Strollerderby : Movies

Morning News - It's All Bill Clinton's Fault

Brett Singer — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

One current theme I've heard leaking out of the GOP Hive Mind lately is the idea that the Obama Administration needs to stop blaming the Bush Administration for, well, anything. For example: "I think people will be blaming George Bush until they die. We are almost halfway through the 1st year of Obama’s Presidency and they are still blaming the last administration for EVERYTHING. I think the blaming needs to stop and people need to start taking responsibility for their destinies."

Here's a little item from Business Week about the failures of the auto industry: "The Clinton Administration, as many before it, simply could not figure out how to force the Japanese to open their auto market, so in 1995 after a bout of highly publicized negotiations, it declared victory, even in the obvious face of failure. And the Clinton Administration was also unable to address the absence of a national health-care system. These two failures were huge, seen in retrospect."

So. Let's review. The Obama Administration and/or all Democrats need to stop blaming the Bush Administration because, you know, c'mon. It's been MONTHS since Obama took office. But blaming the Clinton Administration, which has been out of office for NINE YEARS, makes perfect sense. Yes, these articles are from two different sources. But the idea that nothing a former President did has any effect on our current situation is just silly. Thus endeth the opinion portion of Morning News.

Malls are in trouble, and therefore stocks in mall companies may not be a good buy right now, according to the Motley Fool (me, I know nothing about finance). To me, the problem with malls was always the excessive amount of useless stores. "I Can't Believe They Put A Clock In It!" That sort of thing. These are not stores that will survive in weak economic times. OK, that's opinion as well.

Funny item from Buzzfeed -- Ferris Bueller's best friend's house is up for sale. The house, located at 370 Beech Street in Highland Park, Illinois, can be yours for a mere $2,300,000. Four bedrooms, four baths, and the coolest garage ever to appear in a classic 1980's film. ("When Cameron was in Egypt land... Let my Cameron go...")

Dopey iPhone app of the day -- ShakeIt, which attempts to simulate the shaking that people used to do with Polaroids. As a commenter on Wired puts it: "That seems silly. Got any apps to add pops and hisses to my MP3 files?"

And also from Wired, news of a new Wii accessory that will monitor your heart rate while you get your Wii on. The Wii Vitality Sensor attaches to your WiiMote and will do more than just tell you your BPMs, according to Nintendo. “It intends to have you see the information relating to the inner world of your body, achieve greater relaxation." Or it could tell my son that he's waaay too into the game he's playing and needs to take a little break.

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Morning News - Susan Boyle Comes in Second

Brett Singer — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

So you know that Susan Boyle person? Scottish woman, has a really big singing voice, knocked people's socks off on "Britain's Got Talent", which is sort of like "American Idol" but with weirder acts, like a guy who dances like Michael Jackson while dressed as Darth Vader? (No, really. That's true.) Anyway, everyone thought Susan would win contest. (My money was on Darth Jackson. Which is why I don't gamble.) But she came in second. First place went to a dance troupe called "Diversity." Maybe in England hip-hop dancing is still hip. Or people just got bored with Susan Boyle. Or maybe it was something else. Anyway, she lost, but like Clay Aiken before her, I bet we'll hear from her at some point. Sometimes second place isn't so bad. (Ask Ruben Studdard. Although he does have a new album out, so maybe he'll stage a comeback. Wow, I think I don't care about this topic. Moving on.)

Well, I'm not moving on quite yet. Apparently Susan Boyle needed a team of psychistrists to get ready for the big TV finale. I have to admit that if her story is true -- never performed anywhere but her church, shot to worldwide fame in a matter of hours, on a TV show watched by millions -- then I can't blame her for being nervous. And maybe I'm wrong but to me, it's impressive that she got as far as she did. Not because she isn't talented. But she was completely unknown a few weeks ago. Now she's very very "known." Sounds like a victory to me.

Now on to science news. Everybody has a cell phone these days, and your plants want in on the fun. Yes. That's right. Your plants. The Discovery Channel has a story about a chip that would allow plants to "call" for water when they were, like, thirsty. "The farmer would just need their regular cell phone service, and the plant would send a text message when it needed water." Neat. Although I'm not sure why you can't just water the things on some sort of regular basis. Then again, I've never owned a plant that didn't die within a month. So maybe I'm not the right person to ask about this.

This headline form the Wall Street Journal is both completely sensational, but also accurate. Here you go: Lawmakers Bill Taxpayers For TVs, Cameras, Lexus. It's accurate. I hate reading stuff like this. Some of the item, like a digital camera, I can see as being needed for a lawmakers' job. But a Lexus? Times are tough, drive a crummier car.

Republicans, Let's Play Grown-Up
Sticking with the Journal, one of their columnists says that the GOP should "play grown-up" with regard to Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court. Political commentator Ellis Henican says that if Republicans keep attacking Sotomayer, "they might well achieve a rare double fiasco for the Once-Grand Party - pursuing a doomed campaign against a highly qualified Supreme Court nominee and guaranteeing that Latinos will vote Democratic for the next 30 years." I guess we'll have to see how this one plays out.

Cuba's gonna talk to us! Wow!

A group of scientists in Houston, Texas are working on a cancer vaccine. I will now make the understatement of the year -- hey, that'd be cool.

Finally, "Up" ruled the box office this weekend by taking in almost $70 million. "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" came in second place, and has already broken the $100 million mark. "Star Trek" broke $200 million. There were some other movies in the top ten that I don't care much about. A few words about "Up" and their box office total: the number is somewhat artificially inflated because of the $3 per ticket surcharge for 3D (or "RealD" as they call it these days). Not every theater is showing "Up" in 3D, but a lot are, and that makes the total dollar figure larger. It also means that in Manhattan it costs $55 to take two adults and two kids to see the movie. Which, for the record, I thought was really good. But I could do without the extra cost.

Image: Wikipedia

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Disney Pixar's UP - Quickie Movie Review

Brett Singer — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:51:00 GMT

I don't want to spoil anyone's fun, so I'm not going to get into too many details. Let me say that there's a lot more to the film than what you saw in the trailer. And if you, like me, are bummed out after the first few minutes, just wait. Trust me.

This is probably the best kid flick I've seen since I had children. It's also one of the better films I've seen in recent years. Admittedly, I don't get out to the movies much. But I doubt any of the Oscar-nominated films this past year were this much fun.

