist Parent Offers Philosophical Commraderie and Practical Advice

Obamas Pick a Breed and a Homecoming for First Dog

George W. Bush Visits Texas Elementary School

Brett Singer — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:15:00 GMT

This is the age of bipartisanship. So…well…read this.

The former President and his wife Laura dropped by John J. Pershing Elementary School in Dallas. Apparently it really was a "hi, how y'all doing?" type of visit. The former First couple was there for over an hour. It was open house day, according to Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News.

Here are some highlights:

The Bushes were scheduled to visit three classes, but they ended up popping in on any room with an audience.
Ducking in one room, Bush asked, "Hey kids, do you know who I am?"
Gasps all around, and then someone blurted, "George Washington!"
"That's right!" the visitor said. "George Washington Bush!"

Then:

A little later, at an ESL class, Bush tried introducing himself in Spanish. Only it was a little too West Texas for the Spanish speakers. He tried again. Blank looks. Even held up three fingers. You know, a 'W." Still nothing.
Finally, Pershing's innovative, energetic principal, Margie Hernandez, stepped in with a Spanish introduction.
Ohhhhhhh.
The kids laughed at the confusion. The former president laughed. The principal laughed, out of relief, mostly.

Now, these examples are goofy, which is something that the former President was known for during his eight years in office. (Among other things, of course.) Later in the article, he shows off a different side of himself. One of the kids asked him:

"Why did you come here?"
Bush told the kids he came because he saw signs that welcomed him, and it made him feel good, and he wanted to say thanks. He then made some general observations, none more poignant than the first.
"You can be president," he said. "Can you believe that?"

I mean, look. It's not Barack Obama saying, "you can be president." But I think for the kids who were there to meet him, it was probably a special thing. Right?

Then he got a little goofy again. When asked if he would participate in the Dad's Club Haunted House, he answered with a grin and said, "I'd make a good ghost."

When I was in elementary school, I always thought it would be neat to have a President come and visit. I think it's sort of cool that GWB is still doing that. I mean, I don't agree with any of his major policies, but he was still the President. Heck, I wouldn't have minded meeting Gerald Ford.

See Congress? That's how bipartisanship works. Give me a call, we'll talk.

Source/Image

Fun Stuff To Do When The Kids Get Older

RENT Too Risqué For Some Schools

Kid Forced To Stand In Public Square For Bad Grades

Kids Share Hopes, Dreams With Obama Via E-Book

Kate Tuttle — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:02:00 GMT

If kids could address President Obama directly, what would they tell him? More importantly, what would they ask him to do for them? Released yesterday in honor of President's Day, Dear Mr. President is a free e-book that answers those questions. Composed of kids' direct requests for Obama -- 150 of them, selected from about 4,500 that were sent in -- the project is a collaboration of the National Endowment for the Arts and kidthing, a company that provides downloadable media players.

The kids' requests ranged from the profound ("no war ever again") to the sublimely ridiculous ("make it rain candy"). According to the AP, a special hardcover edition will be given to the President, although it's clear that unlike any of his predecessors or his opponent, he would be okay with viewing it on his BlackBerry.

It's clear that this new presidency has inspired American kids -- and kids around the world -- more intensely than any political event of the last quarter-century. We can only hope that their passion and interest is sustained, and then rewarded by smart, honest candidates when it comes time for them to vote. But it's not the first of its kind; if the project makes you want to dig deeper into the history of American children's involvement with political figures, a new book compiles letters from kids to Eleanor Roosevelt, and then of course there are the letters youngsters wrote to George W. Bush (and yes, that last one is a spoof, as if you couldn't tell from the letter ending, "Please put food on my family! Anything you can spare would be great. God bless!").

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Sarah Palin Speaks To Esquire About Kids And Things

Brett Singer — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:15:00 GMT

Sarah Palin is back. In truth, the Hockey Mom/Lipsticked Pitbull/former Vice-Presidential candidate never left. So before anyone hits me with a "Why don't you leave that nice woman alone!", remember that all of these quotes are from Palin herself, via an interview in Esquire Magazine. It's not like people put a camera in her house. We'll stick with the quotes that are about her kids. Here we go:

On Trig:
I'll tell you, yesterday the Anchorage Daily News, they called again to ask — double-, triple-, quadruple-check — who is Trig's real mom. And I said, Come on, are you kidding me? We're gonna answer this? Do you not believe me or my doctor? And they said, No, it's been quite cryptic the way that my son's birth has been discussed. And I thought, Okay, more indication of continued problems in the world of journalism.

