faboo mama

To beat the heat, we decided to run to the Fashion Park at Santa Anita (yeah, it’s now a Westfields, too). My goodness. I try not to spend any amount of time in malls. They depress me to no end. We went in and hit the food court. Ilia said, “What is this place?” That’s when I realized that my child has no idea what a “mall” is. In her 4 years of life, she’s been to the Beverly Center 3 times, Fox Hills Mall twice and it’s up in the air if she’s been inside the mall in Laguna Hills. Out of all of those times, only one of those visits has been in the last 2 years. Her shopping experience is usually small local stores, places like The Grove and online. I think I’m going to keep it that way.

Yes, she liked the two tier carousel (she didn’t ride it) and she was fascinated by the germ-pit indoor playground. But I was utterly amazed at all the sports shoe stores (I counted 8 before I got bored), the number of T-Mobile stores (3) and the fact that the mall has 2 GameStops. Two. But the most amazing store in the whole mall is called Sword in the Stone. I wish I could find an online store. The place sells swords. Lots and lots of them. It was like stepping into an alternate reality. They also sell, hand axes, those ninja star things and light sabers.

I will say that I probably won’t head back there unless Lane Bryant has a really good sale…or maybe the Half-Yearly sale at Nordstrom. It was depressing. Worst part: The 45+ year old woman who’s face looked like she was addicted to plastic surgery, dressed and dyed to match her 5 and 7 yr. old daughters. That’s some Westside stuff. Never thought I’d see that in Arcadia!

So, the South Korean hostages that were released by the Taliban yesterday were apologizing for “being trouble”, which is weird enough for me, but now the South Korean people are kinda pissed at the former hostages.

Scathing comments, written with the cloak of anonymity, flooded Internet message boards. Newspapers published critical editorials.

Most noticeable was the feeling the hostages themselves and the church that sent them to Afghanistan were to blame because they did not heed repeated government warnings to stay away from the volatile Central Asian country. One advisory cited an intelligence report that insurgents were targeting Koreans.

“They were told not to go,” said Kim Young-soo, 42, a travel agency employee in Seoul. “They shouldn’t have gone there in the first place.”

Geez.

It must be the month of capitulation. The federal gov’t plans to run ads promoting breastfeeding hit a snag when lobbyists for the baby formula industry whined.

Plans to run these blunt ads infuriated the politically powerful infant formula industry, which hired a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a former top regulatory official to lobby the Health and Human Services Department. Not long afterward, department political appointees toned down the campaign.

Ha! See, once again Republicans are sticking their noses where they don’t belong. Last I checked, breastfeeding was something that occurred between a mother and child (with additional support if necessary). But the topper is this:

In a February 2004 letter, the lobbyists told then-HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson they were “grateful” for his staff’s intervention to stop health officials from “scaring expectant mothers into breast-feeding,” and asked for help in scaling back more of the ads.

Thank goodness Thompson dropped out the presidential race.

Gina Ciagne, the office’s public affairs specialist for the campaign, said, “We were ready to go with our risk-based campaign — making breast-feeding a real public health issue — when the formula companies learned about it and came in to complain. Before long, we were told we had to water things down, get rid of the hard-hitting ads and generally make sure we didn’t somehow offend.”

Ciagne and others involved in the campaign said the pushback coincided with a high-level lobbying campaign by formula makers, which are mostly divisions of large pharmaceutical companies that are among the most generous campaign donors in the nation.

Are you surprised? Read on…

Another top agency official who weighed in on the campaign was Ann-Marie Lynch, then in charge of the agency’s Office of Planning and Evaluation. Lynch, a former lobbyist for the drug industry trade association PhRMA, reversed an HHS decision to finance a $630,000 community outreach effort to promote breast-feeding, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. Asked to comment, Lynch said she never discussed “baby formula issues with baby formula manufacturers” at HHS.

Thankfully, (my former rep.) Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) is checking into things:

Rep. Henry A. Waxman’s Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating allegations from former officials that Carmona was blocked from participating in the breast-feeding advocacy effort and that those designing the ad campaign were overruled by superiors at the formula industry’s insistence.

“This is a credible allegation of political interference that might have had serious public health consequences,” said Waxman, a California Democrat.

This is why it’s important for real life scientists to be involved in policiy decisions. This hiring of former lobbyists and political cronies, isn’t going to do a damn thing but lead us down a path of stupidity and ignorance.

The comments section on this article has a few good points (well at least that stayed on topic did):

Message #6

What do I think? This is America at it’s finest. Money, money, money. Greed - over and over proves to win in our society. This plays perfectly into America resisting to even insure millions of children and their families. Now, without mothers becoming educated by a “negative” ad, formula companies, pharmeceutical companies and health insurance companies will benefit - NOT people - COMPANIES!! Ahhhh - the American world goes round and round.

