Strollerderby : 9/11

FEMA Coloring Book Features 9/11 Image

Brett Singer — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Maybe it doesn't matter which party is in charge. FEMA is just clueless no matter what.

The latest head-scratcher from the agency that brought you the Hurricane Katrina fiasco is a coloring book that features the following image.

Yes. That is a plane flying into two buildings that are side by side. Twin Towers. Remember them?

After an outcry (translation: someone noticed), FEMA took the image off of their web site and issued the following statement, according to MomLogic:

"We removed the content from our website after reviewing www.FEMA.gov for appropriate material. FEMA for kids assists children in understanding disasters and we will continue to post appropriate material that supports its mission."

Does that mean that they usually don't review their materials before they get posted online? Wouldn't that be a better method?

This isn't the first weird kid-related thing FEMA has given the world. My personal favorite is the "FEMA for Kidz Rap," which features the following flow: "Disaster prep is your responsibility / And mitigation is important to our agency." This little ditty makes Vanilla Ice sound like Ice Cube.

Over at MomLogic, two commenters don't see what all the fuss is about. "I like it. How else are kids going to learn about 9/11?" Well, let's see. For one thing, they could learn about it from their parents. Or their teachers. Or are government-issued coloring books the preferred scholastic method in some communities?

I'm not saying that 9/11 has to be kept a secret. But what purpose does a coloring book like this serve?

What do you think? Should FEMA put the page back on their web site? Or should it not have been there in the first place?

Source: MomLogic

Woman Will Go Free If Son Comes Back To Life

Moms Taking Drugs to Stop Lactation

Sidwell Parents Say Obamas are Cheapskates

7 Year Old Boy Forcibly Tattooed By Father

Boy Accidentally Shoots Self With Forgotten Gun

Family Awarded Millions For Circumcision Mistake

New York Times Anthrax Update

Brett Singer — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:33:00 GMT

We have a source inside the building. Here are a couple of quotes of what it's like inside.

"They just sealed off the lobby... nobody but emergency workers in or
out of the bldg...Counted four hazmat-style trucks down stairs."

"For people that really need to leave, they're telling us to take the
freight elevator to the basement, then exit through one of the garage
doors."

I think I'd be one of those people that "really needed to leave" but who knows. This isn't one of those situations that calls for heroism in my opinion.

The original post is below:

One of the weird aftershocks of 9/11 was when anthrax-tainted letters started showing up across the country. The New York Times got a few of them, which led to the company microwaving all of their mail as a precaution. After awhile, the fear subsided and things went back to (sort of) normal.

This morning, Times employees received the following email warning them of a suspicious package:

From: NYTIMES MAIL
Date: Oct 22, 2008 12:24 PM
Subject: Note from Dennis Stern re the Building
To: NY TIMES NOTES

Folks,

At about 11:30 a.m. today an employee on the 13th floor of our headquarters building in New York opened an envelope addressed to The New York Times. A white granular substance was in the envelope. The New York City police were called and are now on site investigating. The 41st Street side of the lobby is closed but people are able to get in and out of the building. We will keep you updated on any developments.

Gawker reports that, "The cops are there and the lobby is closed." A source in the building says that the NYPD Hazmat trucks are arriving as I type this.

Without making light of the situation, I will say that using postal mail to create terror can't possibly be as effective as it was 6 or 7 years ago since there's just less paper mail that gets used. That said, I know I still get a ton of it every day, so maybe I'm wrong.

Scary stuff. Hopefully everyone is OK, and I hope it's a false alarm.

Source: Gawker

Image

Morning News: McCain's Best Debate, But ...

Madeline Holler — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:00:00 GMT

On the one hand, last night's presidential debate -- the third and, can you believe it, final -- was John McCain's best. He got off a couple of zingers ("if you wanted to run against George Bush, you should have run four years ago"), used "air quotes" effectively (if you respond to that kind of thing, which we do), he introduced the personal story of a plumber/entrepeneur Joe to good effect, he actually looked at his opponent, smiled, shook hands vigorously.

He even said "good job" at the end of the night.

Yet ... yet. John McCain came across uncomfortable, tightly wound and also ... as a bit doddering.