Now, I don't want to feed the beast here. And there are certainly problems in the world of journalism. But in that paragraph, she doesn't say that she's Trig's mom. I understand what she means. But she doesn't actually say that she is Trig's biological mother. Just sayin'. (UPDATE: per the comments below, this was meant as a joke, not serious journalism.)

On Bristol's pending nuptials:
This is what I've been telling Bristol, before she gets married, is, Bristol, there are definitely gonna be tough parts in marriage. You have to look at those tough times and remember that you have essentially a business contract with this person. You've signed an agreement: You're going to be together. And you look at it that way as you work through the tough times, because I guarantee the better time is there on the other side. That's how we've looked at it.

To quote another song by Heart (who sang her theme tune, Barracuda), what about love? I kind of hope that there was more to this one because if that's how she feels about marriage, that's kind of a bummer. Not that I'm all flowers and puppy dog tails when it comes to marriage. But it's more than just a "contract." Isn't it?

On Bristol's name:
Two meanings in Bristol's name: I worked at the Bristol Inn, and Todd grew up in Bristol Bay. But also, Bristol, Connecticut, is the home of ESPN. And when I was in high school, my desire was to be a sportscaster. ESPN was just kicking off, just getting off the ground, and I thought that's what I was going to do in life, is be one of the first woman sportscasters. Until I learned that you'd have to move to Bristol, Connecticut. It was far away. So instead, I had a daughter and named her Bristol.

OK. Hang on. First, she says "two meanings" and then provides three. Second – ESPN? Does that mean that she considered naming the girl Boomer, after Chris Berman? This might seem like another opinion from a "pathetic blogger" (another quote of hers), but that's a strange choice. I mean, I like the Cartoon Network but I'm not naming my son Mojo Jojo. (I did suggest that the name Luke, so I could say, "Luke! I am your father!" But then my wife hit me really hard and I gave up.)

Lastly, a general comment on parenting and kids:
A courageous person is anyone who loses a child and can still get out of bed in the morning.

No disagreement there. I do wonder what prompted her to say that, but that's one thing she and I can agree on. (She was really worried about finding common ground with me, y'know.)

One thing that can't be said enough – when Palin says that she wants us to leave her kids alone, she has to realize that she puts them in the spotlight every time she does press like this. She doesn't have to do the interview. And if she does the interview, she doesn't have to mention her family all the time. I said it before and I'll say it again – if you don't want people to write about your kids, you should stop talking about them in the media.

There's a lot more, including the statement "Everything I've ever needed to know I learned through sports," a bit of "y'all" and "ya", and that she doesn't think of herself as "hot." Oh, and to make a good chili, you need mooseburger. The full interview is online at Esquire.com. G'wan. Read it. You know you want to. Y'all. Ya.

Source/Image: Esquire

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FOURTH Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

Brett Singer — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:30:00 GMT

UPDATE 4: Yes, Virginia, Marvel did a fourth printing of Amazing Spider-Man #583. Amazing, really. To paraphrase Mary Jane Watson (no longer Parker, now that they retconned away her marriage to Peter), "Tiger, Marvel just hit the jackpot." The latest printing is now available in comic shops. (Tip: don't overpay for this thing on eBay; 4th printings are rarely, if ever, worth anything. Neither are second or thirds, frankly.)

Another thought on my kid and this comic -- he definitely wanted it, and he doesn't read the regular Spidey series. (Despite the fact that they dumbed it down when they rebooted the book, Amazing Spider-Man is still not for kids; he reads the Marvel Adventures version, however.) I think he was just curious to have it because it had Obama on the cover, and had Obama in an actual story. I would say that this proves that even kids are fascinated by our new prez, but up until now that wasn't the case for my son. While I think part of his interest of course stems from the fact that the President is in a Spider-Man comic book, I'm wondering if part of it is simply the fact that a real person showed up in the pages of a comic book. I doubt another famous person would generate the same level of excitement that Barack did but maybe Marvel should try this with other people. It's not unprecedented -- Superman fought Muhammad Ali, for example. That was REALLY gimmicky but so was the Obama/Spidey meeting.