Because it’s so damn hot.

Because it’s so damn hot.

In her comment to this post, Shayera led me to finding the answer to “what was that man carrying?” Turns out, it was a leopard, which is totally funny because when I got home that day and told my husband about it I said, “The guy was carrying a leopard or some wild cat…maybe it was a dog. No. It was a hyena…whatever. It had spots.”

Via MediaMatters (click link to see video), I learn that Tucker Carlson not only brags about beating a guy who supposedly hit on him in a bathroom, but both Scarborough or Abrams laugh about Carlson’s tale.

Transcript from the August 28 edition of MSNBC Live at 9 p.m. ET

ABRAMS: But Tucker, your position has long been on these kinds of stories that their personal lives are not our business. Does this case qualify for that, in your mind, as well?

CARLSON: Let me be clear, Dan. I am not gay. I have never been gay. I overreacted and made a poor decision.

SCARBOROUGH: And you love your — you love your wife, Tucker. Let me just say for the record, I am not gay, either.

CARLSON: Let me — let me put it this way. Whether he’s gay or not actually is not our business, and I do think it’s indefensible that the newspaper in Idaho spent a year interviewing 300 people to answer the question, Is he gay? That’s none of your business. Having sex in a public men’s room is outrageous. It’s also really common. I’ve been bothered in men’s rooms. I think people who do -

SCARBOROUGH: Really?

CARLSON: Yeah, I have. You know what, Let me just say.

SCARBOROUGH: Wait, hold on a second. Dan, hold on a second. I don’t mean to take over, but have you been bothered in public restrooms, Dan? Because I know I haven’t.

CARLSON: I have. I’ve been bothered in Georgetown Park. When I was in high school.

ABRAMS: Really?

CARLSON: Yes.

SCARBOROUGH: Wow.

CARLSON: And let me just say, I think –

SCARBOROUGH: That’s something.

CARLSON: — people should knock that off. I’m not anti-gay in the slightest, but that’s really common, and the gay rights groups ought to disavow that kind of crap ( ed note: WTF? Why do gay rights groups have to disavow a criminal behavior that has nothing to do with being gay?) because, you know, that actually does bother people who didn’t ask for being bothered. So yeah, I think it’s outrageous that he did that. And also, this specter of him getting up there and blaming other people is so Clintonian. You know, if he just said, “I’m not going to talk about it,” that’d be one thing.

ABRAMS: And — and this notion –

[crosstalk]

CARLSON: But he’s clearly crazy.

ABRAMS: Well, and this notion that he pled guilty, and yet he’s saying, “Oh, you know what? I never should have done that.”

SCARBOROUGH: Well, it’s the newspaper’s fault.

CARLSON: Well it’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous.

ABRAMS: Well it’s the newspaper — it’s everyone’s fault except his own. I mean, I’ve never heard of — I mean, you’re a U.S. senator, and you’re thinking you’re going to make it go away –

SCARBOROUGH: But hold on a second, though, Dan –

ABRAMS: — by pleading guilty after you’re busted in a public bathroom?

SCARBOROUGH: Hold on a second. You have Bill Clinton, who actually went out and did the same exact thing. He showed defiance. He said, “I did not have sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.” And he continued that line not only for months in the press, but then he went before a grand jury and said the same thing. And it — you know what? Here’s the thing. It worked for Bill Clinton. His wife went on TV and she blamed, remember, the vast right-wing conspiracy that’s been trying to take down her husband.

I don’t dredge this up to knock the Clintons. That is history, and it’s a — ugh — it is a nasty part of our history, and I’m glad it’s behind us. I just bring it up to say, you know what? Deny, deny, deny seems to work.

[crosstalk]

CARLSON: But it’s also — but it’s evidence, in Larry Craig’s case — I mean, you know, you just watch the press conference, and you see a man who’s not in possession of himself. I mean, there’s something — you know, I’m not a shrink, but there’s clearly something wrong with Larry Craig. He appeared to believe it. This is a guy who’s been accused repeatedly over the years of soliciting sex from men in bathrooms. So the chances that he’s arrested for the same thing accidentally –

ABRAMS: Right, right, right.

CARLSON: What, he’s the unluckiest man and he’s Job?

SCARBOROUGH: Hey, Tucker?

CARLSON: You know what I mean? It’s insane!

SCARBOROUGH: Was he the guy in Georgetown, Tucker?

CARLSON: No, actually. I got that — my point is — let me just say –

ABRAMS: Tucker, what did you do, by the way? What did you do when he did that? We got to know.

CARLSON: I went back with someone I knew and grabbed the guy by the — you know, and grabbed him, and — and –

ABRAMS: And did what?

