What were they thinking?

This just in from the Associated Press:

Parents whose children died or suffered lifelong disabilities after suffering from shaken baby syndrome are demanding an investigation as to how Apple Inc. permitted an iPhone application called Baby Shaker to be distributed this week. 

"There are people out there who think it is funny to shake and kill a baby," said Patrick Donohue of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation, named after his 3-year-old daughter, who at 5 days old was shaken by a nurse and today still suffers from brain damage. 

The 99-cent app, launched Monday and pulled from distribution Wednesday, let users shake their iPhone until the on-screen baby stopped crying and a large red "X" appeared over each eye. The application was designed by Sikalosoft. 

"Shaken baby syndrome is a violent form of child abuse," said Donohue, who stood outside the Apple Store in Soho Thursday with several other parents protesting Apple's approval of Baby Shaker.

It's funny what people find offensive and what they don't. I find this offensive, but I also find lots of other things offensive that others think are okay. Babies off limits. Kids playing video games where women are raped and maimed-killed-tortured... okay. Now why is that?

School kids gone bad

8th graders from an Alaskan school taunted this moose until it bashed it's head into a wall until it died. 

School officials did not realize what was happening until it was too late. They are not disclosing how many children were involved or what their punishment was.

I don't even really know how to react to this. The fact that no details are provide is really kind of scary. People who kill people often started on animals. How are we to know if this is being taken as seriously as it should be? 

I am infuriated when I hear of violence of children and animals. But when I hear of children harming animals I am scared to death for these children's future. Will they get the help they need to not move onto another victim? And why weren't these children being supervised? I understand that they were older, but with all of the predators out there, shouldn't someone to watching what is going on at all times while school is in session? 

Poor moose. What an incredibly sad story.

Very Angry Turkeys

Turkeys on the rampage in Grand Haven, Michigan! As if mail carriers don't have enough to deal with, there are now a small group of turkeys that are attacking them when they try to deliver the mail.

Carrier Jeremy Bogerd says they are super aggressive. "As soon as they see us, they're after us," he told the Grand Haven Tribune. "They're not afraid of humans."

Bogerd watched this passel grow over the past decade but in the last month they have become aggressive.

"They'll chase you as soon as they see the truck," he said. "I would rather get attached by a dog sometimes than these turkeys." He added that workers carry a chemical repellent, but the turkey heads are too small to hit.

Could this be turkey revenge for humans breeding turkeys for large breasts at the expense of the comfort of the animal? I say, power to the turkey! I'd be angry too if I was breed so that I couldn't walk. Maybe it's a current modern day version of the Twilight Zone?

Eye Candy

That is how a new drug is being marketed. 

Are you unfulfilled because you have skinny eyelashes? Did you know the definition of Hypotrichosis is to have inadequate or not enough eyelashes. Have you often wanted to have lots of long and lush eyelashes? Well have no fear. There is a new prescription drug that you can use every day for the rest of your life so that your tiny lashes will become plump! Just think. Now you can take a pill to make yourself skinny and use another drug to make your lashes fat! 

We truly have become a society that wants it all and with little work on our part. Putting drugs onto your body for a minimal difference in a eyelash seems absurd to me. They say the only side effect may be temporary itching of the eyes. Or how about skin pigmentation changes that may or may not go away. And then, of course, once you stop using this drug, your eyelashes go back to being skinny. 

I can't imagine using a new (unknown really) drug for the rest of my life for eyelashes. We are truly becoming a society that wants a pill and quick fix for everything.

Beach Refrigeration

Yep. You read that right. Beach Refrigeration. 

The Palazzo Versace in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is opening later this year or early 2010. During their warm season temperatures average 104 F and can reach 122 F. Yikes! 

However, no fear. This resort is installing a network of computer-controlled heat-absorbing pipes under the sand to keep you comfortable. It's amazing what the rich will do. The extravagances in this part of the world are unbelievable. 

This country gives very little thought to the environment. They continually manipulate the earth to suit the desires of its residents. This environmentally uncool project will add to Dubai's already mammoth size carbon footprint, which amounts to 44 tons of CO2 per person per year. By contrast, the average American generates 20 tons of greenhouse gases per year and we are at the high end.  Crazy.

Is this for real?

Surgeons in Russia thought they were going to remove a cancerous tumor from a 28-year-old patient – but instead they found a 5-centimeter tree growing inside his lung.

Doctors were convinced he had cancer after he came to them complaining of agonising chest pains and coughing up blood.

An X-ray showed what was believed to be a tumour, and he was rushed to the operating theatre.

Surgeon Vladimir Kamashev from Izhevsk in the Urals was quoted as saying "We were 100% sure."

"We did X-rays and found what looked exactly like a tumour. I had seen hundreds before, so we decided on surgery."

Before removing the major part of the man's lung, the surgeon investigated the tissue taken in a biopsy.

"I thought I was hallucinating," said Dr Kamashev.

"I asked my assistant to have a look: 'Come and see this - we've got a fir tree here'."