Seriously, "Up" has great action sequences, a good story, moments that tug at the heartstrings -- and by far the cleverest talking animals you will ever see. I don't mean that they say funny things, although they do. I mean that the usage of said animals is a million miles ahead of anything you've seen before.

I'm going to go a little over the top and say that I think "Up" will get a nomination for Best Picture and also Best Screenplay. Yes, it will probably be nominated for Best Animated Feature, and like every other Pixar movie, it wil win. But it's better than that, and I think it will be recognized as such. So you heard it here first -- "Up" for Best Picture.

I don't want to build it up (no pun intended) too much. But it's really good. Go see it and don't let your kids talk too much.

Image: Amazon

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Morning News - Talk Show Host Waterboarded

Brett Singer — Mon, 25 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Sean Hannity said he would do it but hasn't made good on that pledge. So Erich “Mancow” Muller stepped up and got the job done. Here's a video, which is not safe for work or anyone who feels that watching a wildly unpopular talk show host get waterboarded is an insult to their intelligence.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. The great thing about Republicans these days is that they are so tolerant. Case in point: Colin Powell, who felt the need to go on CBS' "Face The Nation" and tell everyone that yes, he is still a Republican. This depiste the fact that Dick Cheney recent said "My take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican." And the lovely Mr. Rush Limbaugh, who says he would like the former Secretary of State to "close the loop and become a Democrat." An article from the AFP wonders if all of this "our way or the highway" stuff is going to be a turn off to anyone who might, gawd forbid, disagree with the Cheney/Limbaugh hive mind. Gee, ya think? On a personal note (shocking, I know) I would genuinely like to have a civil discussion with a person of the Republican persuasion so I can find out what the appeal is. Seriously. I know people who lean to the right politically and yet aren't braying maniacs like Limbaugh or "Mancow". So far I haven't worked up enough nerve to discuss politics with any of them. If someone wants to leave a comment about why they are a Republican, please do so. Understand that I'm not saying that all Republicans are kooks, just that the only ones that we hear from in the media seem to be on the kooky side.

Staying with politics for a moment, President Barack Obama is expected to announce his pick for the Supreme Court this week. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that unless he chooses, say, Dick Cheney, most Republican politicians will not be pleased with his choice. But hey, ya never know. I've been wrong before. (Like the time I said, "Hairspray" as a musical? No one wants to see that. Or when I suggested that Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman make a little film called "Ishtar." Only one of those statements is true. Guess which one!)

Moving on to the world of entertainment, Susan Boyle moved on in the "Britain's Got Talent" contest. She sang "Memory" from "Cats." Daring choice. (Meow.) Here's a video, which is safe for work but not safe for those who find the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber to be only slightly more pleasurable than fingernails on a chalkboard:

Speaking on TV talent contests, Queen might have a job for "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert. They'd like him to do their laundry. Kidding! He would be the lead singer. Everyone said he (Adam) was just like Freddie Mercury, right?

In movie news, "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" beat out "Terminator Salvation" by about $10 million. When asked for a comment, Christian Bale said, "OHHH! GOOD FOR YOU!"

Last, but not least, today is Memorial Day. I couldn't find one story that I thought was "the one" to link to, so here's a bunch of them from Google News.

Women Switched at Birth Find Out 56 Years Later

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13 Year Old Alfie Definitely Not A Dad

8 "PG" Movies Way Too Scary for Kids

Cole Gamble — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT

As you may know, I'm a big fan of traumatizing kids movies. So when I came upon Brian Hanson's article, The 8 PG-Rated Movies That Should Not Have Been Rated PG, I knew I'd need to post a bit of it. Here's a smackering of freaky-ass movies that somehow got the same rating as Shrek.

Gremlins (1984)

It's been widely acknowledged that both Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Steven Spielberg's one-two 1984 punch of darkly comic blockbusters, directly led to the creation of the PG-13 rating. Gremlins is chock-full of wanton puppet terror and gore, with the titular hellions getting stabbed, beheaded, and exploded in wonderful blurts of green and brown. Of course, despite creating the PG-13 rating, neither Gremlins nor Temple of Doom were ever submitted for re-rating, so the PG rating still stands to this day for both movies. So Gremlins, with its graphic tale of Phoebe Cates' character's father decaying and rotting in a Santa suit after getting stuck inside the chimney on Christmas, gets the PG pass.

Wizards (1977)

Yay, a cartoon set off in a magical land! Sounds like Shrek again. Hold up, this baby's directed by Ralph Bashki, the guy who made edgy, X-rated cartoons like Fritz the Cat and Heavy Traffic (and the controversial Saturday morning update of Mighty Mouse). Wizards is a certifiable, goddamn mess, full of lame rotoscoped animation and tasteless invocation of Nazi imagery, but even for a PG-rated movie in 1977 it feels a little grotesque. There's a seemingly endless battle scene chock full of crudely-animated orcs and elves disemboweling each other, lots of cartoon characters saying naughty words, and a buxom nymph whose nipples seem incapable of being properly contained by her sheer clothing.

Watership Down (1978)

I touched on this in my own traumatizing kids movies article, but not enough can be said abut the movie in which cute fluffy bunnies rip the bloody hell out of each other.

It's pretty much a cartoon bunny horror film, as a small, ragtag group of rabbits are slowly done in by a variety of nasty enemies—owls, hunger, disease, bloodthirsty hounds, and even each other. There's another animated version that exists that would've saved me from the week's worth of nightmares and tears, but unfortunately it arrived nine years too late.

You can check out the rest of Brian's piece here.

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Morning News - Palm Pre Launch Date Announced

Brett Singer — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

This is important to a lot of people, although it isn't IMPORTANT in the way that, say, something important is important. Know what I mean? Anyway, the long awaited, much hyped, and often blogged about Palm Pre will be available for our greedy little fingers on... timpani, please... June 6. Of this year. What's a Palm Pre, you ask? A new cell phone that may or may not be better than the iPhone:

If you want the phone you'll have to sign up for Sprint, which could be a deal breaker for me. I had Sprint for home phone service in college, and they used to do the following: send a bill every two months, then charge late fees because I was a month late. This happened for a year until I finally switched to something else. (This was back before everyone had a cell phone, and land lines were more important. Thus endeth the history lesson.) I realize this was not, as they say, last Tuesday, but from what I've heard, Sprint's service is still only so-so. So... we'll see.