McCain returned to Joe the Plumber one too many times. He said Obama voted against Stephen Breyer for Supreme Court justice when he meant Samuel Alito. One set of air quotes mocked a women's health exception for abortion. And he seemed to be saying, there at the end, that Sarah Palin's son was special needs because of autism (goes without saying, it's Down syndrome). Sadly for McCain, never before have we heard such convincing arguments from Obama that Ayers means nothing to him or his campaign. John McCain made that happen.

No surprise then that the markets are betting big on Obama.

But Karl Rove says that Obama still hasn't closed the deal, while acknowledging that if McCain indeed wins the election, it will be the most impressive comeback ever.

If you're stressed at all about the long-term effect of the financial markets meltdown, don't read this. Those recessions you remember after the tech bubble burst and following 9/11 were nothing compared to what's really in store.

The good news? If you've been saving to buy a home -- and for some reason resisted funky loan offers -- prices are still falling and will likely continue through 2009 and beyond.

Know who won't get hit with hard times? TV characters! Here's the reality check on what TV's favorite people would make in real life.

Real-life TV people David Duchovny and Tea Leoni are splitting up. Seems his sex addiction got in the way of their relationship. (At least Madonna and Guy Ritchie won't feel so alone.)

Here's something many a divorcee or dumpee can vouch for: losing a partner makes you depressed. Meanwhile, bonding with one releases a loyalty chemical.

Child development experts say parents who go on all those nanny shows aren't being loyal to their children. They say these programs, which showcase kids at their absolute worst, invade children's privacy and may cause long-term harm.

Don't tell Sarah Palin but a fish fossil discovered in northern Canada gives clues to patterns in evolution. And that's really all we have for Daily Palin, except that Barack Obama wouldn't say she's qualified to be president and John McCain still can't say how. OK fine, we have this little gem too: she denies that she's ever been negative about her running mate's opponent. Because if there's one thing we all want said about us it's that we pal around with terrorists! Does she listen to herself, like, ever? Oops. Last bit: she's pretty much lost all credibilty at back home in Alaska.

Finally, a speedy recovery to Nancy Reagan. She at the hospital recovering from a broken pelvis. Think she watched the debates? Or Nanny 911?

Photo: MSNBC.com

Another 8 year old on the terrorist watch list

Brett Singer — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:00:00 GMT

So remember the 7 year old kid who had the same name as someone on the terrorist watch list?

Here's an 8 year old kid who has the same name as someone on the terrorist watch list.

This time, we have video of the boy and his mother testifying before Congress.

"Since 2005, when James was 5 years old, the Robinson family has had to deal with the delays and hassles of having a son who has been consistently misidentified when traveling."

Despite her experiences, Denise Robinson is "a strong proponent of the watch list" and feels that we all have to "accept some inconveniences" in order to keep our country safe from terrorists. However, she thinks the list has been "mismanaged." Considering the fact that, without looking, I found two examples of children who had been detained multiple times because their names appeared on the list, that could be the understatement of the year.

7 year old on terrorist list

Important news stories depicted by five year olds

Two women found guilty of illegal midwifery

Retarded movie boycott

Austrian incest mom speaks out

Upcoming Sesame Street Guests

5 things that would make parents' lives easier

Dad arrested for leaving son at McDonald's

So – who ya voting for?

Are your kids aware of the election?

I can tell how much you orgasm because of how you walk

7 year old on terrorist list

Brett Singer — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:30:00 GMT

A 7-year-old boy was detained at JFK airport in New York because his name was on a terrorist watch list. More accurately, his name is the same as someone else who is on a terrorist watch list. The fact that he was, you know, 7, didn't factor into the decision to keep the entire family in a locked room for an extended period of time.

Twice.

On two occasions, Alex and his family were kept in a holding room upon arrival at Kennedy International Airport from London because his name apparently matched a name on the list.

Alex was born in 2000.

“They hauled us out of the line and into a holding room,” said Ms. Harris. “It’s 8 o’clock on a Saturday night and they said, ‘We have to call Washington to have him cleared.’ And I’m like, ‘Just who do you suppose is available in Washington at 8 o’clock on a Saturday night?’ ”

It took more than two hours before Alex, a United States citizen like his parents and twin brother, was free to go. That was in late 2006. Six months later, the family arrived again from London, around 11 p.m.

Again, Alex was detained, his mother said, even though she carried his birth certificate and Social Security card.

“I said, ‘Look at him. He’s clearly not a terrorist. He’s 7!’ ” she said.

