Strollerderby : radio

Babble Talk Radio Live - Friday May 29 - Listen Here

Brett Singer — Sat, 30 May 2009 16:15:00 GMT

Listen to this week's show right here!

Original post follows.

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This week Famecrawler's Karl Erikson joins me for hilarity and hijinks on Babble Talk Radio.

Remember, we're live at 12:30PM EST on BlogTalkRadio. Just visit the show page to listen in. (NOTE: if you have any trouble with that link, try this one.) If you want to be on the air with us, call (347) 996-5362 while we're live, and then you'll be on live with us! You can also "call in" using your computer, and interact with us via the show chat room. (If you can't be there live, I'll post the archived show on this page later in the day.)

Topics include: writing about celebrities and their kids, and this wacko Baby Fashion Convention that Hannah told us about. And if you call in or join the chat room, you can suggest a topic for us. So tune in!

Babble Talk Radio with Madeline Holler

Hey Look! Mom Is On The Net!

SNL Mother's Day Skits

Classic Mother Songs For Mother's Day

Babble Talk Radio - Friday May 22 - Listen Here

Brett Singer — Fri, 22 May 2009 23:30:00 GMT

UPDATE: Listen to Babble Talk Radio right here! See below for the player. Original post follows.

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Once again, we're going live and you're invited!

Friday, May 22 at 12:30pm Eastern / 9:30am Pacific, I'm back hosting Babble Talk Radio. Today I'm joined by Shannon LC Cate.

Shannon and I will discuss adoption, and maybe some other things as well. It's LIVE -- you never know what will come up.

To listen, just go to the show page on BlogTalkRadio.com and click play. If you can't listen live, the show will be available for on-demand streaming later in the day.

Hope to see you there! Well, we hope you listen. We can't see you. Don't worry.

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE:

Hey Look! Mom Is On The Net!

SNL Mother's Day Skits

Classic Mother Songs For Mother's Day

REMINDER - Babble Talk Radio Live at 1:30PM EST

Brett Singer — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT

We're going live and you're invited!

On Friday, May 15 at 1:30pm Eastern / 10:30am Pacific, I'll be hosting Babble Talk Radio, with Madeline Holler.

We'll be discussing Madeline's post about why so many children are so freakin' rude these days. Not your kids, of course. Or ours. But other people's kids? Oh yeah.

To listen, just go to the show page on BlogTalkRadio.com and click play. If you can't listen live, the show will be available for streaming later in the day. (You should be able to listen live and to the archived show on the page.)

So check us out and let us know what you think.

SNL Mother's Day Skits

Classic Mother Songs For Mother's Day

Mama's Got History

JeanneSager — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:01:00 GMT

If you haven't noticed Mother's Day is coming, get thee to a calendar.

In honor of all things mom, we're going old school at Babble. REALLY old school.

Backstory: The American History Guys, a radio show produced at the University of Virginia, managed to squash three centuries of motherhood into an hour-long show.

It's worth a listen simply for Ann Hulbert explaining why mothers in the 1920s were instructed "not to smother their children with love." No whirring helicopters in those roaring twenties, apparently.

Then there's the tragic story of Anna Jarvis, mama of Mother's Day, a West Virginian feminist in the nineteenth century and her daughter, Anna Marie Jarvis. The latter Jarvis wasn't a mother, but she loved her mother - and she loved her mother's ideals. She worked tirelessly to make her mother's dream of Mother's Day a national holiday about social justice. By 1914, she'd gained the national holiday for mother's. But why was she unhappy with it, railing against it for the latter half of her life? You'll have to listen to the American History Guys' Mama Tried: A History of American Motherhood."

What about you moms, do you like Mother's Day?

Image: Backstory

Woman In Labor Calls Radio Station To Find Husband

Cole Gamble — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT

In this age of communication advancement, (cell phones, texting, twittering, IM, Facebook pokes, etc) it’s so easy for people to reach you; you almost wish it wasn’t so easy. But communication is important, like say, when your wife goes into labor. That’s something you want to know, so thank heavens you have this massive communications super structure to keep you in touch.