Now, on to really really REALLY important news -- "Ghostbusters 3" may start filming this Winter, according to Dan Aykroyd. According to the L.A. Times and Entertainment Weekly,"the franchise film is expected to feature a 'new generation' of ghostbusters." So its like the new "Star Trek." Well, more like the new "Get Smart." Which isn't nearly as cool, but I guess it's OK. My kids loved the first movie, as do I of course, but I doubt this new one will be any good. Money, though, it will make. You heard it here first. In a semi-related story, wrestler John Cena quoted the original film recently, saying "It's chaos, the sky will fall. Cats and dogs living together." Not an exact quote, but pretty close. That will likely be the only time you will ever see me talk about "pro" wrestling in Morning News. I promise.

Anyone else think that the state of California is just plain weird? Not to be a judgmental New Yorker, but it seems like there's always something wacky going on way out West. For example: "California voting on budget crisis measures," sayeth CNN. Again, not saying everything on the East Coast is peaches and cream. But we rarely have mudslides, and we don't have ballot propositions. Also, our governor has never played Mr. Freeze in a movie. "It's going to be a cold time on the old town tonight." Really, Arnold? Really?

Michael Steele, the head of the Republican National Committee, wants fellow GOPers to "attack" President Obama more often. Classy. Steele, who publicly apologized to Rush Limbaugh back in March, also said that "Obama's first several months [were] 'a reign of error'" and "that the Republican 'renaissance has begun.'" Not to be partisan, but how do you figure? Even a Republican friend of mine -- OK, it's my dentist -- said that we've got to give Obama more than a few months before we decide what kind of job he's doing. Seems reasonable to me. Of course, one person's "reasonable" is another person's "wimpy."

Speaking of President Obama, some people are not letting his spech at Notre Dame go without a fight, or at least a lot of fire and brimstone. Father Jonathan Morris is very upset at the President, and at Notre Dame for giving him an honorary degree. Because really, when you think about it, the biggest problem in the world today is the fact that our Democratically elected President believes that abortion, which is already legal, should stay legal. What a radical.

Remember Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse? Doesn't ring any bells? He was the kid -- they think he's a teenager, so I can call him a kid -- from Somalia who was caught and charged with piracy. PIRACY. Not downloading "Wolverine" piracy. Not fun Johnny Depp "argh, Mateys" piracy. ACTUAL piracy. On the high seas. Crazy. He's in New York now (I guess we do have some weird stuff here) and has been indicted on charges 10 counts, "including piracy and conspiracy to seize a ship by force and to take hostages," according to the New York Times. What must be going through his mind? Doesn't speak the language, probably only sort of knows what the heck is happening. Very odd.

Last but not least, a nice little NYC story. A newspaper seller was handed an envelope with $1000 cash in it. There was also a note that said, "From Chris and George." The paperman, Jerome Kabore (pictured above), has no idea who Chris and George are. He started wearing a sign that says "Thank you so much Chris and George," just in case whoever it is comes back. Read the whole story here, it's nice.

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Morning News - Astronauts Watch Star Trek In Space

Brett Singer — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:01:00 GMT

You are either tired of hearing me talking about "Star Trek", or you can't get enough of it. It's like Kirk vs. Spock in "The Apple", a classic episode of the original series. Actually, it's not really like that very much at all, but saying that it was allowed me to get in another "Trek" mention. Sorry.

Anyway, even if you don't care about "Star Trek", you may still think that this is cool -- Real Live Astronauts are Watching ‘Star Trek’ in Outer Space - Right Now. Actually, it happened on Friday, but perhaps due to a singularity created by red matter, it's possible that the astroanuts are, in fact, watching the movie as you read this. Unlikely. But possible.

Moving on to a topic I don't really understand, how about some international economic news? The Motley Fool tells us Why China's Stimulus Plan Will Change the World. Um, OK. Remember when you thought putting 20 bucks a week into your savings account was a solid method of planning for the future?

Barack Obama spoke at Notre Dame, which was a big deal because he is pro-choice. MSNBC says that he called "for 'fair-minded' abortion debate." So they booed him. Not everybody, of course.

David Geffen may want to buy the New York Times. I hope someone does. The idea of the Times going under is something I have trouble with. It's not just the paper, it's the reporters behind it. Sure, they may have made mistakes. But it's a great institution that should live on. So if selling it to a massively successful music and movie mogul is the way to do that, I say "whoo-hoo."

Swine flu, or H1N1, is still here. CNN reports that a "New York middle school assistant principal who was hospitalized with the H1N1 virus died Sunday. BUT he might not have died of swine flu. They won't tell us. Fun. Keep sanitizing the children, and yourself.

David Wells, who has both pitched a perfect game and attacked someone at a diner while drunk (allegedly), says that any home runs that Alex Rodriguez -- aka "The Rod" -- hit while he was taking steroids shouldn't count. Wells was a great pitcher when he was sober (allegedly) but he's got a big mouth. I never liked The Rod, but Wells just rubs me the wrong way.

OK, getting back to movie news, "Angels & Demons" took the number one spot at the box office this week with $48 million, despite generally bad reviews and a complete lack of facial expressions from Tom Hanks. "Star Trek" was close behind ( like a Klingon Bird of Prey) with $43 million, and "Wolverine" dropped to third with only $14.8 million. I saw "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" this weekend, mostly beacuse it was playing nearby at a convenient time. It wasn't as good as it should have been. It's sort of a real-life "This Is Spinal Tap", except that when you watch actual 50-year-olds who never made it in the music business still trying to make it, it can get a little depressing. Also, the film itself was too long (even though it was only 90 minutes) and didn't dig deep enough to hold my interest. Oh well. At least I got to see a movie in a theater with my wife, which happens far too infrequently. And the sushi we had before the film was really good. So there's that.

More tomorrow...

Image: Wikipedia

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You Can't Scare Your Kids Out of an Eating Disorder

JeanneSager — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:00:00 GMT

They seem like the perfect mix of over-the-top drama and real-life cautionary tales to scare your kids straight. But all those books out there warning about the dangerous world of eating disorders?