CARLSON: Hit him against the stall with his head, actually!

[laughter]

CARLSON: And then the cops came and arrested him. But let me say that I’m the least anti-gay right-winger you’ll ever meet –

[laughter]

CARLSON: — but I do think doing this in men’s rooms appears to be common. It’s totally wrong, and they should knock it off. I mean that. I think it’s — I can’t bring my son to the men’s room at the park where he plays soccer because of all these creepy guys hanging around in there. I actually think it’s a problem. I’m sorry.

I think there’s a problem too, Carlson. The problem is that you’re a fucking chump. One, beating up anyone because they hit on you is not cute. If women beat up every single idiot guy (or girl) that “bothered” them, there’d be a lot of us in prison right now. Two, you make yourself an even bigger chump because of instead of walking away, you went a got a friend to help you beat up someone. Twit. That’s what you are. A fucking, limp-dicked twit.

But whatever…I think Carlson is full of shit anyway. Why? Well, I find it hard to believe that he actually has friends, but most importantly, there is a not a man or woman alive who’d hit that.

Contact MSBNC to let them know how much you despise the fact that they have an admitted bigot on air.

In her comment to this post, Shayera led me to finding the answer to “what was that man carrying?” Turns out, it was a leopard, which is totally funny because when I got home that day and told my husband about it I said, “The guy was carrying a leopard or some wild cat…maybe it was a dog. No. It was a hyena…whatever. It had spots.”

Via MediaMatters (click link to see video), I learn that Tucker Carlson not only brags about beating a guy who supposedly hit on him in a bathroom, but both Scarborough or Abrams laugh about Carlson’s tale.

Transcript from the August 28 edition of MSNBC Live at 9 p.m. ET

ABRAMS: But Tucker, your position has long been on these kinds of stories that their personal lives are not our business. Does this case qualify for that, in your mind, as well?

CARLSON: Let me be clear, Dan. I am not gay. I have never been gay. I overreacted and made a poor decision.

SCARBOROUGH: And you love your — you love your wife, Tucker. Let me just say for the record, I am not gay, either.

CARLSON: Let me — let me put it this way. Whether he’s gay or not actually is not our business, and I do think it’s indefensible that the newspaper in Idaho spent a year interviewing 300 people to answer the question, Is he gay? That’s none of your business. Having sex in a public men’s room is outrageous. It’s also really common. I’ve been bothered in men’s rooms. I think people who do -

SCARBOROUGH: Really?

CARLSON: Yeah, I have. You know what, Let me just say.

SCARBOROUGH: Wait, hold on a second. Dan, hold on a second. I don’t mean to take over, but have you been bothered in public restrooms, Dan? Because I know I haven’t.

CARLSON: I have. I’ve been bothered in Georgetown Park. When I was in high school.

ABRAMS: Really?

CARLSON: Yes.

SCARBOROUGH: Wow.

CARLSON: And let me just say, I think –

SCARBOROUGH: That’s something.

CARLSON: — people should knock that off. I’m not anti-gay in the slightest, but that’s really common, and the gay rights groups ought to disavow that kind of crap ( ed note: WTF? Why do gay rights groups have to disavow a criminal behavior that has nothing to do with being gay?) because, you know, that actually does bother people who didn’t ask for being bothered. So yeah, I think it’s outrageous that he did that. And also, this specter of him getting up there and blaming other people is so Clintonian. You know, if he just said, “I’m not going to talk about it,” that’d be one thing.

ABRAMS: And — and this notion –

[crosstalk]

CARLSON: But he’s clearly crazy.

ABRAMS: Well, and this notion that he pled guilty, and yet he’s saying, “Oh, you know what? I never should have done that.”

SCARBOROUGH: Well, it’s the newspaper’s fault.

CARLSON: Well it’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous.

ABRAMS: Well it’s the newspaper — it’s everyone’s fault except his own. I mean, I’ve never heard of — I mean, you’re a U.S. senator, and you’re thinking you’re going to make it go away –

SCARBOROUGH: But hold on a second, though, Dan –

ABRAMS: — by pleading guilty after you’re busted in a public bathroom?

SCARBOROUGH: Hold on a second. You have Bill Clinton, who actually went out and did the same exact thing. He showed defiance. He said, “I did not have sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.” And he continued that line not only for months in the press, but then he went before a grand jury and said the same thing. And it — you know what? Here’s the thing. It worked for Bill Clinton. His wife went on TV and she blamed, remember, the vast right-wing conspiracy that’s been trying to take down her husband.

I don’t dredge this up to knock the Clintons. That is history, and it’s a — ugh — it is a nasty part of our history, and I’m glad it’s behind us. I just bring it up to say, you know what? Deny, deny, deny seems to work.