Of course that all falls apart if you leave your phone at home.

In Portland, Oregon, A woman in labor couldn't get in touch with her husband because he left his cell phone at home. Stuck in a desperate situation, the woman got innovative and sought to reach her husband by what would be in today’s technologically advanced environment, the equivalent of sending smoke signals: she called local radio station 97.1 Charlie FM.

She told morning hosts Dr. Doug and Skippy that her husband listens to the show every day and didn't know of any other way to reach him.

"I am in labor with our first baby, and my husband has left his cell phone at home. I have no way to get a hold of him other than you guys. He faithfully listens to you every single morning. So hopefully he is listening right now. Dan, you need to get to the hospital. We are having our baby," the woman said.

So perhaps our sophisticated communication system can sometimes fail, but on the plus side, people apparently still listen to the radio.

And for the record, Dr. Doug is not a real doctor.

More by this author:

5 Second-Grade Boys Found with Heroin

Did Salma Hayek’s Breastfeeding an African Child Mean the End of Man’s Inhumanity to Man?

Elizabeth Hasselbeck Thinks Everything (Including Aerial Wolf Killing) is About Abortions (PLUS VIDEO)

Should Cookie Magazine Get Killed?

10 (Dumb) Ways to Get Pregnant

6 Reasons My Toddler is a Total Buttwipe

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:

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Parents Who Waited Decade to Report Son Missing Now Murder Suspects

A Camera for the Mini Photog

Star Baby: Who is This Caped Crusader?

What Should Malia & Sasha Wear to the Inauguration?

Sasha Gives Barack Obama a 'Thumbs Up'

Video: Obamas' Inaugural Ball First Dance & Michelle Wears Jason Wu

Explicitly Nude: Madonna's Photo Up For Grabs

Other posts worth reading:

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

VIDEO: O'Reilly Upset About Two Year Old Bashing Bush

Is The Peanut Allergy Scare Overblown?

Past Podcasts

"I Ate Little Black Girls for Two Years"

Cole Gamble — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Listeners tuned into a British radio talk show got a pretty damn shocking surprise when a caller informed the host she had eaten “little black girls” for two years. Apparently, she didn’t know she was doing it at the time, but she did declare them "delicious."

Keep reading to hear the actual phone conversation.

(WARNING: Content is not only horrifying but maybe racist.)

Click Here to listen:

Gotta love how flip the host reacted. “Well, you win the weirdest thing eaten contest.” Does that mean he’s gonna send her a pair of tickets to Supertramp? Maybe he didn’t buy her story. Or maybe that kind of thing happens all the time in England.

More by this Author:

Anti-Abortion Group Up In Arms Over Krispy Kreme Abortion Donuts

Bizarro News: Flaming Squirrel Sets Elementary School on Fire

4 Ways to Be a Better Parent

Barbie’s Creator A Sexual Pervert

Should You Take A Risk on Orgasmic Birth? (Orgasmic Birth Video included)

4 Ways Birth and Breastfeeding Will Ruin Sex

Pete Wentz: "I've Tasted Ashley's Breast Milk."

Banana Dildos and the 10 Worst Toys and Gifts This Christmas (part 1)

Babble Podcast for January 12, 2009

Brett Singer — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:24:00 GMT

Here is the eighth Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1. Quick news update:
- Barack Obama is a celebrity? How about Bristol Palin?
- Al Franken won – maybe.
- The Jets didn’t make the playoffs, which is worse than the Giants losing to the Eagles. Not much worse. But worse.
2. The Week in Blog
- A six-year-old driving to school alone, extra nipples, and Jett Travolta.
3. Comment of the Week
- Nobody ever claps for parents. Today, we fix that.
4. The Last Word
- The Wii Fit lets me work out in my living room, away from the freaks at the gym.