Could be helping your kids advance their disordered eating.

A look at some books written for teens that fall in the "children's lit" category over on the New York Times' Well Blog hit home for me especially because I WAS one of those teen girls who, pardon the pun, but ate up the stories of teenage bulimics. I wanted to read about someone I could identify with.

But even as I read the horrors of girls whose bodies had begun to grow excess hair to make up for the lack of fat to keep them warm, of girls who landed in hospitals weighing what they did as elementary schoolers, I wasn't consciously thinking "ooh, can't wait until I land in a clinic for the eating disordered, wonder if my parents' insurance will cover the costs." What I was thinking was "interesting, she eats a brightly colored food first so when she throws up, she'll know by the color in the toilet that she's gotten to the bottom of her stomach contents."

It's why today I'm loathe to tell my daughter horror stories to scare her straight on anything. Because before you reach the awful ending, there are always the details that fascinate, that often overwhelm kids with their one-track minds, that are entirely more enticing than the sobering after-thought of a consequence.

Although I'm wary of blaming a book for a child's struggle with an eating disorder (ninety nine times out of one hundred, the seeds for that have already been sewn), just as I scoff at the idea that a video game is solely to blame for a child's violent tendencies, any book, movie, game, what have you, that shares intimate details of how someone navigates a dangerous path is a potential how-to manual in the hands of our kids.

It's why I read this warning about eating disorder books as just another reason parents can't pass the buck off onto a book, a movie, a CD. If you're going to keep your kid from disordered eating, get wise to what it means to have an eating disorder, find out the warning signs and then TALK to your kids. Let them read books, sure, but read them yourselves so you know what's in them. Then talk about them.

Because if all you're doing is trying to scare your kids into being good, it isn't going to work.

Image: UniversityofWisconsin

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Morning News - Sean Penn and Natalie Portman?

Brett Singer — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

There are certain movie stars that, for me, are frozen in time. Natalie Portman is one of them. I may one day get over it, but I have trouble thinking of her as a grown woman. So when I read that she and Sean Penn are "together", and that their relationship may be the reason that Sean split with his wife Robyn Wright Penn, my initial reaction was "ew." Then I thought, hey, maybe I'm being unfair. She's a grown woman. Then I saw that she was 27 and he's 48. I know. It happens. Then I read this quote from a "source" about the couple -- "She stimulates him in ways no other person has, mentally or professionally." Aaaaand I was back to "ew." Lesson learned -- go with your instincts.

A teenager who led a cyber-attack against Scientology websites last year is pleading guilty. Tom Cruise says that there vitamins he can take to stop misbehaving like that. (Tom Cruise didn't say that. At least not as far as I know.)

A new study, published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science, says that animals like to play and have fun. The author, Jonathan Balcombe, "believes scientists, conservationists and other animal rights activists should not overlook animal joy." I think I understand what he means, but all you have to do is see how happy a dog is when you come home to know that animals can get happy. I do wonder what makes a guy want to do a study so he can find out that "animals experience happiness for happiness' sake related to play, food, touch and sex." By that I mean that he watches animals have sex. I mean, OK. Whatever, dude.

The New York State Assembly passed legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage. Yay! But it won't happen unless the Senate votes for it as well, and it doesn't look good. Boo!

Speaking of gay marriage, Donald Trump allowed Carrie Prejean to continue to serve as Miss California. I actually watched her news conference live, and what's fascinating is how she lies, repeatedly, and no one calls her on it. I'm not only talking about the "everyone is out to get me" nonsense; if she had lost her California crown, it would have been because she broke the rules by posing for semi-nude photos and being a paid spokesperson for an anti-gay marriage group. Her entire routine is load of hooey. She talked about the media not letting her tell her story -- but she's been on Fox News yapping about this since the paegent began. She said that she had been damaged by this whole affair -- except that, in reality, she got a freakin' job because of it. "This should not happen in America." Oh please. Physically, she's very attractive. But wow. What a dummy. She can't even speak clearly when she's reading a prepared statement. Somewhere, Vanessa Williams is shaking her head.

And finally, because I can't go five minutes without talking about Star Trek (have you seen the new movie? What are you waiting for, people?), new Spock Zachary Quinto revealed that he had his fingers glued together because he couldn't do the Vulcan hand jive that Leonard Nimoy made famous. I will never look at him the same way again.

Live long... and prosper...

Image: Wikipedia

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Morning News - Saudis Can Slap Their Wives

Brett Singer — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Let us begin with this sentence from CNN.com: "Husbands are allowed to slap their wives if they spend lavishly, a Saudi judge said recently during a seminar on domestic violence." The judge "also pointed out that women's indecent behavior and use of offensive words against their husbands were some of the reasons for domestic violence in the country," according to Arab News. Not that I agree, but I wasn't terribly surprised to read this, especially after the tale of the 8-year-old girl who had to try three times to get a divorce from a 47-year-old.

The Pope is in Israel. There's a joke there, but I don't know what it is. And if I did, I probably wouldn't make it anyway. Don't want to risk being struck by lightning or something.

Speaking of people who wear funny clothes (oops, sorry), the new Star Trek movie made over $75 million at the box office. Apparently this is the 11th "Trek" movie. Didn't realize that. I saw this latest installment (thanks to my wife who stayed with the children while I geeked it up at the movies) and thought it was great. Definitely things to complain about if you are so inclined, as in this hilarious video from The Onion News Network:

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

But it was a lot of fun. Not sure how it plays for someone who is unfamiliar with the ways of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest. Interestingly, the film made less than "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", despite the fact that Hugh Jackman's Wolvie movie was (a) leaked online a month early, and (b) received far worse reviews than "Star Trek", which almost every critic seemed to love. You probably shouldn't take your kids to see either one, however.

I'll just quote this headline: "Lance Armstrong says Sheryl Crow's biological clock doomed their romance." Then Lance went and got his next girlfriend pregnant. Nice.

