Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl find out they are related.
Lifetime Movie Network or just your average Australian romance?
Australian laws are forcing gays and lesbians to seek "unregulated" sperm donors in order to have children, worrying state officials who say a generation of half-siblings could commit "accident incest" if the trend continues.
One man is thought to have impregnated at least 30 lesbians, while another man's sperm may have been used to father 29 babies.
According to FOXNews, sperm donation in South Australia is limited to heterosexual couples experiencing infertility and other reproductive hurdles, forcing same-sex couples to seek "donations" from willing parties online, or from casual sex. The same laws also require sperm donors to reveal their identities, putting off many men from donating at legitimate clinics.
Authorities fear that the children could grow up, meet and form sexual relationships with one another -- they are particularly worried because 29 half-siblings may all reside in Adelaide, one "big county town." Doctors fault the laws, which they say push gays and lesbians outside the system to have children of their own, and called for the South Australian laws to be repealed.
Ambitious entrepreneurs take note -- the DNA analysis business is going to be HUGE down under.
Elmo Live may be the hot toy of the season this year, but it's a cute little baby doll who is getting all the attention right now. Fisher Price's Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle and Coo doll is supposed to utter only one actual word: Mama. The rest of the sounds emanating from the speakers inside the doll are just cooing and giggling sounds. Or are they? Some say they hear the words "Islam is the Light" among the baby babble are demanding the toy be removed from the shelves.
Gary Rofkahr of Owasso, Oklahoma says he bought the doll and was shocked by what he heard. "I have a 1-year-old granddaughter," he said. "It makes me mad that someone is trying to indoctrinate our children with an innocent toy."
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But wait, there's more. Others say in addition to promoting Islam, the doll also utters the phrase "Satan is King". Now, that makes absolutely no sense to me as Islam is most definitely not a pro-Satan religion. Is someone trying to indoctrinate our children or just confuse them?
This may sound like a few parents getting up in arms over what is in all likelihood just a misunderstanding, but the Wal-Mart in Owasso is taking it seriously. They've pulled the doll from the shelves. And in response to emails from a local television station, Fisher Price's parent company, Mattell, has issued a statement on the matter. They admit that one of the baby noises may indeed sound like the word "light", but insist that the rest is just gibberish. "We have found that if told to listen for a particular phrase, you may hear something similar due to the power of suggestion," the statement says.
Have a listen for yourself and tell us what you hear.
The Kansas City Academy offers kids in grades 6-12 foods like pizza with whole wheat crust, hormone-free cheese and organic toppings. What salad with that? Help yourself to greens and veggies grown in a nearby organic, pesticide-free garden.
The school is one of three in the Kansas City area participating in Bistro Kids' Farm 2 School program, which replaces your basic, high-fat cafeteria fare like cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets with natural, locally grown food, such as free-range meats.
Whats that? You're vegetarian, you say? Vegan, even? No worries, just ask the chef to prepare you a special, fresh meal that meets your dietary requirements.
Bistro Kids' owner, Kiersten Firquain, believes kids' dietary habits contribute to poor physical and mental health, and she isn't alone in that belief. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of overweight kids has increased drastically in the past 20 years, which in turn has increased the number of kids with diabetes.
Schools have responded by trying to offer fresh-food alternatives, but are often stymied by cost. Those with high poverty rates suffer the most -- the federal government reimburses schools about $2.57 per free meal served, but most districts say an average meal costs $2.88.
Students who participate in free-lunch programs are often the ones most in need of a nutritional boost. I, for one, would be more than willing to put a few more bucks in my school-tax bill to help children in my neighborhood eat a healthier diet. How about you?
A six-year-old girl in Bristow, Virginia is being hailed as 'amazing' for fighting off an intruder who jumped into the backseat of her mother's car while it was parked in the family's garage. The girl was strapped into the car alone while her mother dropped a note in a mailbox a few doors down. In the blink of an eye, a man ran into the garage, lowered the door and got into the back seat of the car with the little girl.
According to Sgt. Kim Chinn, the girl gets an A+ for remembering her stranger danger lesson. "The 6-year-old fought him," Sgt. Chinn said. "She screamed, she kicked, and she pinched him. And I just think that was amazing for a 6-year-old to think to do that. Screaming was fantastic; the other stuff, even better."
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The girl's screams alerted her mother, who ran back into the garage in time to see the intruder flee the scene. News reports are referring to this guy as a would-be burglar, but I question why he got in the backseat with the girl if all he intended to do was steal. What was he after? Her lunch box?