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:
- The Knack, My Sharona

Songs mangled:
- Led Zeppelin, Immigrant Song

Posts mentioned:

Parents Wait a Decade to Report Missing Child

Six-Year-Old Drives Himself to School After Missing Bus

Mom-to-Be Has Two Vaginas, Two Uteruses

Tripp Palin's Name Explained

Extra Nipples, Anyone?

Yup, This is a Fairy Door

Sasha Obama Brought Something Ugly To School

Update: John Travolta Son's Death Details & Statements

John Travolta's Son Dies

Funeral For Jett Travolta In Ocala

Stuff You Never Thought You'd Say -- Winter Edition

Other posts worth reading:

UPDATE: Kid Kissing A Pig - The Musical

Should Homeschooling Parents Be Certified?

Mom Saves Kids From Sinking SUV

More News About Missing Child Adam Herrman

Past Podcasts:

Babble Podcast for December 15, 2008

Babble Podcast for December 8, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 24, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 17, 2008

On Jett Travolta, Howard Stern Gets It Right

Brett Singer — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:00:00 GMT

This morning on Sirius XM Radio, Howard Stern commented on the death of John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son Jett Travolta. In the past, Howard has ruthlessly mocked Scientology; long before it was de rigeur to poke fun at L. Ron Hubbard's celebrity religion, he would read internal Scientology newsletters on the air, exposing their wackiness to the world at large. So one might expect Stern to go after Travolta with both barrels.

Not this time. He said that while some were going to condemn Travolta and Preston for not giving their son medication for what most people felt was autism, he wasn't going to go there, at least not today. Then he made the best point anyone can make about Jett's passing: "There's nothing sadder than burying your own child."

That phrase, "There's nothing sadder", gets thrown around much too easily in my opinion. For example, I once received an email from a parent telling me that there was "nothing sadder than an empty PTA meeting." So I wanted to give Stern credit for showing compassion, as well as use the opportunity to say something about the phrase "there's nothing sadder". Maybe I’m over-reacting, but it makes me nuts when people use it too freely. While I suppose it's possible that there is something sadder than burying your own child, I can guarantee you that there are many things sadder than an empty PTA meeting.

Now, lest you think that The Howard Stern Show has become an encounter group, he did later joke that kawasaki disease, which Jett reportedly suffered from, is a disease that "turns you into a motorcycle." (It was kind of a funny, throw away line said during a conversation.) So whatever you think of Howard or his long-running radio show, let's give him credit for getting this one right.

[image]

Jett Travolta - The Story of His Death

New Details: Jett Travolta Died In His Father's Arms

Jett Travolta's Death Investigated by Police

Jett Travolta's Death: John & Kelly Break Their Silence

Grieving Chinese Parents Not Allowed To Sue

They Say -- Vaccines Work

Babble Podcast for December 15, 2008

Brett Singer — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:12:00 GMT

Here is the seventh Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.    Quick news update:
       - Shoes thrown at the President. It's not funny. Well, it was a little funny. And strange.
       - Big time fraud report: Bernard L. Madoff, Marc S. Dreier, and Rod Blagojevich.
         Rod isn't really a fraud case, I guess. But it fits.

2. The Week in Blog
- Kid hangs with an orangutan, a medic alert bracelet that's fashionable, Kerri Russel stripping.Well, not stripping exactly. Strips down. Whatever, just listen.

3. Comment of the Week
- Can we tie Rod Blagojevich to Obama? No? Can we try?

4. The Last Word
- Memo to McCain supporters: he lost. Obama won. Election's over. Deal with it.

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:

- Hey There Delilah, Plain White T's

Just the one this week, but it is an epic tale of true love between a New York Yankee third baseman and one of the most popular pop stars of all time. Both of whom have young kids and should probably stop being so irritating in the public eye. All the time.