Have you been following the story of the preacher who got caught romping with a woman? He's been called "Father Oprah"; his real name is Father Albert Cutié. Here's a 2006 article from BeliefNet that starts out with the now hilarious question "As a celibate Catholic priest, you've probably been asked this before. How can you give advice to married people and people who want to get married?" His answer? "You don't have to be mentally ill to be a good psychiatrist. I don't think you have to be someone who has a real problem in order to relate to people's problems." In other words, you don't need to be having sex to discuss sex with people. Except that he WAS having sex. OOPS! Maybe he's not a psychiatrist, but is mentally ill? The latest news is that Father Cutié (heh heh, his name is cutie) is "in love." He's also been removed from his church, and a rally in support of him turned "violent." A lot of religious folks think that preists should just be able to get married. I don't have a strong opinion about that, but I do think lying about being celibate is kind of a crappy thing to do. Isn't one of the Ten Commandments "don't lie"?

If you'll excuse me, I have to step outside. Hm. That's funny, the sun was out just a moment ago. Where did those clouds come form? AHHH!!!!!!

Images: Lightning - Guy-Sports.com, Star Trek - Amazon

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Cole Gamble — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:01:00 GMT

Dora the Sexy Explorer

As much as I understand a company wants to keep its product (I mean character) relevant to the audience, it’s not necessary to grow Dora with the kids. You see, new young kids come along to replace the old audience. I’ve yet to see Elmo grow up and wrestle with paying off college loans on his useless liberal arts degree. At five, my daughter is way past Dora, but my two-year-old boy is just getting into her. Though I’ll admit the sexed up Dora may really keep him hooked.

Premium M&Ms

Oo la, la. These are M&M you wouldn’t be ashamed to serve at your debutante ball. Sorry, I like M&Ms but I’ll never pay five bucks for them just for the gilded packaging.

Strawberry Shortcake

Okay, so maybe the old Strawberry Shortcake looks a little homeless, so perhaps it was high time to update the look. But look closer, notice anything startlingly different? The new SS is an anorexic twig. And the company behind SS promises to feature Shortcake spending a lot more time on the cell phone, to reflect modern girls. You know, just texting muffin recipes like girls these days do.

Have you seen old favorites (poorly) dressed up to keep their appeal?

More Good Stuff:

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Everyone Poops: The Movie?

JeanneSager — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:29:00 GMT

I know I'm not the only parent out there who salivated over the pictures and trailers for Where the Wild Things Are. But is Spike Jonze already at work on a new children's book to movie adaptation?

A potty training classic no less: Taro Gomi's Everyone Poops. Is America ready for elephants making big poops and mice making tiny poops on-screen?

Blessedly, no. Not even our "the grosser the better" culture will be doling out $10 a ticket for a two-hour look at Everyone Poops. But the picture book that has convinced a generation of toddlers that they need to get the poop out gets a hilarious send-up in a new spoof of the Where the Wild Things trailer.

Not since Trainspotting have I taken a look at a toilet in such detail.

Don't tell me that whining mom at the beginning doesn't ring some bells. Aren't you glad this is a fake?

Image: Amazon

Morning News - Spring Break Broken?

Brett Singer — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Good morning parents and anyone else who happens to be reading this! (We don't want anyone to feel left out.)

The New York Times says that genre films are back, because DVD sales are down and producers want to see some action at the box office. And some people are trying to say that since "Watchmen" isn't doing Spider-like business, that means superhero movies are past their sell date. Um, no. They're not. Memo to producers: I promise you that I will go see almost any superhero movie you release. OK? I'll even bring a couple of friends. So get cracking!

Six Flags Over Texas had record earnings this Spring Break week. Park president Steve Martindale said, "Our guests recognize that Six Flags Over Texas is the ideal place to spend quality time with family and get the biggest bang for their hard-earned dollars." Humble. On the other hand, "Beheadings in Mexico, Mom and Dad's busted bank account and the rise of the booze-free break" caused a drop in traditionally bacchanalian Spring Break festivities. Maybe they were all at Six Flag Texas, where, as far as we know, there has never been a beheading. Maybe some puking on the Tilt-A-Whirl. But that's all.

Some advice for what to do with your 529 college savings plan. See, my advice is to tell your children it's time to learn a trade.

Meghan McCain says that Obama might be on the verge of being "overexposed." As opposed to Meghan, who the world can't get enough of. To be fair, Meghan actually had some nice things to say about the President, and her overexposure comment referred to the fact that President Obama risks alienating his older constituents, since younger people -- like Meghan -- are the Twitter/YouTube/Facebook Generation, and they like exposure. Oh, and she doesn't want her country or President to fail. Because she loves her country. So now ya know. Meghan talks like a Valley Girl but don't hold that against her.

Qualcomm, maker of mobile phone chipsets and an email program that no one uses, is behind the technology for a new gaming console called the Zeebo. Zeebo's hardware is old school, with "technological capability…somewhere between that of the original PlayStation [and] the PlayStation 2." You know, about 10 years old. But it uses only a teeny amount of electricity, and the games will be downloaded via a cellular network rather than sold on disks and cartridges. Also, it's starting in Brazil, where the Sega Mega Drive (aka Genesis) is still popular. So maybe this will work. Personally, I prefer the older games, and my kids like them as well. So Zeebo could be on to something.

BestBuy is being sued over its Price Matching policy. See if you can follow this logic: "Best Buy promotes a 'price match guarantee'. Best Buy guarantees that it will match any local competitor's lower price and if a customer has already purchased the product, Best Buy will refund the price difference, plus an additional 10% of that difference. The suit alleges that Best Buy has a policy and/or practice of not honoring its 'price match guarantee' when customers request that Best Buy match a local competitor's lower price." So it may not, in fact, be the, um, best buy around. Or something. As a commenter on Engadget put it, "Wal-mart actually does not sell any walls." You know, there are good lawyers out there, but these are the ones that make people think otherwise.

OK, so "Race to Witch Mountain"? Really bad. I can't remember any much about the original films, but I don't think they had quite as many guns or creepy "24"-style government agencies. I would give it a D, but I'll bump that up to a C+ because it was 88 minutes, and we saw it on a rainy day and the theater was dry. Not recommended for parents, but as a distraction agent for children it served its purpose. It was a bit loud and violent; I don't mind movie violence, but in this case it seemed gratuitous and overdone. Also, The Rock. He's no Ah-nuld, but I have to admit that he doesn't really bother me as much as he used to. And Carla Gugino is always nice to look at. OK, maybe a D-, and a C for the fact that it wasn't too long and was shown indoors.

That's all for today -- go Gonzaga! (Yes, I know nothing about college basketball. Oh well.)