Talking to your kids about what to do should a stranger approach can be a scary thing. Scary for you because the idea that someone would want to harm your child is at the top of the list of Very Bad Things that could happen in life. Scary for your child because it makes the world seem like a big, unfriendly place where horrible strangers are out to get them. Unfortunately, sometimes the world is a big, unfriendly place. But this story proves that those stranger danger lessons are important and that being small doesn't have to mean being powerless.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 12,000 Children's Ball and Heart Necklaces and Portable CD and MP3 Players due to excessive levels of lead in the paint.
The recall involves three different items: a Ball and Heart necklace with pink beads of varying sizes and a pink heart in the center; a Portable CD Player with flowers and dots in blue and pink; and a pink MP3 player with purple, green, yellow and read hearts as well as a light blue one with a monkey's face on the front. Photos of all the recalled items can be found here.
These were made in China and imported by Tween Brands Inc., of New Albany, Ohio. They were sold exclusively at Limited Too and Justice retail stores nationwide, the Limited Too catazine (catalog), and on the Limited Too Website from May 2007 through August 2008. The Ball and Heart Necklace sold for about $8, the Portable CD Players sold for about $25, and the MP3 Players sold for about $55.
If you have one of the recalled items, you should immediately take it away from your child and return it to any Limited Too or Justice store for a full refund and a coupon for a 15% discount off a future purchase.
For more information, contact Tween Brands by calling (800) 934-4497 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or by visiting either the Limited Too or Shop Justice Website.
My husband and I have a new routine these days: every evening, when he comes home from work, he sits at the kitchen table while I finish dinner and we talk about the economy -- about the stock market and our own investments and our longer-term plans. We feel pretty good about our own financial situation, but not good enough to stop talking about it, apparently.
We've been trying to explain the current economic crisis to our kids, but since they are six and eight, it's hard to find a way to talk about what's going on in the world that is age-appropriate. We talk often with them about responsible spending, just in general, and about what it means to work and to save. They earn an allowance and have a specific list of chores to do around the house; they also see me working at home, and they see my husband leave every day for his office, so they at least know that money doesn't grow on trees.
But we're not sure how to explain what's going on right now on Wall Street, or in Washington.
Experts say that it is important to talk to your kids about the economy, particularly if it is at topic that is coming up repeatedly in your house. "It's good enough for young kids to know we may be in for a bit of an economic downturn, and they're not used to that," says Mark Schug, a professor emeritus with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Economic Education. "They would have no memory of a time when the American economy was in a little bit of a rough patch." Find examples that will resonate with them; point out the cost of registering for basketball, or of their new shoes. Let them see you spending and saving responsibly.
Are you talking about the financial crisis with your kids? Do you have any good tips to share?
Those classic cartoons we loved as children may have been violent, but they could have been much worse. When Bugs Bunny gets shoved off a cliff, he doesn't splatter into bloody pieces. He just gets up and walks away from the bunny-shaped indentation he left on the ground. When Tweety ends up in Sylvester's mouth, he doesn't crunch up into bird bits. He gets spat out whole.
Looney Tunes cartoons are violent, but they never show the reality of the consequences of the violence. At least they don't on television. Those consequences are displayed in all their bloody glory in a new art exhibit by James Cauty called "Splatter". On display at London's Aquarium Gallery, the show features the famous Looney Tunes characters like you've never seen them before. There is a blood-soaked Daffy Duck minus his head, which has been blown off by a gun-toting Bugs Bunny. There's Jerry, having finally been caught by Tom, hacked into small, bloody pieces. And Tweety is nowhere to be seen, but Sylvester's blood-covered mouth gives you a good idea where he went.
The exhibit is described as 'unrelenting acts of blood and discomfort never previously witnessed on the Cartoon Network' and is intended to shock. "Its very difficult to shock kids these days - you have cartoon characters being shot in the head and walking off cliffs, so we have decided to replace them with something more realistic," says the 51-year-old artist.
Despite the 'Parental Advisory Content' warning on the exhibit, kids are enjoying the show. "It's amazing work, and from the reactions we've had to it so far, children have loved it," says gallery owner Steve Lowe. "It should be a very successful show, and will raise lots of questions about violence in the media and in our culture."
Do the kids like it just because they recognize the characters? Or have children really become so desensitized to violence that it no longer shocks them?
A family day at the fair turned into a frightening situation in Florida recently, when mom Sheri Pinkerton found herself dangling from the "Crazy Bus" ride, nearly 40 feet above the crowd ... clinging to her two-year-old daughter. The pair had been exiting the ride when it suddenly started up again, trapping Sheri's leg and lifting them both into the air.