Posts mentioned:

Toddler Befriends an Orphaned Baby Orangutan

Bronx, Zuma Don't Make Top 2008 Baby Names List

A Guy’s Take on Stay at Home Moms and Dads (Part 1: The Cons)

Babysitter Made Pornographic Film With 2 Year Old

Students Watch Autopsy of Teen From School

Sweet Angel Child's Bracelet

Stuffed Alphabet Set

Stylish Medical Alert Bracelet

Details: Keri Russell Strips Down

Confirmed: She's Pregnant!

Kate Winslet Keeps Nude Scenes Real

Morning news: What's the Matter with Illinois?

Half Price Toys at Target

Other posts worth reading:

Movie Review – "Delgo"

Announce Your New Addition With Panties: Male Perspective

New Zealand Girl Treated Successfully With Cord Blood

Rite Aid Says They Will Stop Selling Expired Baby Products

Past Podcasts:

Babble Podcast for December 8, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 24, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 17, 2008

Babble Podcast for December 8, 2008

Brett Singer — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:25:00 GMT

Here is the sixth Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.    Quick news update:
       - Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating People may not be all that fascinating
       - Plaxico Burress. Oy vey.
       - The Senate race in Minnesota is starting to sound like one of Al Franken's SNL sketches

2. The Week in Blog
- Pregnant 1 year old, Cream Booties and Britney Spears. Not all at once.

3. Comment of the Week
- Might want to re-think those rules for your son, dude.

4. The Last Word
- Political Correctness is back!

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:

- REM, Stand
- Billy Joel, Captain Jack
- Movin' On Up, Theme Song from The Jeffersons

Posts mentioned:

Pregnant 1-Year-Old

Calculate the Odds You'll Get Divorced

10 WORST. BABY. PRODUCTS. EVER! (Part 2)

Top 10 Black Friday/Cyber Monday Baby Products

Cyber Monday Deals: The Complete List of Online Discounts

Brookstone Item That's Truly Useful for Parents

Organic Cream Booties

Video: Britney's X Factor "Womanizer" Performance! Hot!

Chris Brown Dumps Pregnant Rihanna?!!?

Brad To Apologize To Jen For Cheating (Little Late Now Isn't It)?

50 Rules for My Unborn Son

Other posts worth reading:

Do You Take Your Baby Bar Hopping?

They Say: Get Some Sleep or Die

Explaining Plaxico Burress To A Seven Year Old

Suri Cruise: Most Powerful Child On The Planet

Grown Kids Try Forcing Dad To Divorce Second Wife In Court

Past Podcasts:

Babble Podcast for November 24, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 17, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 10, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 24, 2008

Brett Singer — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:59:00 GMT

Here is the fifth Babble Podcast. A little late this week, sorry about that. The kids wanted food and stuff -- very inconvenient when you have editing to do.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.    Quick news update: Ted Stevens loses, Twilight is the top movie, and Artie Lange's Too Fat To Fish is the number one book.
2.    The Week in Blog: Bill O'Reilly doesn't know what a panda is, Angie says sorry, and no more ham soda for Christmas.
3.    Comment of the Week: Never moo at a nursing mother.
4.    The Last Word: A suggestion for Denis Leary.

Posts mentioned:

Oops! Sex Positions Booklet Accidentally Handed Out to Kids

10 WORST. BABY. PRODUCTS. EVER! (Part 1)

Morning News: The Second Thing Michelle Said After Obama's Historic Win

Does This Look Like a Panda to You? Bill O’Reilly Thinks So.

Little Miss Giggles

Frog Prince Coat-Hook

Jones Soda Tones Down the Disgusting for 2008 Holiday Packs

She's Got Legs: Sarah Palin Sunbathing

Michelle Obama To Oprah: "Back Off!"

Angelina Apologizes To Jennifer For Stealing Brad

Let's Play The Super Obama World Video Game!

