Mommywood updates

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden welcomed the newest addition to their family yesterday in the early morning hours of 9/9/09. Sparrow James Midnight Madden was born at a Los Angeles hospital, weighing in at 7 lbs., 14 oz.




Madden took to Twitter to announce his son's arrival, joking,

"1st day of his life & my son is already a trending topic on twitter. That's right son, ur just like your old man. wait, i've never been a #TT."

There's been a lot of outspoken opinions about the little boy's name -- as there always is in the celebrity baby naming biz -- but I'm sure the couple thoughtfully picked out Sparrow, and I'm sure it means a lot to them. Let's limit the negativity, people.

Although, I do find this picture from Mamarazzi amusing:

Sparrow joins 20-month-old sister Harlow Winter Kate in the Madden clan. Best wishes to the family.

In other "news,"

Katherine Heigl is joining the ranks of Angelina Jolie and Madonna.

Heigl announced on the Ellen DeGeneres show, scheduled to air tomorrow, that she and husband Josh Kelley will adopt a special-needs 10-month-old girl from Korea.

According to ABC News, Heigl said her name is Naleigh after her mother, Nancy, and sister, Leigh. Heigl told USA Today, "I'm done with the whole idea of having my own children."

Congratulations to the couple.

The invase abuse of power

So here it is. Today President Obama delivered his much-anticipated, hysteria-inducing speech to children across the country. Children who weren't pulled out of school by their parents, of course. I think the amount of children inspired by this speech will far outweigh the temper tantrum parents threw. But maybe I've been brainwashed.

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American parents: New levels of absurdity

I wanted to keep this blog strictly news with a few of my own opinions thrown in when the subject is juicy enough. But this, dear, dear readers, baffles me beyond impartiality.

I'm sure you know by now that President Obama is planning to give a speech to American students on Tuesday, Sept. 8 via a live feed from the White House Web site. In his words,

"I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education; about the importance of staying in school; how we want to improve our education system and why it's so important for the country. So I hope everybody tunes in."

According to the U.S. Department of Education,

"During this special address, the president will speak directly to the nation's children and young about persisting and succeeding in school. The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning."

It seems simple enough. Presidential enough. Praise-worthy, certainly.

So am I missing something? Today's Yahoo! leading story: Parents angry at Obama

According to the article, "Some parents and conservatives are blasting the president, calling the speech an excuse to brainwash American children."

Let me get this straight, Conservatives. Teaching children the importance of education is brainwashing -- but President Bush blatantly lying about weapons of mass destruction and Iraq being connected to Al Quaida was...?

I guarantee if Bush had wanted to address the American students on why it's important to stay in school it wouldn't have even been newsworthy. What about when President Bush (#1) televised an anti-drug speech in 1989? Or when President Reagan televised his commencement speech and Q&A session to 171 school districts in 1986? Is it because it's the big, bad, scary Obama? Aren't we pulling at straws here?

Apparently the big tadoo is over an accompanying lesson plan for children to follow along with, including questions like "What is the President trying to tell me?" and "What resonated with you from President Obama's speech?" To me, this sounds like basic discussion questions that we ALL had to in english class. Just because you don't like the book doesn't mean you don't have to understand what the author is trying to say. I'm sure if a kid TRULY didn't believe in what Obama was saying he or she could say, "Nothing resonated with me because..."

How DARE that man inspire conversation about our educational system? Who does he think he IS? The PRESIDENT?

Here is what Jim Greer, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said about Obama's plan:

"The address scheduled for Sept. 8, 2009 does not allow for healthy debate on the President's agenda, but rather obligates the youngest children in our public school system to agree with our President's initiatives or be ostracized by their teachers and classmates."

Greer also called this an INVASIVE ABUSE OF POWER. Must I bring up Bush again?

I'm guessing that many of the people who agree with Greer are also in favor of teaching creationism in schools. You know, throwing science -- based on evidence and proven facts -- out the window to brainwash teach children that God created the world in seven days and planted fossils to throw us all of track. Oh, the hypocrisy.

And why do children HAVE to agree with him, Greer? More importantly, why wouldn't you want your children to agree that education is important? It's not like he's launching a campaign for health care reform or government spending. Isn't quality of education a bipartisan, no-brainer, issue?

Yet Conservative talk show personalities like Tammy Bruce and Glenn Beck have encouraged parents to keep their kids home from school that day.

How about the video contest the U.S. Department of Education is launching, inviting students to respond to this INVASIVE ABUSE OF POWER by creating videos describing how they will improve their education and explaining the role of education in fulfilling their dreams?

But oh, it's SOCIALIST!
How exactly?
BECAUSE IT'S OBAMA OF COURSE! EVERYTHING HE SPEWS IS SOCIALIST!

Who are you parents that are so angry? Who are the 63.6 percent of Facebook users who think President Obama shouldn't make this speech, according to a circulating poll? What exactly is the harm in teaching children to value and take responsibility for their education? I'm so exhausted from the large number of Americans who regurgitate garbage they hear -- garbage that sounds scary and titillating and scandalous -- without ANY facts to back up their arguments. Obama is a Nazi. A muslim, socialist Nazi responsible for 9-11. FOX News said so, it must be true.

Man, can this guy catch a break? It's not like he's trying to get us into an undeclared war based on rumors and lies. It's not like he's getting a blow job in the oval office from an intern. He's trying to make sure the American people are healthy and educated. That monster.