So: Rush Limbaugh working with J. Jonah Jameson to expose Spiderman as a dirty rotten liberal? Captain Chesley of US Airways Flight 1549 fame (the one that he landed in the water) shows superheroes a thing or two about being a hero without powers? I've read worse comics, believe me. Anyone with other ideas, let us know in the comments.

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UPDATE 3: Demand for even the second printing of Amazing Spider-Man #583 was so high that Marvel is going back to press for a THIRD PRINTING of the comic book. For those of you who don't know much about comic book collecting, the third printing is rarely worth much money in the long run. (Neither is the second printing, actually.) In this case, people seem to just want this book. Because it has Obama on the cover. And inside, actually.

If anyone is curious, the 8-page story is mildly amusing and fine for kids to read. (Yes, I bought it. I even bought a second printing to give to my son. The first printing I'm saving. Yes. I'm nerdy. WhatEVER.) The main part of the book, which is part of this revamped, rebooted "Brand New Day" Spider-Man storyline, is really dumb and should not be read by anyone. Is it kid-friendly? Not really. There's nothing all that inappropriate, but it's all about Betty Brant and whether or not she really likes Peter Parker as more than a friend, and whether she sold out her principles by working at the new Daily Bugle, which is now called the DB! (yes, with the exclamation point)... I'm getting sleepy just typing this, it's so dull. So get the book for the kids if they want it, and tell them to skip to the back where the Obama story is. Trust me. That's the best part.

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UPDATE 2: This comic is sold out at MidtownComics.com, although there's a chance you can still get one if you go to the store. I already reserved my copy, so nyah-nyah. There will be a reprint. You're shocked, I know.

Original posts are below.

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UPDATE: here's a new image from the Spider-Man story that will feature an appearance by Barack Obama.

Via Marvel.com, which features an interview with Spider-Man editor Steve Wacker.

Original post, with an update about what my son said about this comic, follows below:

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Marvel Comics will release a special story featuring President-elect Barack Obama and everyone's favorite arachnid-powered superhero. (That's Spider-Man, in case you didn't know.)

According to Huffington Post, "The comic starts with Spider-Man's alter-ego Peter Parker taking photographs at the inauguration, before spotting two identical Obamas. Parker decides 'the future president's gonna need Spider-Man,' and springs into action, using basketball to determine the real Obama and punching out the impostor. Obama thanks him with a fist-bump." Wow. Daring.

Earlier this year, both Obama and John McCain were the subject of biographies in comic book form (reviewed by yours truly right here). And Harry S. Truman published a propaganda-style graphical rendition of his life back in 1948. Neither of those funny books featured anyone with super-powers, however.

Barack Obama's enjoyment of comics has been mentioned before. In the announcement, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada referred to the incoming President as the "nerd in chief", and said that the story was Marvel's way of giving him a "shout-out back". With all due respect to Joe, I don't think Mr. Obama was offering up a "shout-out" when it was revealed that he used to collect comic books and that Spider-Man was his favorite character, but who knows.

In further proof of his potential nerdiness, Obama joked at the Al Smith dinner that was actually sent here from the planet Krypton by his father Jor-El to "save the planet Earth."

(Jor-El is Superman's father, and Krypton is the planet that he came from. I'm not going to bother with a link, since if you needed me to explain that to you, you don't really want to know. That's OK, by the way. Just saying.)

I think it's fine that the incoming President is going to appear in a comic book, even if comics aren't as important to kids as they used to be. Kids are still into superheroes, but there is much more competition for their time then there was when I was young(er).

While this comic could be pitched as a way to get kids interested in current events, it's really a collectible that will be snatched up by adults, who will place it in a mylar bag with an acid-free backing board and hope that it goes up in value someday. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. I'll be buying a copy just to put it in a bag, since "Spider-Man" is unreadable after they wiped out 20 years of continuity via a ridiculous bit of retconning where Peter Parker's marriage to Mary Jane no longer existed and he never revealed his secret identity. (Again, if you don't already know what I'm talking about, you probably don't want to.) But it would be cooler if there were a kid-friendly book that featured the President-elect. Maybe something that actually discussed how government worked. "Mr. Spidey Goes To Washington." They could even do both. Since I buy comics for my son every week (and yes, for myself as well; you got a problem with that?), I wouldn't mind a book that addressed what was going on in the world – in a fun way – sneaking into the weekly stack.