Things You Should Never Say To A Nursing Mother

Denis Leary Puts Autism Comments In Context

Other posts worth reading:

Maybe The 80s Are Retro

Babble's Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

Disney Pulls Hannah Montana Diabetes Episode

Is Barack Obama Anti-Video Games?

Past Podcasts:

Babble Podcast for November 17, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 10, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 3, 2008

Babble Podcast for October 27th, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 17, 2008

Brett Singer — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Here is the fourth Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.    Quick news update
2.    The Week in Blog
3.    Comment of the Week
4.    The Last Word

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:

- Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Ohio
(This is a weird one, I admit it. The show I'm talking about is Diff'rent Strokes.)

Posts mentioned:

Matt Lauer Talks To Sarah Palin In The Kitchen

10 Things You May Not Know About Pregnancy (and might shock you)

UPDATE AGAIN: Palin Prepper Defends The Gov

Arkansas Adoption Ban Passes, Fails to Eliminate Queers and their Spawn from the Earth

What Did Sasha Obama Wear on Election Night?

Big Deal: 70% Off Pottery Barn Kids Clothes!

Behold the Dream Coat

Who Is Barack Obama? 50 Things You Didn't Know

Rihanna Pregnant With Chris Brown's Baby?

Angelina Jolie Pregnant Again (Ya, And Pigs Fly)

Last-Minute Baby Namers

Other posts worth reading:

Alex Rodriguez Writing Love Poems To Madonna

Teacher Has Affair With Student, Parents Say Keep The Door Open

Disney Pulls Hannah Montana Diabetes Episode

Past Podcasts:

Babble Podcast for November 10, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 3, 2008

Babble Podcast for October 27th, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 10, 2008

Brett Singer — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:00:00 GMT

Here is the third Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.   Quick news update
2.   The Week in Blog
3.   Comment of the Week
4.   The Last Word

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:

- Mamma Mia, Abba
- Only The Good Die Young, Billy Joel
- Welcome to the Jungle, Guns N Roses
- Copacabana (At The Copa), Barry Manilow

Posts mentioned:

Do Men Really Have a Pregnancy Fetish?

Morning News: Yes, He Did!

Sarah Palin Gets Pranked By Canadian Radio Hosts – Video

Star Kid: What Did Malia Obama Wear On Election Night?

How to Get Something (Free) for Conception

AirborneMini Tuning: The Ultimate In Pimp-My-Bugaboo Stroller Style

Is Brad Pitt Cheating on Angelina?

Vanity Fair: Kate Winslet Bares It All

Ashlee Simpson Gives Birth?

The View Feud: Who Goes? Joy Behar Or Elisabeth Hasselbeck?

Other posts worth reading:

UPDATE AGAIN: Palin Prepper Defends The Gov

Mississippi Students, Postal Worker, Punished For Wearing Obama Shirts

Have you ever told your kids to shut up?

11 names for private boy parts

Unusual toddler gifts

Past Podcasts:

Babble Podcast for November 3, 2008

Babble Podcast for October 27th, 2008

Babble Podcast for November 3, 2008

Brett Singer — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Here is the second Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.   Election update
2.   The Week in Blog
3.   Comment of the Week
4.   The Last Word, my opinion on something

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:

- Bob the Builder theme song
- Insane in the Membrane, Cyprus Hill
- Rock Me, Amadeus, Falco
- GI Joe theme song

Posts mentioned:

Banana Dildo the Latest in Stupid Kid Crap

Flip Flopping on Palin's Kids

Sad Animals Are Also Super Cute: Emo Animals Photo Gallery

Palin Plays the Race Card, Badly

Morning News: Palin's Had Enough of the Clothes (and John McCain!)

Breaking News! Obama Was a Pirate!