I know that the media and the government are hard to trust at times. I'm with you on that one. But can't we lift the veil of partisan politics, just for a moment? Step away from "labels" that neatly define what we think? Can't we just think like logical, rational people that share the same sense of humanity and mortality?

Sigh.

Go here and here for more information on Obama's speech.

I'd really love to hear your opinion on this, especially those who don't agree with me.

Bubble bath? CHECK! Rubber ducky? CHECK! Cancer-causing chemicals? CHECK!

How can something so ugly belong on something so cute?

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found two known cancer-causing chemicals -- 1.4-dioxane and formaldehyde -- in dozens of baby bath products, including the beloved Johnson & Johnson "pure and gentle" baby shampoo.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, both chemicals are known animal carcinogens and most likely human carcinogens as well. The formaldehyde in bubble baths and washes -- you know, what they embalm corpses with -- has been known to cause skin rashes for children with sensitive skin.

The Organic Consumer Association's 2009 study found that many cosmetic companies greatly reduced the amount of carcinogens in products, proving that it doesn't need to be there.

It CERTAINLY doesn't need to be on my baby.

Check out your ingredient labels for these red flags:

• Sodium myreth sulfate
• Ingredients with "xynol," "ceteareth" and "oleth."
• quaternium-15
• DMDM hydantoin
• imidazolidinyl urea
• diazolidinyl urea
  

You can also use the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep cosmetic safety database to search for tainted products by checking the "Contamination concerns" box.

Here are some of the safest options for your little ones:

• Baby Organic 2 in 1 Foam Shampoo and Bodywash
• Lafe's Organic Baby Foaming Shampoo and Gentle Wash
• Dingo Baby Oats and Honey Baby Bar; Moisturizing Shea Stick
  
• Nurture My Body: Baby Wash Fragrance Free
• Miessence Baby Barrier Balm
• Earth Mama Angel Baby: Bosom Buddies
  

For more safe baby products, go here and here.

What if a stranger slapped your child?

Who hasn't been here: Your child has a meltdown in a store. Perhaps you expect unsympathetic glares, maybe even a rude comment. Just imagine a stranger coming over to you, saying "If you don't shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you," and then proceeding to do so with multiple slaps to her face.

This is exactly what happened to one mother in a suburban Atlanta Walmart.

According to the AP, 61-year-old Roger Stephens of Stone Mountain was arrested and charged with felony cruelty to children after slapping a 2-year-old girl at least four times in the face for crying.

Can you even imagine?

Levi Johnston: Father of the Year

Levi Johnston, the father of ex-Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's grandchild, spilled to Vanity Fair in this month's issue that Palin planned to adopt her 17-year-old daughter's baby to hide the teenage pregnancy. He also attacked her parenting, her political motives and her hunting skills.

"Sarah told me she had a great idea: we would keep it a secret—nobody would know that Bristol was pregnant. She told me that once Bristol had the baby she and Todd would adopt him. That way, she said, Bristol and I didn’t have to worry about anything. Sarah kept mentioning this plan. She was nagging—she wouldn’t give up. She would say, “So, are you gonna let me adopt him?” We both kept telling her we were definitely not going to let her adopt the baby. I think Sarah wanted to make Bristol look good, and she didn’t want people to know that her 17-year-old daughter was going to have a kid."

But let's step back for a minute. This is Levi Johnston. A boy who the AP reported is A) angry that the Palins limit his access to his son, and B) pursing a career as an actor/model. Of course he is. He's on minute 14 of his fame trip, people.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not a fan of his mother-in-law. Not in the slightest. But this doesn't make me like her any less. It's obvious that this kid is taking advantage of knocking up the right girl at the right time. Does he love his son? Probably. But this blatant betrayal of his son's grandmother and family, thrusting his baby back into the limelight, is irresponsible and immature. Don't make me side with Sarah freaking Palin, Vanity Fair.

And on top of it -- what's up with Vanity Fair hoisting this kid up on this platform? We're not talking about US Weekly here. Besides what this says about our country's cultural obsessions and journalistic integrity, if we just stick to the political facts then she sinks her own boat. And she did. There's no reason to keep her name in the headlines. We're giving them exactly what they want.

NYC students offered free swine flu vaccines

Public and private New York City students -- numbering over a million -- will be offered free swine flu vaccines in an effort to prevent the second, more serious, wave of the virus that is expected to hit this coming fall.

According to Salon, the vaccine should be available in mid- to late October -- most likely as a nasal mist -- after it's tested and deemed safe and effective.

Smaller states, such as Maine and Alabama, are planning to offer vaccines as well, but many large areas are waiting for direction from their state health departments as to how to run their vaccine clinics. Perhaps once the largest school district in the country is effectively administered free vaccines, other major cities will follow suit. However, some cities, like Boston and Dallas, have already rejected school vaccinations altogether.

But people in New York City have a more prevalent fear of the swine flu than those in, say, Boston. New York was the first large city in the country to have such an alarming number of infected people, shutting down entire schools and claiming more than 50 of the 500 nationwide swine flu-related deaths.

A White House report estimates up to half of the U.S. population could be infected this time around. But, of course, if proper measures are taken to contain the virus -- such as staying home when sick and perhaps getting a vaccine -- then there's no reason to stress.

Will you be getting a swine flu vaccine? Will your kids?