Move Over, Baby Think-It-Over!

There is a new reality TV show coming to NBC I think all high schools should implement in their life skills classes: "The Baby Borrowers". I don't mean watch the show during class, but do what the participants in the show have to do to a certain extent.

The premise of the show is that a couple get to borrow babies for three weeks. These are not just any ordinary couples, though, they are teens. The show first ran in Great Britain with a different set of participants. On the show in the US, the teens will get to play house with their own "home" and career (just like adults). Then, over the course of three weeks, the young couples will get to take care of babies for three days 'round the clock, toddlers (three days), a pre-teen and family pet (three days), teenagers (three days), and then skip over adults to caring for senior citizens (for three days).

The babys' and toddlers' parents and nannies are in a home next door monitoring the care and treatment of the babies so the teens are not left up to their own devices.

I've seen the baby dolls the girls in middle school have to tote around. Being a "prevention specialist", I do not see how these dolls are effective. They have marker drawings on their face, tattered clothes, and a knob you have to wind when the baby cries. Why is it that only the girls have to carry these embarrassing plastic dolls around everywhere? I mean, I get the logic/text book reasons behind it. But what are the chances this doll is going to stay in the girl's memory as a prevention measure when she is on a date? It is more likely that she'll remember how much she hated the class that made her tote around the doll everywhere and warn her younger friends and family to avoid the class if at all possible.

On the other hand, though maybe not very realistic, making youth in high school (guys and girls) have to care for a real baby for three weeks will more likely make a more effective impact. I think more teens will see having to care for a child at a young age to be more of a nightmare than carrying a doll around. Talk about effective birth control. Being able to see the realities of parenthood really hands-on at a young age may help young people think twice about risky behavior. Plus, the young couples will get a chance to see how their partner will act in times of distress and what type of parent that person may be (better to find out now than later).

So yeah, making teens take home a real baby may make them hate their class even more, but would be worth it in the long run. And who is going to just let some 15-year-olds take their baby for a few weeks? (Although, there may be more takers than I think...vacation anyone?) But once teens see how their dreams and goals of going to college and attaining a career may have to be put on hold, they may make a more responsible choice about the actions that will affect their future.

I know this idea is not remotely realistic, but it's a thought about how prevention services within the schools today are working.

Here are some final thoughts:

If you get stuck with a Baby Think It Over, don't let your cats take care of it.















Michael Jackson probably would have benefited from a Baby Think It Over. Blanket's blanket almost fell off his head! (Or is that Prince Michael Jackson?...I can never tell them apart).


















I'm off to watch more TV.

You May Have Another...Child

During a memorial service, this mother holds a picture of her child who was killed in the May 12 quake. More than 100 children were killed in the school her son attended.









This man holds a picture of his young daughter, Bi Yuexing, his only child. She was a victim of the May 12 quake that destroyed her school.











Rescue workers line up backpacks found in the rubble of a primary (elementary) school that collapsed in the quake.


















The devastating earthquakes in China have claimed the lives of up to 80,000 people, including children who were the only child in their family. As a result, the Chinese government has given the green light to parents whose child was killed, injured, disabled, etc. to have another child. Grieving parents will be able to pick up a certificate that states they are allowed to have another child even though they already have/had one. This certificate will only be available to quake victims, which gives us just a small amount of insight as to how strict the one-child-only system is.

The one-child policy was made effective in the 1970's in an attempt to control the population growth in China. Loopholes to this law, very few however, have been made in several provinces. For example, if the first child born to a couple is a girl, they may have another child in hopes that they will bear a son, the traditional preferred family heir. Exceptions were also made to different ethnic group and rural families, and to parents who were the only child in their families. As a result of the one-child-only law, 400 million births have been "prevented".

If parents, pre-quake, had more than one child, the second (third, fourth,etc. child) was considered to have been born illegally. As a result, the parents were slapped with hefty fines. (The fines are one of the many methods used to "prevent" the birth of more than one child.) "Illegal" children are denied free education and other rights their "legal" sibling would have. Post-quake, if a "legal" first child was killed by the quake, the "illegal" second child would now become the "legal" child of the parents, after registration, and all fines will be dropped if the child is under the age of 18. This child would also be entitled to the rights their "legal" sibling had.

Several schools (an estimated 7,000 class rooms) filled with children on May 12, 2008 were destroyed in the earthquake. The number of estimated children lost to the quake has not been made as several thousands of people are still missing. The Chinese government has launched a full investigation as to why the school buildings were so unstable and who designed them that way. Once the people responsible for the construction/design of the school buildings are found, they will probably pay with their lives according to the Chinese government (as in the case of the tainted dog food a year or so ago).

The Chinese way of life is so different to me. I have never been or lived in a place that restricted how many children one was allowed to have. In fact, it is becoming more common in the US to see unwed young girls (under the age of 18) with babies (yes, more than one) of their own. Although I do not agree with a law that states a couple can only have one child legally, I appreciate the fact that the grieving parents are being given a chance to rebuild their lives and have a new family.

Click here to read the AP story that inspired this blog post. All photos shown are from the AP and taken by Vincent Yu, Andy Wong, and Greg Baker.

Vampires

Vampires thrive when it is night-time. Therefore, why don't more of them (in movies and such) live in Alaska?

(Forgive me if this has been a place of residence in recent movies for I have not seen these movies. I hate scary movies and would not know about this theme.)

Tasteless Censorship

American Airlines in Japan has blocked South Park's website in their Admiral's Club. Yeah, it's their club and web service people are using. However, the reason they've blocked the site is because it is, in their opinion, tasteless.