HuffPo says, "The Obama story is a bonus in Marvel Comic's Amazing Spider-Man #583, available in comic book shops nationwide on Jan. 14 for $3.99." It'll sell out, since kooks like me will buy it even if they don't want to read it. But if you get to your local comic shop early enough, you can probably snag a copy.

UPDATE: So my son comes home and tells me that he heard there was going to be a comic book with Barack Obama and Spider-Man. Could I please get it for him? What I said about kids not caring so much about comics, particularly this one, was clearly incorrect. I think this time that's a good thing.

Source: HuffPo

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Doing Homework On Lincoln's Desk

Brett Singer — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:00:00 GMT

There are many important questions our new President must face. But one of them is not in dispute – which First Daughter will get Lincoln's desk.

That would be Malia, who cheekily called dibs on the 16th President's writing surface back in November (after her dad won, of course). She told Poppa Obama that she wanted to sit there when she had a paper to write for school, "because I'm thinking that will inspire big thoughts."

Lest you think this plan was forgotten in the Inaugural hoopla, the New York Times confirmed it in a front-page article on January 20th:

Where in the White House is Malia likely to gather her thoughts when she has a tough school assignment? (At Lincoln’s desk where he penned the Gettysburg Address.)

No word on where Sasha will sit and gather her thoughts. Me, I did it at the kitchen table. Come to think of it, I still do sometimes.

Source: NY Times, ABC

Image Source

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

VIDEO-Obama Kids Say DC Schools Are Wimpy

Parents Ripped Off On Inauguration Trip?

VIDEO-Obama Bet Daughter She Will Freak When She Meets Nick Jonas

Brett Singer — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 20:00:00 GMT

I'm going to say it again. Are you ready? Are you sitting down? I hope so. Here we go:

President Obama seems like a good dad.

I know. Earth-shaking stuff, that. I'm not sure why I'm so fascinated by our new President's fatherly behavior, but I am. One reason is that there seem to be many examples of said behavior available for public consumption.

Here's the latest one: Malia said that she would be calm and collected when meeting her crush, Nick Jonas. So Dad bet his daughter five dollars that she would not, in fact, be so calm and cool. Talking about the girls meeting their fave music act, the Prez says:

"That's big! Don't tell them at all. Particularly because I've got a bet with Malia because she's been talking about when she sees her Jonas Brother favorite ... what's his name? Nick ... when she sees Nick, she's going to be all sophisticated. And I said, 'Malia, I will bet you $5 that you will stammer and not have anything to say when you see Nick.' So she's all, 'No, no, I'm sure I'll say I'm a really big fan...' you know Malia, acting all sophisticated... 'and I really enjoy his music'. I said, you won't say that!...So we've got a $5 bet…I won't really take her money."

Here's video of the President telling someone this story:

So what's the big deal? First, it seems like he has a nice relationship with his daughters. A little friendly teasing goes a long way. Second, he knows who the Jonas Brothers are, but he doesn't know too much about them. Not knowing which one she has a crush on is a good thing in my opinion. So he's involved enough in his daughter's interests, but not TOO involved. Third, he's comfortable saying that he made a "bet" with her without worrying that someone will think he's promoting gambling. To me, that speak to a certain confidence that some politicians lack. Granted, this video was released well after the election was won but I imagine that there are a lot of pols who would never allow something this candid to be aired.

So much for that normal life thing, though. Most girls don't get to meet their rock star crushes in person.

No word on whether he knows the difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin. If not, I'm sure Sasha and Malia will clue him in.

Source: HuffPo

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Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

VIDEO-Obama Kids Say DC Schools Are Wimpy

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

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

Rumor Mill: Is Michelle Obama Pregnant?

SunnyChanel — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:22:00 GMT

Are you in your child bearing years? Are you in the public eye? Did you have a big dinner? If you answered yes to any or all of those, then odds are someone, somewhere on a blog, or tabloid, or on the street will make the claim that you are knocked up.

