Church & State: Woman Forced by Court to Change Son's Name

"Where's your Messiah now?"

There are a lot of unusual baby names. There are a lot of dumb parents with names like Pigg, Ball or Cox who really ought to be more careful with names like Ima, Harry or Sharon. And I'm of the personal opinion that if you want to give your child an unusual name, use it as a nickname, and give him or her a legal name that is more standard. Example, if you want to name your kid "Cloud," maybe give him a legal name like "Chloe." If you want a boy called "Steeple," maybe call him "Steve" on his birth certificate? Gives him an out if he outgrows the nickname. Just a helpful hint.

But that's just it, it's a hint. A suggestion. I'd never demand or insist that a mother name her kid something. That would be. . .oh, I don't know. . .insane? And when the court does it, and uses religion as its reasoning? I'd say that's pretty clearly un-Constitutional.

[Excerpt]

Judge Declares Baby’s Name Unchristian; Orders Parents To Change It

Tennessee child support magistrate Lu Ann Ballew unilaterally decided to rename a seven-month-old boy “Martin” because she objected to the parents’ selection of “Messiah.” Her reasoning, she explained, was that, “The word Messiah is a title and it’s a title that has only been earned by one person and that one person is Jesus Christ. . .”

Read more at: ThinkProgress 

Great Holiday Gift Idea for Relatives with Babies... you know which ones...

This monkey has no little monkeys. Nor is there ever an intent to. I honestly don't believe I have the "stuff" required to raise a mini-me, particularly an infant version. However, I do love being an Uncle Monkey. All the fun, no real responsibility. Win, win.

Recently, I came across an invention that made me reconsider having kids. I think this would help me & many others quite a bit. It would make a great holiday gift... For any family member of yours that has a kid & shouldn't or for any of them that has a kid & really fucking shouldn't.

Waddaya thunk?

Happy Holidays. (Pardon the preceding commercial, if any)

New BabySafe Ball Makes Shaking Your Infant Guilt And Injury Free

I'm An Uncle Again!

My sister had her second baby today, on her own 37th birthday.  That's quite a birthday present. The name--barring spelling irregularities--is Zane Evan. He looks pretty cute! Congratulations, Jen & Todd! And to big brother Lux too!

Be Afraid, Be VERY Afraid. . .Terror Babies!!!

Image from BriefingRoom

I don't know if you've noticed, but it would seem that Republicans' overriding strategy for the 2010 election (and beyond?) is to scare the living shit out of you. Right-wing talk radio and FOX "News" have been dutifully playing their part, especially those like Glenn Beck who spends a huge portion of his on-air time speaking apocalyptically about everything.


Here are just a few recent things that you should be terrified about:
- "ObamaCare" is socialism!!!
- A couple of crazy black guys, the New Black Panthers!!!
- ACORN!!!
- Gay people getting married!!!
- Beheadings in the Arizona desert!!!
- Anchor babies!!!
- Mosques!!!

And they've taken that last two, morphed them together, and come up with Terror babies!  I'm not joking, they're really talking about far-sighted Islamic pregnant women coming to the states, giving birth to a citizen baby who will grow up to be a terrorist!!!  It's about as insane as people who believe that Barack Obama's mother faked his birthplace in 1961 so that 47 years later he would be eligible to run for president.

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Moment of Cuteness: A Year of Lux Lex

I'm sure just about everybody is posting this cutesy video, but given that my little nephew's name is Lux, and isn't a whole lot older than this little guy (Lex), I felt compelled to post it. Well, that, and the need for a little diversity around here after a spate of similar posts. Enjoy.

Octuplets?

Image from ParentsOvernight

I have this image of a lawn sprinkler, squirting out babies. Eight babies in under 10 minutes? That's like a magic trick. Or like the eggs from that lady's mouth in Airplane! I'm glad they're all OK, but there's something a little freaky about this. . .

[Excerpt]

Birth of octuplets rattles fertility experts

Even as the birth of octuplets at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center drew attention and applause from around the country, questions arose Tuesday about whether the mother's doctors did enough to prevent such a risky pregnancy.

The chances that the eight babies born Monday were conceived naturally are infinitesimal, infertility specialists and doctors in maternal-fetal medicine say. Today's reproductive experts have the tools and the know-how to avoid such high-risk pregnancies -- and often try desperately to do so. . .

Read more at: Los Angeles Times

Cuteness Break: Baby Falling Asleep

As I said before, I haven't had a lot of time to blog today, so I'm relying on links from others. This one is from my Mom, who has a thing for babies. I myself haven't given much thought about babies until my sister had one a little over a year ago. And this video is pretty darned cute. It's a fitting coda to my blogging for the week. Cute, sweet, apropos of nothing, but worth a view. Enjoy Stupid Monkey Planet while I'm away. He's anything but stupid, and he's at least as cute as this baby.

Cuteness Break: Laughing Baby

While looking for an entirely different thing to post on the blog, I happened upon this YouTube video. It relates to nothing, is not political, and is out of my usual interest area. The only baby I've ever featured here (to my memory) is my sister's baby, Lux.

There's something about this video that makes me laugh though. And unless you're in a particularly bad mood, you'll laugh too. Watch.