"He nodded in shock. I blinked three times as I was sure I was seeing things."

The 2in (5cm) spruce, which was said to be touching the man's capillaries and causing severe pain, was removed.

Mr Sidorkin, now recovering after the op, said in reports: "To be honest I did not feel any foreign object inside me. But I'm just so relieved it's not cancer."

Biologists are sceptical about a plant growing inside human body.

"It is absolutely impossible for a green plant to grow from this small seed inside a man's body. In order for a plant to start growing from the seed, it needs a lot of conditions - light, then water and certain temperature," said Olga Baranova, a university professor.

So, is this for real? Or a hoax? You tell me.

Vanity plate misunderstanding

One Colorado woman's love for tofu has been judged X-rated by state officials. Kelly Coffman-Lee wanted to tell the world about her fondness for bean curd by picking certain letters for her license plate. She asked for her plate to say:  "ILVTOFU." But the Division of Motor Vehicles blocked her request because they thought the combination of letters could be interpreted as profane.

Department of Revenue spokesman Mark Couch said, "We don't allow 'FU' because some people could read that as street language for sex."

Officials meet periodically to ensure state plates stay free of letters that abbreviate gang slang, drug terms or obscene phases.

Well, I see their point, but how sad is that? All she wanted to do was promote her a staple in her families diet because they are vegans. 

Pilots-N-Paws

In early 2008 pilot Jon Wehrenberg flew a Doberman Pincher dog from Florida to South Carolina for his friend Debi Bois. Thus Pilots-N-Paws was founded. They have become a nationwide team of small-aircraft pilots and animal rescuers who move animals from over crowded facilities to shelters and rescue groups committed to finding them homes. 

Since that time nearly 300 pilots have joined the group that uses a web-based message broad to let them know about animals in need. So far this fantastic group has saved over 300 animals. Yet another example of folks working together to make a difference. 

Go Pilots-N-Paws!

Man owes $530,000 in child support

Thomas Frazier has been jailed for not paying child support for his 14 children. Authorities say he fathered these children with 13 different women and has failed to pay to support them. 

"I tried to find someone who would love me for me," he said. He also describes himself as a victim of poor upbringing that caused him to seek comfort from older women. Further, he believes that only three of the children are his and that he is unfairly being saddled with debt for children he did not father. Currently he has not made any payments in over six years.

He was arrested in Iowa last month after being pulled over for a broken taillight. He claimed to be returning to Flint to pay his debt. When he was pulled over he had $5,000 in cash on him. He now has five days to come up with another $22,900 otherwise he may spend to to 90 days in jail.

There are so many things wrong with this story. But the one glaring issue for me is, how does jailing this man help the situation? The average cost to house a prisoner in Michigan is $33,000 a year. How does charging the tax payer $8,250 to house this man for 90 days help to pay for the back child support? This makes no sense to me.

At his court hearing he did have one piece of advice for his children. "Use a condom," he said. "You don't want to end up like your Dad."

Good advice. 

April Fool's Joke?

This is tragic and a sad example of how technology has not necessarily been a benefit to all people all of the time.

New York University officials mistakenly sent out emails to 489 applicants notifying them of their acceptance to the Graduate School of Public Service. The problem was they were actually denied. They were notified by a second email about an hour later. And yes, this all transpired on April 1, April Fools Day. The school blamed the mix up on a clerical error. 

Wow. Imagine having that happen to you? And on April Fools Day to boot. Instant information has it's pluses and minuses. You have to be able to filter what you see and not believe everything you read. But who thought that your email acceptance was a piece you had to scrutinize. How sad. How do you adequately apologize for this kind of mistake?

To text or not to text?

In this case, not.

A woman who crashed into a line of stopped vehicles while text-messaging on her cell phone has been sentenced to six years in a California prison for killing a woman in one of the vehicles.

Investigators said Deborah Matis-Engle was speeding and text messaging when she slammed into the vehicles stopped at a construction zone in August 2007. She had paid several bills by cell phone moments before the crash.

She was in the middle of one of those transactions when she struck the vehicle that burst into flames, killing the occupant.

When are we going to come to our senses and restrict the use of cell phones while driving? How many more people have to die? How many more people are going to have to go to jail? It is crazy when we know they are distracting to not make and enforce a law prohibiting their use. But, then what would the lobbyists do?

Click 'n' Pop!

Yes, this really is a silly game, but oddly a little addicting. Click on this link to take you to an option to pop bubble wrap bubbles using your computer. There is a simple pop option and an option called Manic Mode. 

Go ahead, give it a chance. You might like it!

I didn't realize...

... how badly Joan Rivers was addicted to plastic surgery until I saw this comparison. Wow. How sad. She is almost as creepy as Michael Jackson. The difference is she makes fun of herself. 

But is that good or bad? Does she do it before others can do it to her? Is it a defence mechanism? Does it really matter? Only if we want to identify why some are compelled to go under the knife over and over and over and over. 

Frankly, it just creeps me out. Ugh. Sad. So sad.