New rumors are swirling around and growing not unlike a thriving embryo, courtesy of a post on PerezHilton.com. The rumor? That our first lady could be preggers. According to Perez the reports are “completely unconfirmed and at this point just a "rumor"”.

These rumors have been circulating for months that 45-year-old Michelle Obama is pregnant. Is it her choice of the stomach enhancing “black widow” dress she wore on election night? Is it that our culture has become so baby obsessed that we just want to imagine a new celebrity baby to coo over? Or is it that we just haven’t had a good old fashioned ‘Baby Bump Watch’ in a while?

If by some odd chance it’s true, the timing wouldn’t be the best. Those Obamas, they have a whole lot going on; new jobs, new home, new schools…running a country. Me thinks a new baby would be a wee bit stressful right about now. Plus a new puppy is on the way! You never want to get a puppy and a baby at the same time. But if it is true, this baby would be the first in over 100 years to be born in the White House, the last being Grover Cleaveland's daughter in 1893.

Regardless, a little harmless gossip is a fun little distraction these days. Now you won’t be able to look at Michelle Obama without checking out her belly. Sorry about that.

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

Bush Twins to Obama Girls: Remember Who Your Dad Really Is

KeriF — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:32:00 GMT

I'm no fan of former (yay!) President Bush, and as much as the "liberal media" might agree with me, it's important to remember that Bush is someone's daddy.

That's what this letter from Jenna and Barbara Bush to Sasha and Malia Obama reminded me. That every time someone hurls an insult at Bush or calls him names, his daughters are right there reading it in the newspaper or watching it on TV. (I'd wager that the Bush twins gave up on The Daily Show a long time ago.)

Of course, you could argue that if Bush weren't such a… well, whatever you think of him, this wouldn't be a problem. When you become president, you give up a certain amount of privacy (okay, you give up all privacy). And you give up a certain amount of your kids' privacy as well. And you open yourself up to criticism from, well, from everyone in the world.

But it sounds like the kids get a lot in return. Here's an excerpt from the Bush twins' letter to the Obama girls about their experiences in the White House, both as granddaughters of the first President Bush and as daughters of the second; the full text can be found here.

When we played house, we sat behind the East sitting room's massive curtains as the light poured in illuminating her yellow walls. Our seven-year-old imaginations soared as we played in the enormous, beautiful rooms; our dreams, our games, as romantic as her surroundings. At night, the house sang us quiet songs through the chimneys as we fell asleep. In late December, when snow blanketed the front lawn, all of our cousins overtook the White House. Thirteen children between the ages of two and 12 ran throughout her halls, energized by the crispness in the air and the spirit of the season. Every room smelled of pine; the entire house was adorned with thistle; garlands wound around every banister. We sat on her grand staircase and spied on the holiday dancing below. Hours were spent playing hide-and-go-seek. We used a stage in the grand ballroom to produce a play about Santa and his reindeer. We watched as the National Christmas Tree was lit and admired the chef as he put the final icing on the gingerbread house.

But what really choked me up was their closing paragraph:

And finally, although it's an honor and full of so many extraordinary opportunities, it isn't always easy being a member of the club you are about to join. Our dad, like yours, is a man of great integrity and love; a man who always put us first. We still see him now as we did when we were seven: as our loving daddy. Our Dad, who read to us nightly, taught us how to score tedious baseball games. He is our father, not the sketch in a paper or part of a skit on TV. Many people will think they know him, but they have no idea how he felt the day you were born, the pride he felt on your first day of school, or how much you both love being his daughters. So here is our most important piece of advice: remember who your dad really is.

George W. Bush may not have been the best president, but to two girls, he's the best dad.

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Brett Singer — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Remember Sarah Palin? Republican Vice-Presidential candidate, kind of overshadowed John McCain for a while, said the word "maverick" a lot? Tina Fey did an impression of her on Saturday Night Live? Ring any bells?

She's back. Well, to be fair, she never went away. But the Associated Press has published a story talking about how Palin "is going on the offensive against news organizations as well as bloggers she says are perpetuating malicious gossip about her and her children." They say she has, "personally reached out to media outlets such as People magazine and The Associated Press to complain about information she claimed is wrong."

