Strollerderby : switzerland

Morning News: 'The Monster' to Head State Department

Madeline Holler — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Looks like president-elect Barack Obama will make the big announcement today: Hillary Clinton will officially become a part of his administration as secretary of state. Filling out the other top spots in his national security team are current Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who will remain in the job, and retired Marine General James M. Jones as national security adviser. Susan Rice is expected to be named ambassador to the U.N.

OK, but here's the awkward part:

Remember Samantha Power? She was one of Obama's foreign policy advisers during the campaign -- the one who got busted for calling Hillary Clinton a monster? Well, she's actually a part of the transition team put together to help prepare for Clinton's nomination. Insiders report that she made a big gesture to bury the hatchet and that Clinton received it well. Good. Because we like both of them.

Final thing about the anticipated nomination: Husband Bill jumped through all kinds of hoops to please Obama so that his wife could take the job, including releasing names of donors. Good Bill.

Considering the economy, wars, etc., Obama is said to be working hard to set the right tone for his inauguration Jan. 20th. He has limited the maximum donation amount to $50,000 (typically, it's $250,000). His committee also won't take donations from lobbyists, corporations, political action committees for non-U.S. citizens. And there's been some talk of Michelle opting out of a couture gown for something more pedestrian.

While the Obamas and a packed Washington, D.C., celebrate the new administration, Laura Bush and her husband will be heading back to Dallas. She told Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press yesterday she plans to continue working on behalf of women and children in Afghanistan.

Current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is heading to India on Wednesday in the wake of the attacks on Mumbai last week. She will offer condolences and also support for the Indian government.

In interesting health news, voters in Switzerland approved a new program that will provide heroin for addicts at clinics around the country. Switzerland has long provided clean needles and designated areas for users to shoot up, but supporters say this next step will cut down on crime and improve the health of heroin junkies.

Photo: JCU.edu

British Parents Defend Son’s Suicide

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:30:00 GMT

After becoming paralyzed in a rugby training session, Daniel James repeatedly reiterated his desire for death to his friends and family. Last month, the 23-year-old Brit traveled to Switzerland, where he died at an assisted suicide clinic.

It goes without saying that Daniel’s parents, Julie and Mark James, are filled with grief. But they have stated that they respect their son’s decision. They wrote in a statement that his death, though a huge tragedy for those he left behind, was “no doubt a welcome relief from the 'prison' he felt his body had become and the day-to-day fear and loathing of his living existence.”

Helping someone take his life is illegal in Britain; prosecutors are looking into the circumstances of James’ death, but have not yet stated that they will press any charges.

Photo: MSNBC

Zewi Fix Decke: From the Joan Crawford School of Parenting

Alisyn — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:27:00 GMT

When I first saw the Zewi Fix Decke, I had to do a double take. What the...?!? Is it a sheet? Is it a sleeper? Is it a blanket? Why yes, actually - it's all three, and it's seriously freaking me out.

Basically, the Zewi Fix Decke (made in Switzerland) is a fitted sheet with a vest attached. There's a bassinette-sized model, as well as crib and twin bed sizes, and as far as I can tell, they are mainly used for punishing Swiss children who have the nerve to think that sleeping comfortably is their right as human beings. Basically, it's the sleek, Swiss version of what Mommy Dearest used to keep Christina and Christopher buckled into their beds and out of her hair at night.

Okay, I can see how these might be useful when transitioning a toddler from crib to bed. Beats the hell out of making 75 trips across the hall between the hours of 2 and 3 a.m. with a tantruming and exhausted 2-year-old, that's for sure. These may also come in handy for the paranoid parent who does not want baby sleeping on her tummy under any circumstances, or on a family camping trip on top of Mount Everest. But there is something so unsettling about tying - excuse me, zipping - a kid to a bed just for the hell of it, just because it seems like it might be kind of neat. Also, if you are zipping your kid up to keep them down in the middle of the night, what is this teaching them? To tie up that which inconveniences them? Good luck when C.P.S. comes calling.

I guess my main problem with this product, having never used or seen one in real life, is this: no adult this side of a hardcore bondage club would enjoy being made into a bed, and denied room to stretch out, wiggle, and roll over on their side or back. So why would a kid? And why is this product getting rave reviews?