An Election Kids Can Get Behind

Big Deal: Old Navy Halloween Costumes for $5.00

Move Over American Girl There’s a New Doll in Town

Jennifer Hudson Murders: Police Looking For William Balfour

Jennifer Hudson's Family Killed, Possible Kidnapping

Jennifer Hudson's Family Confirmed Murdered; Nephew Kidnapped

Elisabeth Hasselbeck's "Great Ameri(Mc)Cain Hero" Shirt Irks Viewers

Photos: Bono Cozying Up With Bikini-Clad Teenage Girls!

(image source: PBS)

Other posts worth reading:

Babble Podcast for October 27th, 2008

Sarah Palin Gets Pranked By Canadian Radio Hosts – Video

N-Word Flies at Palin Rally

Why Are The Grown Up Costumes For Women So Slutty?

Babble Talk: The Candidates Health Plans

Which Candidate Has The Best Name?

Jay Thomas Reunites With Out of Wedlock Son

Palin Speaks Out On Special Needs Trusts

They Say: More Children Have Allergies

Obama doesn't say I love you anymore

Another non news photo

They say: no one with a uterus should vote for McCain

Is a happy ending massage cheating?

They say: McCain not thrilled with Palin and she wants to run in 2012

Best political shirt ever - Everyone Poops

Babble Podcast for October 27th, 2008

Brett Singer — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:54:00 GMT

Here is the first Babble Podcast for your listening pleasure.

This is a new thing I'm trying out. If you're not familiar with podcasts, it's basically radio, but on a computer. It's also downloadable, which means you can also listen to it on your iPod or other portable audio player whenever you like. (Despite the name, you do not have to listen to podcasts on an iPod. Here is a link to an explanation of podcasting if you are interested.)

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

Since this is a new thing, I'd love to hear your feedback. Please leave your comments right here on this post and let me know what you think.

This week's episode:

1.Topics I'm working on for Strollerderby
2.The Week In Blog, the top posts for the previous week
3.Comment of the Week

Posts discussed in this podcast:

7 Awesome Halloween Costumes for Pregnant Chicks

Morning News: Pregnant With Palin

Palin's Ohio Rallies Reveal Frightening Misconceptions about Barack Obama are Alive and Thriving

GOP Shows Obama With Fried Chicken and Watermelon

The Office's Dwight Schrute Crash "Tests" An Orbit Stroller

See Kai Run – Boots for Fall & Winter

Joe the Plumber: Republican Plant and Relative of Charles Keating?

Sarah Palin Does Porn: Video

PlumberGate: Joe The Plumber IS Related to Charles Keating, and Also Owes Back Taxes!

(image source: PBS)

Other posts worth reading:

Babble Talk: The Candidates Health Plans

30 Rock Premiere Online A Week Early

Jay Tomas Reunites With Out of Wedlock Son

Palin Speaks Out On Special Needs Trusts

Flip Flopping on Palin's Kids

Have you ever told your kids to shut up?

11 names for private boy parts

Unusual toddler gifts

Kid Rock says kids should steal everything

Brett Singer — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:00:00 GMT

You know how those kids today are downloading their music from the Internets without paying for it? Kid Rock has some advice for them.

This isn't a new video; it came out over the summer but I only just heard about it. As some of the commenters on YouTube point out, he's being sarcastic – Kid may have a complicated love life (Hey! Maybe he'll marry Pam Anderson again!) but I don't think he actually wants your children to go out pillaging at the local mall. At least this PSA is cleverer than the music industry's other tactic to keep kids away from file-sharing networks – suing them for millions of dollars.

image: spike.com, source: Howard Stern Radio Show

Disturbing Origins of 5 Nursery Rhymes

Naked Harry Potter pics hit the web

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

7-Year-Old Steals Grandma's Car, Becomes Hero

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

You may remember Latarian Milton, the seven-year-old who stole the keys to his grandma’s SUV and took it for a joyride with his friend because “it’s fun to do bad things, like drive into a car?” (He did, in fact, drive into several cars on his joyride.)