Image: Nerdlike.com

UPDATE - Josef Fritzl Sentenced To Life In Psychiatric Institution

Letting Kids See Watchmen

Morning News - Money Money Money

Four Creepiest Animals Turned Adorable Kids Characters

JeanneSager — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:05:00 GMT

Just the thought of the scene when the rats converge in the kitchen in Disney's Ratatouille gives me the willies. They're (shudder) rats. Uggggh.

Becoming a parent, I quickly learned, was setting myself up for dozens of movies/tv shows featuring the world's creepiest animals thrown onto a screen in the attempts to make kids think they're just as cute and cuddly as your average puppy.

Who are they trying to kid? Rats, spiders and cuddly tigers? Oh my.

Remy in Ratatouille: He can read! He can cook! Gotcha - but he's still a rat. And rats don't belong indoors, not to mention in a restaurant kitchen mixing up French delicacies. Since this comes from the folks at Disney, I can't help but ask, did they take a look in their archives? I hold the rat scene from Lady and the Tramp wholly responsible for my residual rodent revulsion.

Charlotte in Charlotte's Web: Another reader, with a talent for writing, Charlotte is the true hero of the movie and E. B. White's book that bear her name. She's still a spider! With big buggy eyes and larger-than-life chompers. And did anyone catch the tail end of the Dakota Fanning version, with the egg sack full of thousands of little spiders just waiting to scuttle off and settle in the corners? See Also: Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends.

Alvin, Simon and Theadore in Alvin and the Chipmunks: I will always remember the day a contractor left a door open at my parents house and a chipmunk snuck in. Total. . . and complete . . . pandemonium. Followed by plenty of cleaning up of little pellets of poop in my bedroom. Ewww. Another member of the rodent family, chipmunks carry disease and are best-known for storing their food in their cheeks so long they come close to bursting, followed closely by their "chirpy" chipmunk calls. Ever said, "say it, don't spray it," when your kid spoke with a full mouth? Try telling that to a chipmunk . . . or to the three singing sweethearts who hanker for hula hoops? That Dave lets these little guys live in his house and eat of his cereal bowls is giving me flashbacks. . . to poop cleaning.

Oswald: With the disarming voice of a Savage brother, how could anyone dislike the bright blue resident of Big City who tips his bowler to everyone he meets? Maybe the fact that octupi have been known to kill sharks, detach one of their eight legs to escape predators and shoot bright clouds of ink at anyone who gets in their way? Fish may be friends, not food, but the octupus is not the friendliest member of the ocean community.

Images: Disney, Flixster, Amazon, Parent Previews

Morning News - Money Money Money

Brett Singer — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Is anyone else finding themselves increasingly interested in how our financial system works? If there's a bright spot in this terrible economy, it could be that people manage to get slightly more educated about this stuff. Maybe.

For example: will the Treasury's plan to shed toxic assets work? I dunno. Investors seem to like it; the Dow was up after the plan was announced. If I were in high school, I would start a metal band called "Toxic Assets" and make a million damn dollars. Or at least get a gig playing the prom.

A woman in New Jersey was found in a mall in 1994. No I.D. "Jane Doe." They've found out, 15 years later, that she is Elba Leonor Diaz Soccarras. Bizarre.

Another little kid calls 911, saves mom's life. Quick, everyone go to your kids and say, "What did you do today? Well, a 4-year-old saved her mother's life." Because that's a sensible reaction. (Note: don't do this.)

Ruth Madoff, wife of Bernie, may be able to keep most of her Florida mansion out of the hands of creditors. Why? Because Florida law protects up to half an acre of property, and the Madoff manse sits on .54 of an acre. So bilked investors can only go after a .04 acre piece. Got that? It may not matter if prosecutors can make the case to seize all of Ruth's assets, which her lawyers say are protected because they are in her name and not Bernie's. Of course, where did she get the money from? Um, I'm sorry, what was the question? By the way, Mr. Madoff will be staying in jail until he is sentenced. Seems he's a flight risk. Shocking thought, I know.

More Florida fun: there has apparently been an outbreak of kids in chicken suits running through Publix supermarkets. It's a prank. A pretty lame prank, but a prank nonetheless. Incidents like this are an argument to legalize child labor. (I kid. Sort of.)

Woodstock (the music festival, not the bird) turns 40 this summer. Original event co-producer Michael Lang is trying to put on another show. "There would be a lot of legacy bands [performing] – The Who, Santana, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joe Cocker maybe. And it would be people like Steve Earle and Ben Harper. There's certainly room for the (Red Hot) Chili Peppers and Dave Matthews...that would be the shape of the music," Lang said, according to NME. Oh, and a low carbon footprint. Very important. Considering one of the most striking images of the Woodstock film for me is the person picking up all the trash during the closing credits, maybe that is kind of important.

Jeanne Sager pointed out to me that Lang isn't part of the Woodstock festivities that are already happening at the original Bethel Woods site. B.B. King and Buddy Guy are among the planned concerts this summer. Yes, but what is their carbon footprint? Huh? What about that?

Oh, movie news from the weekend I forgot to include yesterday: The "utterly preposterous thriller" Nicolas Cage movie "Knowing" was number one at the box office, beating "I Love You, Man" and "Duplicity." "Race to Witch Mountain" fell to 4th place, "Watchmen" dropped to 5th. You know what's still hanging in there at #10? "Coraline." Good movie, you should see it. Even if it's too scary for your kids, go yourself. No, really.

More tomorrow, including my review of "Race to Witch Mountain." Try to contain yourself until then.

Image: Yahoo! Finance

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AUDIO - OctoMom 911 Calls Released

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UPDATE - Josef Fritzl Sentenced To Life In Psychiatric Institution

The Dr. Phil And OctoMom Show

Letting Kids See Watchmen

4 Year Old Calls 911 - Saves Mom

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

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Mr. Popper's Taking His Penguins to the Movies!

JeanneSager — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:02:00 GMT

Third graders everywhere are about to get a chance to cheat on their book reports. Come on - you know that's what happens when they push a classic children's book onto the big screen.

In this case, they made a good choice - because before there was the March of the Penguins and the Madagascar penguins, there was Mr. Popper and his brood of waddling birds.