When you try to get on to the site, this is what comes up:


South Park is tasteless...but not a girl in an ill-fitting suit in heels and a mini-skirt? According to my sources, the previous picture on American Airlines' site was a girl in heels, mini-skirt and top that was barely even a top. Is this a joke? Are they poking fun at their opinion of South Park by posting a tasteless picture of a girl?

All I can say is that if I was in Japan and really wanted to go on the South Park's site and this popped-up , I would be seriously annoyed because: 1) the hypocrisy is idiotic and 2) South Park can be really funny. Mmmmmm-kay?

This story was found on Consumerist.com. Cick here for their full story.

Pesky Fleas

People Seriously Buy This Stuff?

Drugs are a huge epidemic. They ruin lives and families. This is not news to any of us. With this in mind, people have decided to make ridiculous products that glamorize illegal drug use by selling look-a-likes they like to call "legal" versions of the illicit drugs.

The website's target audience is computer geeks. How old are a lot of computer nerds or when do people first become computer nerds? Right, when they are teenagers.

"Blow"

"The Blow Energy Drink Mix Vial is a great way to caffeinate anything - drop
one vial into 16 ounces of your favorite beverage and enjoy with a friend. This
is strong stuff!"

Yeah...show your friends how stupid...oops, I mean cool... you are with "Blow".

Ruin their life too.

The official Blow website's homepage features scantily-clad model-thin girls and annoying music you can't turn off. "Get Blow" on the side bar pulsates and glows so it is noticeable. Blow is sold with a mirror and a fake credit card for cutting...even though this is a drink mix like Kool Aid.

The merchandise is sold in vials in "bricks". Get it? So clever...and cute as is comes with stickers and temporary tattoos. Also featured are Stash Box Sampler's Packs, "Recreational User Packs", and the "Master Case" which is "the Fiender's Hook-Up". VIP cards (gift cards) that can be personalized with youth own are also offered. Click here for videos.

This stuff on the official website is marketed to young girls.

Yeah, Cocaine: the legal stuff.

"The Cocaine 8.4 oz. Energy Drink Can has returned under a new label: "Insert Name Here:". This is the same drink that was loved and loathed - it debuted to much notoriety (and caused much anxiety in the FDA... society?...) and quickly became a media sensation.

Undeniably, the drink provides an impressive energy boost and has an interesting flavor unlike other energy drinks out there. Frankly, we all feel it tastes like Atomic FireBall Candy... in liquid form. The drink is 3 and half times as powerful as Red Bull® Energy drink with a Caffeine content of a staggering 280mg! Note: Currently, cans are repackaged with a plastic label that hides the original Cocaine label underneath - small cut at the seal will with a knife or scissors will let you see the old label. Eventually the new label will be printed on the can.

Cocaine was banned in schools, stores, communities and eventually by the FDA itself - all due to its provocative name, the beverage itself is harmless, though its caffeine levels, like coffee, make it unrecommended for pregnant women, children and those who are overly sensitive to caffeine."

Cocaine's official website encourages young people to market theirproduct by offering assistance with college tuition to those who do the best job pushing the stuff. Young people are also encouraged to take pictures themselves with cans of the drink. There is a pic of an adult male with two young kids (maybe 8-ears-old). Protective services anyone?

They mention that the state of Texas has banned the drink (YES! GOOD!) and give "users" advise on how to keep the stuff on the market.

Youth can also become members, like on MySpace. There are kids there who are maybe no older than 14 who are members.

They do sell Cocaine merchandise people can purchase. There is also a little blurb at the bottom of their home page called "You are what you do" that is a video about celebrities who have died from drug use. In my opinion, this is simply not enough. Where is the responsibility?

This Meth product is coffee.

"Meth Coffee descibes their product perfectly.....

'Mental clarity!

Mind-altering euphoria!

Nail your ass to the chair with Meth Coffee, a smooth, rich roast supercharged with maximum caffeine and dusted with yerba mate, a powerful natural stimulant kept secret by shamans of the Amazon until now.

This vibrationical catalyst for upstarts, earthquakes, and brain shifts is roasted for you by a master druggist, bionical brain chemist, and coffee viscologist within hours of receiving your order to guarantee maximum potency.'

E-Z re-sealable interlock bag keeps product fresh for repeated consumption."

This is disgusting... And it is also a rip-off at $14.00 a bag for some cheap crap in a metallic bag. Meth is a huge problem in the state I live. It has devasted so many lives of people I know. On top of it all, the website that sells this stuff features a promotional video.

The Meth Coffee website allows one to become an "affiliate or dealer". Seriously! The pictures on their site show people in work attire made up to look like meth addicts--like it's a cool thing. One can even buy Meth Coffee merchandise. Who would wear that?

Here is their message to dealers: " Easy access. Price savings. Everything you wanted in a drug. Meth Coffee offers a great way for you to help your favorite customers get high and stay high! Just grab a form, fill it out, and you've scored access to the Meth Coffee Dealer Network's freebies, referrals, and more! See details below." The background picture is a needle full of something being injected by a user into their own body.

Let's not forget about the affiliates: "Seeking Meth Coffee lovers with megapromotional PR prowess and powerful web publishing skills. If you have a web site and the gift of persuasion, why not profit from it? Become one of my affiliates, and I will pay you 12.5% of the gross sales* on every customer you send my way that pays." The image on this page is a person showing their product off over a purple velur cloth.

All of us who care need to write, call, etc. to the makers of the product and those who sell it. Maybe they have had perfect lives and have not experienced the negative effects of the real, illegal drugs they are marketing as the legal version in their own lives or those they care about.