[crosstalk]

CARLSON: But it’s also — but it’s evidence, in Larry Craig’s case — I mean, you know, you just watch the press conference, and you see a man who’s not in possession of himself. I mean, there’s something — you know, I’m not a shrink, but there’s clearly something wrong with Larry Craig. He appeared to believe it. This is a guy who’s been accused repeatedly over the years of soliciting sex from men in bathrooms. So the chances that he’s arrested for the same thing accidentally –

ABRAMS: Right, right, right.

CARLSON: What, he’s the unluckiest man and he’s Job?

SCARBOROUGH: Hey, Tucker?

CARLSON: You know what I mean? It’s insane!

SCARBOROUGH: Was he the guy in Georgetown, Tucker?

CARLSON: No, actually. I got that — my point is — let me just say –

ABRAMS: Tucker, what did you do, by the way? What did you do when he did that? We got to know.

CARLSON: I went back with someone I knew and grabbed the guy by the — you know, and grabbed him, and — and –

ABRAMS: And did what?

CARLSON: Hit him against the stall with his head, actually!

[laughter]

CARLSON: And then the cops came and arrested him. But let me say that I’m the least anti-gay right-winger you’ll ever meet –

[laughter]

CARLSON: — but I do think doing this in men’s rooms appears to be common. It’s totally wrong, and they should knock it off. I mean that. I think it’s — I can’t bring my son to the men’s room at the park where he plays soccer because of all these creepy guys hanging around in there. I actually think it’s a problem. I’m sorry.

I think there’s a problem too, Carlson. The problem is that you’re a fucking chump. One, beating up anyone because they hit on you is not cute. If women beat up every single idiot guy (or girl) that “bothered” them, there’d be a lot of us in prison right now. Two, you make yourself an even bigger chump because of instead of walking away, you went a got a friend to help you beat up someone. Twit. That’s what you are. A fucking, limp-dicked twit.

But whatever…I think Carlson is full of shit anyway. Why? Well, I find it hard to believe that he actually has friends, but most importantly, there is a not a man or woman alive who’d hit that.

Contact MSBNC to let them know how much you despise the fact that they have an admitted bigot on air.

I’m always in awe of people who want complain about children’s books. I mean, I got other things to worry about. If I spent most of my time complaining about books that sucked (Coulter, Hannity and O’Reilly sludge come to mind), then I’d have no time for important stuff. As far as kiddie books are concerned, it seems to me that most of them that receive complaints are usually pretty good books, but leave it fringe groups like AFA to focus on the stuff that doesn’t affect them directly. The book that received the most complaints so far this year is titled And Tango Makes Three, a true story about two male penguins who kick it together all the time and raise a baby penguin.

I’m sure you remember the book hoopla from MA about parents being pissed off about the book being available. I immediately got the book and couldn’t see what the fuss was about. Maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t read the book as having “homosexual undertones”, I saw it as two guys, best friends who did everything together. I’m sure I’m in the minority in that view. Now, reading the article, you have people being utterly “polite” in the, “there’s nothing wrong with being gay, as long as they don’t flaunt it” stripe (I hate those people). But this is American, where nutjobbiness abounds and they call that the Republican base. Here’s some tripe from a “concerned” parent:

My wife unwittingly sat down to read it with the kids, halting the story midway. We later found out that our 6 year-old had already read it. We spent an hour undoing the damage (ed. note: HAHAHAHA) and it ruined not just storytime but the whole evening. My 6 year-old readily understood that the book was wrong. In fact, he knew when he read the book that it was talking nonsense and that it wasn’t right. My daughter was unnerved to discover that same-sex couples, apparently in all species, can adopt children.

Oh noes! Teh gays are raising kids! What will we tell the children? Idiots like this kill me. I mean, the kids of gay parents understand what’s going on. Why would it be so hard to explain it to their own children? Are their kids such complete and total morons that they can not understand the concept of two mommies? But read the passage this guy wrote. What kind of twit just starts reading a book to their kids without reading it first? I may be busy, but I’ll be damned if I just start reading crap to my 4 year old without vetting it. Okay, I’m running into rant mode…Anyway, there are idiots and this guy is clearly in their ranks. Maybe Grand Dunce or something.

I think that I’m pretty lucky to not only have LGBT friends, but many of them are in loving and long-term relationships. My kids get to grow up seeing different types of relationships and learning that people can love each other and be different than one another and still get along. Despite all the gender conditioning she’s getting at school (I can’t stand that crap either), my daughter completely understands that Todd and Frank are together just like mommy and daddy. That’s all she needs to know right now. She’s 4. As she gets older, then she’ll get a little more information. That’s the root of the problem. You’re not going to teach your 4 year old about birth control, so I don’t know why these people act like they have to get into detail about gay couples. Silly.