Mr. Popper's Penguins, a 1938 Newberry Honor Award winner, took a broke house painter on an adventure of Antarctic proportions when explorer Admiral Drake ships him a penguin via air mail. The family names him Captain Cook and sets up a home for him in the icebox (the name for a freezer back in 1938), but when he gets lonely another penguin gets shipped in - a female, who starts laying egg after massive penguin egg.

There's not much known about the film version yet - Twentieth Century Fox apparently paid seven figures for rights to produce it, and writer/director Sean Anders and co-writer John Morris (the men who wrote Sex Drive) have gotten the nod to write up the screenplay.

Get your kids ready for the film with this site, full of facts on explorers like Admiral Drake, Antarctica facts and even a house-painting practice game.

Image: ScreeningLog

Letting Kids See Watchmen

Brett Singer — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Lisa Belkin wonders if her 15-year old should see "Watchmen," this weekend's number one movie. His 18-year old brother saw it and pronounced it brilliant. I won't keep you in suspense (I know, you were on the edge of your seat), but Lisa eventually capitulated and let the younger son go. Spoiler: he liked it.

Having seen the film, I can say that it is definitely not for kids. The R rating should deter parents, but really it's the subject matter that they should be looking at. For the record, I enjoyed the film version of "Watchmen"; it's very faithful to the original comics (aka "graphic novel"), has some flaws, but overall is very much worth seeing. This column at The Onion AV Club by Tasha Robinson does a great job of breaking down the differences between the two, points out some missteps, and is good reading if you're interested.

For our purposes, the question is "how do I decide whether or not a movie is appropriate for my child?" Movie ratings help, but only up to a point. A commenter at the Times' website points out that "Dark Knight" was rated PG-13, which in my opinion is absurd. Great film, one of the best I've seen, and Heath Ledger's performance was incredible and deserving of an Oscar. Part of what makes his Joker so amazing is that he is really, truly disturbing, more so than the bone-popping-out-of-an-arm style of violence on display in "Watchmen." To me, and I believe to my kids, psychological violence is more troubling than physical violence. Not that I want them to see the extreme grossness that "Watchmen" has. But a movie's rating doesn't always tell the whole story.

What I do with superhero movies is see them first. I know. I make the ultimate sacrifice, go on opening weekend with a bunch of guys wearing Captain America t-shirts, and decide whether or not the flick is kid-friendly enough. "Iron Man" was, although the opening sequence is questionable. "Hulk" was borderline, but my then 7-year-old didn't want to see that one anyway. (Although he does love my blog post written from Hulk's point of view.) I thought "Spider-Man 3" would be too scary for him (Venom), but he was unfazed; actually, I think he was a little bored (the bizarre musical number).

What makes this part of my parenting job easier is that I actually want to see superhero movies. Belkin, not so much: when asked by a commenter why she didn't just see "Watchmen" first if she was so concerned, she replied: "You are right, I should have seen it if I felt so strongly about helping to give context to the message, but, frankly, I couldnt [sic] stand the thought of sitting through it." At two and a half hours, I can't really blame her. But if she had seen it, she would have found out that along with the cartoonishly graphic violence (not a lot, but what's there includes someone having their hands cut off with a power saw) is a very violent rape scene, a moment is that is much more graphic than the one in the original comic. Do I think most fifteen year olds have seen something like that in a movie already? Probably. Does that mean I want them to see that without me telling them what's wrong with that behavior? Probably not. For me, seeing a film is the best way to determine whether or not you want your child to see it, no matter what age they are. Fifteen may be too old to be concerned about what sort of entertainment your kids consume. But even if you don't censor it, it's probably a good idea to know what they watch.

Source: NY Times

Image: AVClub.com

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Phoebe in Wonderland: The Best New Film You've Never Heard Of

editors — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

As a parent, I know there are two things most films invariably get wrong: little kids and their mothers. Movie moms either bake cookies or smoke cigarettes, and their Good Mother/Bad Mother status is assigned accordingly. Meanwhile, their movie children spout world-weary witticisms, wreak havoc (if they're boys) and grin cherubically (if they're girls), and only have to pee if it's a comedy.

When a movie gets parents and children right, it's a reason to add it to the Netflix que. And it's one of the many reasons why this week's most exciting new film release isn't Watchmen, but an amazing little indie movie called Phoebe in Wonderland.

Starring Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson, Bill Pullman and Elle "not-annoying-like-Dakota" Fanning, Phoebe tells the story of a little girl (Fanning) who doesn't fit in, and isn't sure why. (She has a mental illness that I won't disclose here, although the IMDB page has a spoiler.) Other kids don't follow her logic; they don't get depressed like she does; and they don't seem to have trouble making sense of the strange rules of the adult world. Meanwhile, her mother (Huffman), a writer who put aside her career to have children, is torn between her need to feel like an independent person and her guilt that Phoebe isn't "normal." The bond between them is their shared love of Alice in Wonderland -- but even that bond is disrupted when a new drama teacher (Clarkson) encourages Phoebe to stop trying to fit in and instead explore the things that make her unique.

Although there are lots of movies about kids who are "different," few really capture the struggle of being one -- and even fewer capture the difficulty of parenting one. Huffman's character is especially noteworthy, being neither a saint nor a devil; she's a woman stressed to the breaking point, confused about how to be a person and a mother at the same time, and so in love with her children that she finds Phoebe's pain unbearable. Everything in this film is messy, from the parents' house to Phoebe's tumultuous inner world, brought to life onscreen with saturated colors and heavy doses of Alice imagery. For anyone who's had the sometimes-painful task of helping a child navigate the world, Phoebe in Wonderland is both reassuring and cathartic. And if your experiences of childhood and child-rearing have been nothing but bliss? It's still a damn good movie. Distribution is sadly limited; go here for theaters, and if it's not playing in your city, keep a lookout for the DVD. -- Gwynne Watkins

Phoebe in Wonderland trailer:

Wolverine Blow Up Toy

Brett Singer — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:00:00 GMT

There's no way to say this. You have to see the photo. Here. Look.

I mean, come on! How does somebody not notice the placement of the, um, blowhole at the factory? It's hilarious, but it couldn't be a mistake, could it?

A few years ago I saw a segment on Michael Moore's old TV show that talked about secret acts of corporate sabotage. Sure, we've all stolen a box or two of paper clips. But who among us has secretly painted Adolf Hitler into a mural at Disney World? That's what I imagine this little mix-up is.