Sheri found herself struggling to hold on, and a group of onlookers below were urging her to let go of the child. So Sheri made a gut-wrenching decision -- the only one she could make -- and let go, forcing her frightened daughter to let go of her shirt in the process. I can't even imagine. Her toddler fell safely into the arms of bystanders, and carnival officials used a ladder to rescue Sheri and other trapped passengers.
I think every mother's instinct would be to hold on for dear life, no matter what. But Sheri had the presence of mind to realize that if they both fell together, it could end badly. It's obvious from this video that she's still struggling with her decision and from the stress of their ordeal. Fair officials think that the incident was caused by the operator forgetting to set the brake, but the ride has been closed while the incident is under investigation.
Welcome to Red Mom Blue Mom, ParentDish's special coverage of the 2008 Presidential election. Each Tuesday through November 4, columnists Rachel Campos-Duffy (Red Mom) and Ada Calhoun (Blue Mom) will take on issues relevant to parents on both sides of the aisle. You can find past Red Mom/Blue Mom posts here.
Blue Mom: Who owns America's kitchen table? By Ada Calhoun
When Joe Biden gave his first speech as the vice presidential nominee, he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, your kitchen table is like mine. You sit there at night . . . after you put the kids to bed and you talk . . . about how much you are worried about being able to pay the bills. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that's not a worry John McCain has to worry about. It's a pretty hard experience. He'll have to figure out which of the seven kitchen tables to sit at."
Burn!
McCain's had trouble relating directly to everyday people, especially since Biden joined the Obama ticket. According to OutTheOtherEar, Biden has the lowest net worth of all the senators, and impeccable working-class credibility.
And don't the Republicans know it. According to a September report on Politico, Karl Rove said, "The most important thing for McCain to do is find a way to show a comfort with the kitchen table issues."
Enter Sarah Palin.
Asked on Hugh Hewitt's show, "Have you and your husband, Todd, ever faced tough economic times where you had to sit around a kitchen table and make tough choices?" Palin said,"Todd and I, heck, we're going through that right now even as we speak, which may put me again kind of on the outs of those Washington elite who don't like the idea of just an everyday working class American running for such an office."
At last week's vice presidential debate, Biden and Palin worked hard to out-kitchen-table each other. In the course of the ninety-minute exchange, the phrase "kitchen table" was used five times.
The kitchen table has proved to be an especially powerful metaphor, because what we need at the moment are leaders who embody the pragmatism of a family forced into a tight spot by circumstances who together can figure out a way to get back on track.
We don't really need someone who has been broke, but a little personal fiscal suffering doesn't hurt. As Chris Rock said in a much-watched Larry King episode last week, the candidate who understands the economy best is always "the guy with one house."
Besides Texas Congressman Ron Paul, only Governor Sarah Palin is talking plainly and honestly about the role of personal responsibility in this financial crises. During last week's vice-presidential debates she said: "Let's do what our parents told us before we probably even got that first credit card. Don't live outside of our means. We need to make sure that as individuals we're taking personal responsibility through all of this... we have an opportunity to learn a heck of a lot of good lessons through this."
"Kitchen table" issues are front and center this election. Palin's statement resonated strongly with Americans on both sides of the political aisle because she spoke to the heart of the conversations so many of us are having around our own kitchen tables after the kids have gone to bed.
Since the financial crises, my husband and I have recommitted to our budget and canceled a family trip we had planned for the fall. Both of us have October birthdays and we made a pact not to buy each other gifts and to celebrate at home this year. And for the first time ever, I may actually get my Christmas shopping done early because I'm already actively seeking out sales and determined to avoid last minute Christmas impulse purchases.
American families understand that in difficult financial times they cut back. Shouldn't the federal government employ the same kitchen table common sense principals? Unfortunately not. In fact, but for a few conservative Republicans and blue-dog Democrats, our representatives in Washington thought this was a good time to spend more of our money. That's akin to Sean and I deciding that this would be a great time to hire a designer and redecorate. The supposedly do-or-die $700 billion bailout bill included more than $100 billion in additional pork spending and special interest tax breaks. And it's worth noting that the $700 billion loan is actually money we are borrowing from China since our national debt, the cumulative amount the federal government has borrowed and not repaid, is a record $9.5 trillion.
The Democrat-controlled Congress holds the purse strings and government spending is out of control. Our politicians want us to believe that going $700 billion dollars deeper into debt is going to help what is essentially a debt problem. It's like believing you can cure Joe Six-Pack's drinking problem with a case of Sam Adams.