I'm all for fighting terrorism, but if this doesn't prove that a lot of the effort being expended is misplaced, I don't know what does.

Source: NYTimes, Image: ACLU

Two women found guilty of illegal midwifery

Retarded movie boycott

Upcoming Sesame Street Guests

5 things that would make parents' lives easier

Dad arrested for leaving son at McDonald's

8 year old blues guitarist not allowed to play in bars

Morning News: More Sex, Some Drugs, and Rockin' Oil

Important news stories depicted by five year olds

Queens woman pregnant with sextuplets

Girl being kept alive by Viagra

So – who ya voting for?

Are your kids aware of the election?

I can tell how much you orgasm because of how you walk

IOC orders investigation of Chinese Gymnast's age

Did Michael Phelps actually win 8 medals?

Like father like son

Brett Singer — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:00:00 GMT

This is just funny.

Andrew Giuliani, son of Rudy and ex-wife Donna Hanover, is suing Duke University because they kicked him off the golf team.

He wants monetary damages, to be reinstated to the team, and "the right to use Duke’s golf center for the rest of his life" because that's what he was promised when Duke "recruited" him to play golf.

Why did they kick Andy off the team? Well, for one thing, he wasn't that good, at least not according to info in the New York Times: they say that he was "in the bottom half of the 14-person team." He also, allegedly, threw an apple at a teammate, smashed a golf club on the ground, and "played harder than some of the other boys wanted to play" during a friendly football game. Andrew doesn't deny any of this, according to the Times, but he still feels he was treated unfairly. He also plans to pursue a professional golf career. Luckily, he has rich parents.

Andrew's father, former Mayor and failed Republican Presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani, is not involved, and at the mere mention of his name, mom Donna Hanover stopped the interview with the Times. Daddy's personal accomplishments include announcing his divorce from Donna to the press before he told her. (Yes, he was great after 9/11. But he was Mayor for eight years before that. I live here. Trust me, there's a reason they called him "Generalissimo Giuliani.")

His former coaches spoke out in Golf Week about the lawsuit. They think, shockingly, that he's wrong.

As proof that his coaches are nimrods, specifically head O.D. Vincent, Andy G offers up this photo (posted above, with Andrew at right.) That is, any coach that would allow his golf team to have their picture taken in their undies must be a crappy coach. If that's not a sound legal argument, I'm not a member of the bar. Oh wait…

image: Gothamist

Sad footnote to sad story

When Granite Attacks

Is it fair to take pictures of Britney's kids?

Congress Moves To Ban Phthalates, Despite Bush Opposition

They Say: Practice Really Does Make Perfect (hear that, Andrew?)

Should Parents Be Naked Around their Kids?

Baby survives tornado

Political Nanny: No Gifts from Mom and Dad for the Obama Girls (maybe Andy got one gift too many)

Sins of the father: bin Laden's son can't live in UK

Brett Singer — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:30:00 GMT

Omar Osama bin Laden, the son of, yes, the Osama bin Laden, has been denied a visa to live in the United Kingdom. He currently lives in Cairo, Egypt with his wife, Zaina Alsabah, who is British. Alsabah -- who used to be called Jane Felix-Browne -- wanted to return home. Omar is 27, his wife is 52. (Um, you go girl?)

British authorities told Omar that they found "evidence of continuing loyalty to your father who is ultimately held responsible for the London bombing" which took place on July 7, 2005, killing 52 people. Omar has also allegedly said that his father's guilt in the World Trade Center attacks "could not be proved."

Alsabah says that the couple will appeal the ruling, because, "The decision can't be based on media reports." In other words, she believes that the British government denied the visa based partly on what they read in the newspaper about her husband. According to CNN, "Omar has not renounced his father, but says he wants to be an 'ambassador for peace' between Muslims and the West. The couple plan a 3,000-mile horse race across North Africa to draw attention to the cause of peace." Ooookay.

Look, if it were anyone else, it would be fairly easy to say that you shouldn't blame the son for his father's actions. In this case, I can kind of see the British government's point. When they say, "Your presence in the UK could...cause considerable public concern," that might be the understatement of the year. You also have to wonder about the mental state of someone who wants to move to a place where it is unlikely that he'll be able to move around freely. I mean, not only is he the son of the most notorious terrorist on the planet, he has the same name. Not just the same last name. THE SAME NAME. So maybe the Brits are actually doing him a favor.

image: CNN.com