He, She, or It? Keeping Baby's Gender a Secret

Kathy Witterick and her husband David Stocker have decided to keep the gender of their new baby, Storm, a secret. The only people who know Storm's gender are of course the parents, the midwives who delivered Storm, a close family friend, and the couples two sons, Jazz (5) and Kio (2). This decision is based off of a book the couple found in the library and the idea that keeping Storm's gender a secret is about giving their children freedom. Stocker told the paper “What we noticed is that parents make so many choices for their children. It’s obnoxious.” Of course their decision has striked up major controversy and Storm's parents have been accused of being irresponsible, confusing to their children, and putting Storm in a place where he may encounter "future damage." Another couple in Sweden decided not to disclose the gender of their baby Pop. There haven't been any recent stories about Pop and no one seems to know the gender yet!
http://moms.today.com/_news/2011/05/25/6715267-he-she-or-it-family-keeps-babys-gender-a-secret?GT1=43001

First off, I was very surprised that the other kid pictured with storm is his brother! Jazz looks very much like a girl, he has hair just like I used to have! I understand the parents' idea that sometimes gender identity may cuase some people from hiding their true colors. However, I see more problems to this than benefits. For one, their newborn child I'm sure won't know if they're a boy or a girl. Also, are they every going to reveal Storm's gender? It may only confuse Storm. And which bathroom will he go into in kindergarten? Whichever one s/he feels like? It also makes me wonder if Jazz, the older of the two other children, understands why Storm's gender is being kept a secret from the rest of the world. I feel that in our ever-changing society, instances such as this are going to become a lot more common. Guess they're just going to have to make a new sign in multiple colors or neutral colors saying: "Welcome New Baby!"


 Baby Storm (in red) and brother Jazz



'Obese Fetus? Let mom pop a pill, doc says'

Dr. Hassan Shehata, a British doctor, has suggested that obese pregnant women should take a pill otherwise meant for those with diabetes. The pill is called metformin. A trial study that is going to involve 2,178 participants already started this past fall and the trial is planned to continue until December 2013. Some women are taking up to 3,000 mg of metformin daily while others are taking a placebo. The doctors are hoping to see a decline in high birth weights (10 lbs or more). “By dropping the baby’s weight, the prevalence of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and hemorrhage will be lower,” said Dr. Shehata. Metformin works by increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin, subsequently reducing insulin resistance. These are common problems for women towards the end of pregnancy. Also, more and more women are obese and pregnant. There is controversy over how much weight an obese woman should gain. Some people are even saying they should gain little to no weight, or even try lose some weight. Dr. Shehata said “I’m very confident about it and I don’t think there are any issues.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43114076/ns/health-diabetes/

All the possible complications and birth defects that could go with an obese woman's pregnancy had never really crossed my mind. But it's so sad to think that women who are already struggling to control their own weight must now control another life. Their weight has a negative effect on their unborn baby. I really hope this metformin works because that would be a very helpful breakthrough for many women. With an increasingly obese nation, we can definitely expect more obese pregnant women. Also, I'm sure that a baby's size can be affected by an obese father. Although it's a good thing that a doctor may have found a solution, I also feel like along with being an increasingly obese nation, we are a nation increasingly dependent on pills. There's a pill for almost anything and it's making us lazy! I do understand though that losing weight is very difficult, so in this case, it almost becomes a moral dilemma.

'Blazing Jet Makes Emergency Landing'

The Cathay Pacific Airbus 330 made an emergency landing in Singapore when one of the engines caught fire. This actually isn't the first time an Airbus has had to make such a landing. In November, another Airbus with slightly larger Rolls-Royce engines had to turn around because one caught fire. Luckily, the landing went very smoothly and the fire was put out immediately upon arrival. Passengers held onto each other and prayed for the plane and for God to save their flight, which indeed He did.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43043233/ns/travel-news/

These passengers are certainly very lucky! Not only did they survive the flight but the landing went smoothly and they were on steady ground as soon as possible. For that, I commend the pilots. What I really like about this story though is how the passengers sort of bonded together in prayer during this time of fear. I would be so scared if I looked out the window and could see smoke coming from one of the engines! Lastly, I'm sure everyone is even more thankful for all the hard work of the pilots, crew, and air traffic control and the wonderful technology that works to prevent disasters, such as in this case.