Twenty-four hour Internet access is so common these days that one out of every four workers plan to work during their 2008 vacations, according to a survey conducted by careerbuilder.com, which is an increase of 20 percent over the previous year's results.
Almost one in ten surveyed also said their bosses expect them to check e-mail and/or voice mail while they are away from the office, and 15 percent of workers said they gave up vacation days in 2007 because they were too busy to use them.
Industry and expectations seem to play a big role in workers' desire to stay connected. We all know how important the IT guys is -- and next time you call him because your laptop explodes, be nice. Nearly 19 percent of IT professionals said checking their e-mail and voice mail during vacation is expected, compared to 12 percent of those in the professional and business services sectors.
As a mother of two who works out of the home, my work weeks are just as busy -- if not more so -- than when I hunkered down in my cube at the Huge Multinational Corporation that used to write my paycheck. The rewards of being home while my kids are growing up are more than worth the trade-offs, but the downside is that working at home means I can work pretty much 24/7.
Lately I've found myself checking my e-mail when I could be on the floor playing with my son or daughter. We're traveling this week, and I won't have access to my beloved interwebs for two entire days -- that's 48 hours of unplugged time.
I have to say I'm really looking forward to it. You know things are bad when a 12-hour, two-day road trip with your husband, a 3-year-old and an 8-week old is considered a "vacation."
What about you? Are you over-connected or do yo know when to turn it off?
When I married the first time, I was quite young and didn't think twice about taking my husband's last name as my own. That's what a woman does when she marries, right? But when I married again nearly 20 years later, I didn't even consider taking my new husband's name. Well, maybe I considered it. But after realizing that he didn't care what I called myself, I knew that I would always and forever be a Maple. What we didn't discuss during those pre-marital negotiations was him taking my last name.
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I don't think he would have done it even if I had suggested it, but there are men who would - and do - happily change their last names to that of their wives. There are no real statistics on the subject, but anecdotal evidence suggests that this might even be a trend. And while this trend my seem terribly modern to some, it was actually not uncommon in 14th and 15th century England for men to take their wives' last names if hers was more prominent.
These days, I imagine a man would have a better reason than popularity to exchange the name he was born with for his wife's. Maybe hers is easier to pronounce. Maybe a hyphenated version of both their names would be long and awkward. Or maybe he just likes her name better. I understand why couples want to have the same last name - to show they are united as a family and for the sake of the children. But I see no reason why it must be his last name. Do you?
We've been hearing a lot about soccer moms and hockey moms in this election, and about how important their voices are. Here at ParentDish, we think we have the inside track on the mom voice, because it's really our voice after all.
This past week, ParentDish columnists Rachel Campos-Duffy (Red Mom) and Ada Calhoun (Blue Mom) appeared on XM Radio's POTUS channel to discuss the Vice Presidential candidates. You can listen to the interview here, and you can read Red Mom Blue Mom at ParentDish every Tuesday through November 4.
A seven-year-old breaks into the local zoo. Sure, it's an unusual story, but you'd expect to hear that he just wanted to get a closer look at the animals and that his parents were relieved to find him safe and sound.
What happened in Australia this week, however, was far more disturbing. A 7-year-old boy hopped the fence of the Alice Springs Reptile Center in central Australia. He then took a rock and killed several animals, feeding them to the zoo's 440-pound saltwater crocodile, Terry. Not satisfied, he threw several more live animals over the fence to Terry. In all, the reportedly blank-faced boy killed 13 animals worth over $5,000, including a beloved 20-year-old goanna. The zoo's director Rex Neindorf says that the boy was lucky not to be eaten by Terry himself.
Because of his young age, authorities can't press charges, though the zoo plans to sue the boy's parents. "I just want people to learn that they can't let their children go and run amok," said Neindorf. "If we can't put the blame on the child, then someone needs to accept the responsibility." Taking responsibility is important, that's true. But the horrific abuse this boy inflicted on the zoo animals should be a far greater cause for concern for his parents and authorities alike than traditional punishment. Children "run amok" all the time; most don't commit crimes as gruesome as this one.
Vinnie England, of Southmead, Bristol, got the tattoo at a street stall in Benidorm, Spain. The two-inch image was supposedly done in henna, a typically temporary, reddish-brown ink that fades within 10 days. Vinnie's tattoo was black, causing speculation that the ink used may have contained the chemical paraphenylenediamine or PPD, most often found in hair dye.
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Vinnie's mum, Hayley Shipway, 24, noticed a red ring forming around Bart's outline and took him to see the doctor. The reaction was treated with a steroid cream, but the next day it appeared to be worse. Shipway said the reaction resembled a series of pin pricks, and was red and sore.