Well, just in case Latarian’s grandmother didn’t teach Latarian right and wrong with her violent threats—“If I thought they wouldn’t take me to jail, I’d whip his behind,” she said—Latarian has now become a sort of star for his bad ass ways. This recent radio interview starts with the interviewers telling Latarian that they are big fans of his. When they ask if people stop him and ask for his autograph, he says, "I'm a celebrity."

So basically Latarian has learned that acting out in potentially lethal ways makes you cool, and that violence is a great way to express your anger, so long as you don’t get caught.

Photo: ecoustics.com

Savage stands by his stupid words

Brett Singer — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:30:00 GMT

Michael Savage meant what he said and he said what he meant. He's really a moron, one hundred percent. (Apologies to Dr. Seuss.)

To paraphrase Tom Petty, Michael Savage won't back down on his "autism is a racket" rant. Here's the latest clip, from Media Matters.

What's so fascinating about people like Savage is the way they defend themselves. He says that he is just being a "skeptic" about issues such as autism, or the "global warming fiction" of Al Gore. "I don't know when it became illegal to be a skeptic," he says.

Michael – can I call you Michael? – no one is saying that what you did was against the law. They are taking issue with what you said, and the criticism ranges from "factually inaccurate" to "deeply offensive." You must have known that you would get a strong reaction when you said it, just as you are getting a strong reaction now. You say, "to thine own self be true" and that you "can't please everyone…but you can please yourself." Standing by what you said is, in a way, admirable. Of course, there's also no shame in admitting that you made a mistake. 99% of autistics are faking it? Really?

In the same clip he bashes pediatricians for prescribing drugs to children with ADD, and other fun stuff. He's a real piece of work, Savage is.

It's worth pointing out that this isn't a free speech issue. No one is saying that Savage can't say whatever he wants to. But he may not be able to say things that are both incorrect and hurtful and continue to make millions of dollars doing it. Radio is a business, and advertisers are dropping out of his show; many radio stations are pulling him off the air. Whether he wants to believe it or not, there are some things that, if you say them in a public forum, can cause you to lose your job. (At least I would think that you would know that, since it already happened to you.) Whether or not you cast yourself as a "hero" of some kind is irrelevant. It's a job. When you tell me you'll do it for free, then maybe we can talk about "free speech."

Media Matters – a group that Savage refers to as "the homosexual mafia…fascist, homo" – is encouraging listeners to call their local stations and ask that Savage be removed. If you want to find out where he broadcasts in your area, click here.

image: Youtube

Michael Savage says kids with autism need to get over themselves

When playgrounds attack, the sequel

Woman goes to jail for adopting children to get money

20 Disturbing Baby Products

S&M Barbie

Top 10 Disturbing Action Figures Marketed to Boys

Creepy Lifelike Dolls Help Owners Grieve

Celebrity Baby Naming Hits New Low

Schools tying up autistic kids

Brett Singer — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:30:00 GMT

This is something that you would hope wouldn't happen anymore, like lobotomies. This isn't that bad, of course, but the fact that it happens as often as it does is pretty alarming.

According to an article in the New York Times, a large number of students with autism, ADHD and other diagnoses are being forcibly restrained when they misbehave. I say "misbehave" because, according to the Times, "defying a teacher’s instructions – 'noncompliance' – can invite a takedown or time alone in a locked room."

And before you say, "well, look, what's the big deal?" the article mentions three children who died because of these "disciplinary measures", including a 9-year-old autistic boy in Montreal who suffocated under a weighted blanket that was being used to restrain him. The harm done is psychological as well as physical: Tim Miller, a 12 year old boy with Asperger's from upstate New York, told his father that he didn't want to go to school anymore "because he thought the school was trying to kill him."

Isn't it illegal to tie kids up? Nope. "Federal law leaves it to states and school districts to decide when physical restraints and seclusion are appropriate, and standards vary widely. Oversight is virtually nonexistent in most states, despite the potential for harm and scant evidence of benefit."