And no jokes about how the toy designer must be a big Hugh Jackman fan. Please. (Here's the trailer for the upcoming 'Wolverine' movie in case you don't know what I'm talking about.)

If you buy this for your kid, do you say something? You really can't, right? This toy seems destined to be a bachelorette party gag gift.

Source: Manticore's Moustache via Buzzfeed

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They Say: Kids REALLY Want Video Games They Can't Have

JeanneSager — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:01:00 GMT

And now for our non-news break of the day.

Dutch researchers have found that telling kids something isn't appropriate makes them want it more. Quick, alert Tipper Gore!

The study in this month's issue of Pediatrics shows the kids - aged seven to seventeen - clamored for "forbidden fruit," especially in relation to violent and mature-rated video games. Yes, as young as seven, these kids were lustfully sinful.

Weren't you? Heck, aren't you? The surest way to convince my three-year-old to start eating her veggies is to tell her she can't have anymore because they're just for Mommy and Daddy. Tell her she can't have candy, and she's in full puppy-dog-eyed- lower-lip-extended-mode.It's the same thing that makes Cadbury creme eggs taste sooooo good when you're on a diet.

So why would video games be any different? Or music? Or movies?

The trick is in convincing kids what they can have is the good stuff. In the immortal words of Mick Jagger, "You can't always gets what want, but if you try sometimes, you just mind find (you just might find) you get what you neeeeeed." Don't worry, the Stones pass the ratings test!

Image: Electronic House

Heath Ledger's Daughter Gets His Oscar

Brett Singer — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:50:00 GMT

Heath Ledger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing The Joker in 'The Dark Knight.' It's well-deserved, and personally I think he would have won even without the sentimental vote.

Heath's family – his father Kim, mother Sally and sister Kate -- accepted on his behalf and all three gave an amazingly calm and classy speech, pointing out that his daughter Matilda is the one who will get the golden statuette: "We really wish you were here, but we proudly accept this award on behalf of your beautiful Matilda." Michelle Williams will keep it for her until Matilda turns 18. If Heath and Michelle had been married, it would have gone to her. Executive Director of the Academy Bruce Davis said, "I don't think we have ever had a situation like this."

It's all very sad, but Heath's mother said, "Tonight, we are choosing to celebrate and be happy for what he has achieved," so I'm going to go with that. Congratulations, dude.

image: Reuters

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger Wins 2009 Oscar Gold!

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When, If Ever, Will You Expect Your Kids to Split the Bill?

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:30:00 GMT

Now that we’re beyond the days when children had financial value as farm helpers, it’s generally accepted that parents have a responsibility to fully support their children until they are at least 18 (octo-mom notwithstanding). But what happens after children move out and join the workforce varies widely from family to family.

Barring the instance in which the son or daughter ends up being far more financially secure than his or her parents, there inevitably comes a point in every parent’s life when going out to dinner or a movie with your children raises the question, “Who will pay?” Parents’ responses to this question run the gamut from an absolute refusal to ever accept money from their kids to an absolute refusal to ever pay for their grown children.

My own parents are both on the generous end of the spectrum, picking up the tab for all of our leisure activities without a second thought. I’ve always appreciated this unquestioning generosity, not only because it means I get a free meal or movie (though that’s a pretty nice part of the deal), but because it creates a relaxed environment of good will whenever I spend time with my parents. I know that there will be no discussions about money, as there are when I go out with friends or other relatives. I simply trust my parents to choose activities within their means. Because I appreciate this arrangement so much, I plan (or hope!) to do the same for my kids, even after they are financially independent.

On the other hand, I have several friends who would never dream of letting their parents pick up the tab. Ever since they joined the working world, their parents have expected them to chip in, and they have been glad to do so, enjoying both the sense of independence from and generosity toward their parents that this arrangement affords them.

Interestingly, all of the people I know who split the bill with their parents are men. This may be simply a coincidence or it could indicate that there’s a gendered aspect to being comfortable with accepting money from one’s parents.

What financial arrangements do you have with your parents? Do you plan to ask your kids to split the bill once they are grown up?

Photo: Monica Buck/Shine

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Kid DVD of the Day: Tugger Tugs at Their Hearts

JeanneSager — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:23:00 GMT

Who knew there was room left on the family DVD shelf for yet another movie about a talking vehicle? Who knew Carrot Top could not be annoying and kid-appropriate all at the same time?

Believe it. Tugger: The Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly has its hunka-junk moments, just like the animated World War II era car that lends its name to the film. But overall, the worst thing about the Jim Belushi and Carrot Top vehicle (come on, I had to throw that one in there) is that no one's heard of it.

Voiced by Belushi, the decomissioned 4x4 has dreams of flying - fueled by a creative Army soldier's quick thinking on the front lines that left Tugger with an airplane propeller inside the hood to help cool down his engine. Tugger lands at an airport, where he's supposed to pull in the planes, but inevitably ends up driving the owner a little nuts. Unlike that other talking vehicle movie that one or two kids might have heard of (yes, I'm talking about Cars), this is a movie peopled by humans, talking vehicles AND talking radios (hence Carrot Top's entrance), even a set of talking gas station pumps.

Belushi breaks into song one time too many, but the tale itself is solid, if a little cliched. Believe in your dreams kids, and the impossible might not exactly come to be (did you really think the Jeep 4x4 would suddenly sport a set of wings?) but pretty darn close.

The bottom line is for kids who love moving vehicles, this is fine family fare with a happy ending and a positive message. It hits shelves today, so check it out.

Image: Amazon

Babble Podcast for January 26, 2009 (now with a working player)

Brett Singer — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:41:00 GMT

Here is the ninth Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.    Quick news update:
- Obama goes after Limbaugh, kind of.
- Rod Blagojevich (who I've decided to start calling B-Rod) is just a bundle of fun
- The Dark Knight did not get nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Some guy in his mother's basement is weeping.
2.    The Week in Blog
- Linda Ellerbee, mini cameras (not Mini-Me), and Jason Wu.
3.    Comment of the Week
- Sarcasm? Or something else?

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:

- Los del Río, Macarena

Posts mentioned:

Is The Peanut Allergy Scare Overblown?

Past Podcasts