The reaction is so severe that Shipway was warned that it may scar.
Shipway expressed her guilt over the incident, saying that she often allowed her son to have stick-on tattoos, and that she never expected he'd have a reaction to the one he got in Spain.
I have a tattoo, but I was over 21 when I decided to mark my body for the rest of my life. This poor kid didn't have a choice. But hey, if he ever decides to join the Navy, he'll be ahead of the game.
I've heard of towns where, for religious reasons, official Halloween activities are moved up a day if the big day happens to fall on a Sunday. But a town in Massachusetts is pushing trick-or-treating back a day because this year, it falls on a Friday. Now, to me, Halloween on a Friday is about as good as it gets. Because it is a school day, I won't have to listen to "is it time to go yet?" all day long and because the next day isn't a school day, I don't have to worry about bringing my kid down from her sugar high by her 8:30 bedtime.
So, just what do city officials in Oxford, Massachusetts have against Halloween on a Friday? According to Jennie Caissie, chairwoman of the town's Board of Selectmen, the move was prompted by safety concerns. She says that allowing trick-or-treating to occur on a Friday evening would put kids on the streets during "prime time traffic."
I suppose that is a valid concern, but some people think this rescheduling of Halloween is more trick than treat. "Halloween is for the kids and it should be celebrated on Oct. 31. Don't mess with our kids and their holiday," says resident Lorri Shadis.
Police Chief Michael Boss agrees with the decision to move Halloween. "It's safer for kids on Saturday than on Friday. It's only 24 hours. I think if parents address the situation correctly, the kids will be fine. They don't care, as long as they get their candy. Kids don't have to check their calendars to see which night they are free. Besides, their candy will last one day longer."
Disappointing children is one thing, but there is another obvious flaw in this plan. All the towns around Oxford will be celebrating Halloween of Friday as per usual. I suspect there will be lots of kids who talk their parents into driving over to Oxford on Saturday in order to replenish their candy stash. The streets may be safer on a Saturday night, but chances are they are going to be a lot more crowded.
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl find out they are related.
Elmo Live may be the hot toy of the season this year, but it's 
Chef-prepared vegan meals? Organic salad bar? Free-range meats?
A six-year-old girl in Bristow, Virginia is being hailed as 'amazing' for 
The 
My husband and I have a new routine these days: every evening, when he comes home from work, he sits at the kitchen table while I finish dinner and we talk about the economy -- about the stock market and our own investments and our longer-term plans. We feel pretty good about our own financial situation, but not good enough to stop talking about it, apparently.
Those classic cartoons we loved as children may have been violent, but they could have been much worse. When Bugs Bunny gets shoved off a cliff, he doesn't splatter into bloody pieces. He just gets up and walks away from the bunny-shaped indentation he left on the ground. When Tweety ends up in Sylvester's mouth, he doesn't crunch up into bird bits. He gets spat out whole. 
A family day at the fair 
When Joe Biden gave his first speech as the vice presidential nominee, he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, your kitchen table is like mine. You sit there at night . . . after you put the kids to bed and you talk . . . about how much you are worried about being able to pay the bills. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that's not a worry John McCain has to worry about. It's a pretty hard experience. He'll have to figure out which of the seven kitchen tables to sit at."
Twenty-four hour Internet access is so common these days that one out of every four workers plan to work during their 2008 vacations, 
When I married the first time, I was quite young and didn't think twice about taking my husband's last name as my own. That's what a woman does when she marries, right? But when I married again nearly 20 years later, I didn't even consider taking my new husband's name. Well, maybe I considered it. But after realizing that he didn't care what I called myself, I knew that I would always and forever be a Maple. What we didn't discuss during those pre-marital negotiations was him taking my last name. 
We've been hearing a lot about soccer moms and hockey moms in this election, and about how important their voices are. Here at ParentDish, we think we have the inside track on the mom voice, because it's really our voice after all. 
A seven-year-old breaks into the local zoo. Sure, it's an unusual story, but you'd expect to hear that he just wanted to get a closer look at the animals and that his parents were relieved to find him safe and sound.
A British boy on holiday in Spain 
I've heard of towns where, for religious reasons, official Halloween activities are moved up a day if the big day happens to fall on a Sunday. But a town in Massachusetts is pushing trick-or-treating back a day because this year, it falls on a Friday. Now, to me, Halloween on a Friday is about as good as it gets. Because it is a school day, I won't have to listen to "is it time to go yet?" all day long and because the next day isn't a school day, I don't have to worry about bringing my kid down from her sugar high by her 8:30 bedtime.