OK, but these are just a few isolated incidents, aren't they? Wrong again. The article states that "one or two a week surface on some parent e-mail lists," which sounds like a lot to me. The Times also implies that for some kids, locking them up is the norm. An 8-year-old California boy was locked in a "seclusion room" 31 times – "at least" 31 times. His parents only found out when another parent "saw the boy trying in vain to escape."

Frankly, once a kid dies, you would think that would spark a major outcry, but that doesn't appear to be the case. This makes the incident where the teacher called a kid to the front of the classroom and invited the other children to berate him seem almost mild by comparison.

While there is a legitimate point about teachers not being properly trained to deal with special needs children, why is violence and dangerous restraint ever the answer? I went to a New York City public school, and I saw some pretty intense behavior, some of it violent. As far as I know, nobody was ever put in restraints or locked in a room. While I of course don't think its appropriate for one child's behavior to dominate a classroom, whatever the reason, there has to be a solution other than what's described here.

image/source: NYTimes

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Michael Savage says kids with autism need to get over themselves

Brett Singer — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Ah, talk radio. A world where measured political reflections are shared between like-minded folk who only want to make the world a better place.

Survey says: nope.

First, some background. Michael Savage is, according to various news reports, the third most listened to talk show host on radio (numbers one and two are Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity). Like many of the people who have followed in Howard Stern's wake, he has no clue how to be funny or interesting on the air, so he resorts to spewing bizarre and hateful things at anyone who will listen. For example, he once told a caller to "get AIDS and die," and to "go eat a sausage and choke on it." That got him fired from his television show.

Last week, in a bizarre tirade, he said that autism was "A fraud, a racket. ... In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out." What hasn't been reported quite as widely is his statement about asthma, where he says that "everyone had asthma from the minority community" because "The children got extra welfare if they were disabled." No, really. He said it. Here's a clip:

I often wonder if these people actually mean what they say or if they're just trying to get attention but saying something outrageous. Autism is a "racket"? If you want to talk about an increase in diagnosed cases, the expansion of the autism spectrum, maybe there's a valid point to be made – MAYBE (really, really, really BIG maybe). But this: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.' "

Sounds like somebody has some daddy issues to work out. Personally, I'd prefer he do it in private.

UPDATE: he's standing by what he said. What a guy.

image, Youtube, video source: MediaMatters

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Kids Listen To Music Full of Drug References

Kelly Mills — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:37:00 GMT

When I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to listen to the radio. (Yes, I essentially lived Footloose, people.) Even as a kid I remember thinking this was dumb--I mean, if I sang "Seduce me tonight" from the Flashdance soundtrack, it wasn't like I really meant it, I just liked the song. I thought of this when I paused, hearing my six-year-old warble, "Don't you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me" the other day. But perhaps I ought to be listening harder for the drugs, man.

A new study found that a third of popular American songs today have references to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, and two-thirds of those are positive references, associating substances with good times. Oh yeah, and rap was number one in this, and country was number two. In fact, the lead author says, "It's not going to be feasible or even desirable to censor these messages. Probably a more empowering approach is to teach kids to analyze and evaluate the messages for themselves." So there you go. Talk to your kids, don't go Footloose. You heard it hear first.

By the way, are you worried?

Preschool Rock Launches BlogTalk Radio

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 15 May 2007 17:32:00 GMT

Preschool Rock, the website for parents and teachers of preschoolers, is launching a new radio show for preschool rock moms. Preschool rock moms? While it sounds promising, if the first shows are any indication ( “The Family Bed”, “How to Get Your Preschooler into Showbiz”, “Autism and Immunizations”) this show will be less "rock" and more "mom," which is frankly kind of disappointing, given how much we know the mamas love to rock.

Podcasting has given every mama the mike and so much the better. Some other fabulous podcast options include Motherhood Uncensored, True Mom Confessions, and (if you're so inclined) CrankMama Radio.