Volunteers of the Peace Corps Complain of Rape and Sexual Assault

An investigative report by ABC News uncovered hundreds of women who had been victims of rape or sexual assault while serving as volunteers in the Peace Corps overseas. The Peace Corps' mission is to be known as "an agency of the federal government devoted to world peace and friendship." The Corps was established by President Kennedy and there are currently 8,655 volunteers and trainees in 77 countries. Volunteers work in such areas as education, health and business development.  The volunteers were not trained or warned or prepared to watch out for violent situations such as these. After sharing their stories with officials, they were accused more than consolidated. They were actually made to think like the whole thing was their fault! Testimonies of the cases are going on in court.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42988397/ns/us_news-life/

To me, it is incredibly disgraceful that an organization that works under the name of the federal government and that works in so many different parts of the world to promote peace and really just help other's out should have so many cases of assault. It's almost as though the Peace Corps sends the volunteers off to work for good, believing the world is bad place that can simply be fixed with the goodness of your heart. Unfortunately, this can't always be the case. What absolutely appalls me is that the officials of the Peace Corps whom these cases were reported to that made the victims feel as though it's their fault for getting into trouble. A victim does not choose to be a victim. If they did have control they would be the same and the incident wouldn't be considered a crime.

"Peace Corps volunteer Catherine "Kate" Puzey of Cumming, Ga., was killed in March 2009 after she complained by email to Peace Corps managers about a local man who worked with the volunteers"

Boosting the Minimum

The Federal Minimum Wage establishes a minimum pay for all workers to ensure enough money to live off of. However, minimum wage alone still doesn't put a worker above the poverty line. That is where food stamps and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) come into play, pushing people over that line. Nevertheless, the fact that minimum wage on its own isn't accomplishing what it is defined to do outrages some people. People who believe this also support raising minimum wage, believing it will positively affect millions of Americans, particularly single mothers. With people making more money, the economy will benefit as people are more willing to spend. People on this side of the debate also say there should be no more new tax cuts because it will take away from the money that's needed for the government. Those who disagree believe raising minimum wage is counterproductive. It doesn't fight poverty as well as they say because so many of the people receiving minimum wage are teens. Also, if the cost of doing business increases, prices and job cuts will also increase. Opponents also say that supply and demand should determine wages because the economy works best that way. Instead, they say that expanding the EITC would help fight poverty better and it wouldn't interfere with the market.

As a teengaer, it would seem as though I would be for the minimum wage increase; however, after reviewing some facts, I don't believe that boosting minimum wage is the way to fix poverty. That really is what the whole issue comes back to being about getting people who only make minimum wage above the poverty line. But it really does make sense that about half of the people receiving minimum wage are teenagers, most probably still living at home. Sean Hannity, a Republican, also supports this side of the issue, saying "High minimum wage falsely inflates overall wage rates."  The economy can't afford to be increasing minimum wage. The cost on businesses will only create inflation.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-OEZw-uPmDgmztZF1DygGfqT32e62S66-g7GodrLYzlEWMIzTe9S1jPXTiFR6A9J5AkP5FptqgxwlPlUdwcZNwq9Ap0OfQBeyjjepC4edg7fDZ4k0OBwXlhNU7BUTKx4j9S34jneDnGf/s400/minwage.gif

Other issues on Jobs and Welfare:

All Things Being Unequal
Putting Welfare to Work

Obama Mocks Trump and Self at Gala Dinner

At an annual Correspondents Dinner, President Obama finds a way to get back at Donald Trump. He not only mocked how Trump took the credit for putting his legitimacy to rest by the relase of his birth certificate, but also his experience as a politician and the change he would bring to the White House. It was not in a harsh way necessarily either, it was calm, cool, and collected. He also showed a picture of the change Trump would bring to the White House. It was now transformed from a mansion to a tacky casino with big lights and a whirlpool in the garden. Sethy Meyers of SNL was also there and picked up where Obama's jokes left off, mostly singling out Trump. The night was not all about the jokes though as Obama did seriously thank the soldiers over-seas and sent out his best wishes and prayers to the people that have been victims of all the tornadoes. He also told the the journalists to keep sharing their stories. Some of the night's proceeds went to scholarships for college students of journalism.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42837356/ns/politics-white_house/

After reading the article, I watched a video that showed a snippet of some of Obama's jokes. I don't think he was being rude or acting in bad taste at all, he's the President of the United States! He takes a lot of criticism all the time so he certainly deserves the chance to share some of his opinions. The idea that Donald Trump talks of running for president just makes me angry. Just because he can run a TV show and has billions of dollars, it doesn't mean he can successfully run the country. I also thought Obama's jokes were quite witty and very well-played. It's also times like these (when the presidents shows a less serious side) that Americans feel a little closer and more connected.



Seth Meyers and First Lady Michelle Obama