What information? Well, that her daughter Bristol Palin and her fiancee, Levi Johnson, have dropped out of high school. She says that isn't true since they are taking correspondence courses. That sort of thing. Palin says that she is doing this to "set the record straight" and not because of political ambitions.

American University professor Leonard Steinhorn, described as "an expert on the presidency," isn't buying it. He says that Palin is positioning herself to run for Prez in 2012, and is "attacking the media as a way to generate support among a base she hopes will support her." (He's an expert, so he must be right.)

Here's the thing. I don't think it's fair to go after her kids. But someone needs to explain to the Governor of Alaska that if you don't want "the media" to talk about your family, you probably shouldn't invite them into your home, which she did with the Today Show in November after losing the election. No one forced her to do that. And if she wanted to do the interview, she could have done it alone. But she chose to do it in her kitchen while she cooked dinner. She clearly wants to have her family be part of her image, but she also wants to pick and choose what people write about them.

The problem is, it doesn't work that way. You can't have your cake and bake it on national television too. There are plenty of ways to keep your family out of the spotlight. One of them is very simple: keep them out of the spotlight.

Source: AP via HuffPo

Image

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

Sarah Palin Calls People About Grandson Tripp

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

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

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

Anti-Abortion Group Up In Arms Over Krispy Kreme Abortion Donuts

Cole Gamble — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:30:00 GMT

It started off such a sweet idea. In honor of Barack Obama’s historic inauguration, Krispy Kreme decided to offer free donuts to everybody on January 20th. As their press release stated:

"Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (NYSE: KKD) is honoring American's sense of pride and freedom of choice on Inauguration Day, by offering a free doughnut of choice to every customer on this historic day, Jan. 20. By doing so, participating Krispy Kreme stores nationwide are making an oath to tasty goodies -- just another reminder of how oh-so-sweet 'free' can be."

The American Life League, an anti-abortion activist group, saw this sweet deal as an attack on defenseless unborn fetuses. These pastries had a baby-killing agenda. These were ABORTION DONUTS!

Is Kripsy Kreme offering free abortions with the free donuts? Can you pick up a baker’s dozen of abortions at any convenient donut shop on Jan. 20th? Surely these donut-glazing Nazis must be doing something horrendous to earn ALL’s righteous scorn.

According to the ALL’s President Judie Brown:

"The next time you stare down a conveyor belt of slow-moving, hot, sugary glazed donuts at your local Krispy Kreme, you just might be supporting President-elect Barack Obama's radical support for abortion on demand…

Want to know how you picking up your free donut today will help kill “over 50 million preborn children”? ALL wants you to know.

- including his sweeping promise to sign the Freedom of Choice Act as soon as he steps in the Oval Office, Jan. 20.

"Just an unfortunate choice of words? For the sake of our Wednesday morning doughnut runs, we hope so. The unfortunate reality of a post Roe v. Wade America is that 'choice' is synonymous with abortion access, and celebration of 'freedom of choice' is a tacit endorsement of abortion rights on demand.

"President-elect Barack Obama promises to be the most virulently pro-abortion president in history. Millions more children will be endangered by his radical abortion agenda.

"Celebrating his inauguration with 'Freedom of Choice' doughnuts - only two days before the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision to decriminalize abortion - is not only extremely tacky, it's disrespectful and insensitive and makes a mockery of a national tragedy.

"A misconstrued concept of 'choice' has killed over 50 million preborn children since Jan. 22, 1973. Does Krispy Kreme really want their free doughnuts to celebrate this ‘freedom?’ “

So now you know, donuts kill babies. Maple bars make Jesus cry. And some pro-life activists really, really, really, really, really, really crave attention.

More by this author:

"I Ate Little Black Girls for Two Years"

Bizarro News: Flaming Squirrel Sets Elementary School on Fire

Should You Take A Risk on Orgasmic Birth? (Orgasmic Birth Video included)

4 Ways Birth and Breastfeeding Will Ruin Sex

Pete Wentz: "I've Tasted Ashley's Breast Milk."

A Guy’s Take on Stay at Home Moms and Dads (Part 1: The Cons)

Banana Dildos and the 10 Worst Toys and Gifts This Christmas (part 1)

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.

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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