We heard both guffaws and sighs of relief when the iPotty chair hit the market, giving a little in-seat entertainment to the potty training set. But the latest iPad-holding baby toy has more parents questioning the safety and need for such an item developed for infants.
The new Fisher-Price iPad “Apptivity Seat” is basically a bouncy seat for pre-walkers with an attachment for an iPad that sits just inches away from baby’s face. Many parents who have a problem with the latest baby iPad contraption feel putting your baby in front of a screen at such a young age goes against expert recommendations regarding TV viewing and children. One parent is quoted in Slate magazine reviewing the new toy, “…the American Pediatric Association recommends NO SCREEN TIME for babies under 2. Babies need to move to understand and explore their world and they need to manipulate things, not passively watch them!”
Fisher-Price’s PR rep recently sent Slate a statement from their senior director of child research Kathleen Alfano regarding the complaints they have received about the new toy. Alfano explains, “We know the Apptivity Seat isn’t for everyone, but we created the iPad feature for those times when parents want to use this option as another way to stimulate and engage their baby.” She adds, “When infants and toddlers are exposed to age-appropriate media with an adult present interacting with the child, explaining the content and encouraging play, media viewing can result in a positive play experience.”
What do you think of the baby products designed with iPad attachments that are currently on the market?
Would you consider purchasing a product like this?


We’re on deadline here today, and we’re having a few hiccups with the site, but I wanted to make sure our faithful readers didn’t miss this follow-up from The Miami New Times about our good friend George Alan Rekers. Rekers, of course, is the anti-gay, “ex-gay” leader who was caught hiring a male prostitute from RentBoy.com. Rekers has thus far denied that he had a sexual relationship with the prostitute, saying he hired him to help carry his luggage on a recent 10-day trip to Europe. But now the escort has come forward to confirm what we already knew: that Rekers is completely full of shit. From the New Times:
Rekers allegedly named his favorite maneuver the “long stroke” — a complicated caress “across his penis, thigh… and his anus over the butt cheeks,” as the escort puts it. “Rekers liked to be rubbed down there,” he says.
In his first interview since New Times broke the story Tuesday, the 20-year old escort, who prefers to go by the name Lucien, contradicts Rekers’s contentions that he hired the escort to help carry his luggage and that he was trying to save the soul of a lost sinner.
Although Rekers does have physical ailments that make it difficult for him to haul suitcases, Lucien wasn’t hired to carry luggage on their European vacation, the escort says.
“It’s a situation where he’s going against homosexuality when he is a homosexual,” Lucien says.
Also, in case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s “The Colbert Report” on Rekers last night.
|The Colbert Report||Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c|
|Alpha Dog of the Week – George Rekers|


Helping Detroit teens get summer jobs could change their lives forever, and benefit whole communities.
That was Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s pitch for his new “TeenWork Initiative” at the Mackinac Island Policy Conference.
Duggan said too many Detroit teens feel like they’ve been “discarded” by society and the economy.
But he thinks that could change if they heard a different message.
“How powerful would it be if hundreds of companies came together and said, ‘We believe in you; we believe in your potential?” Duggan said.


text:
We are delighted to announce that both Greenfield Arts and Greenfield Community College have been nominated for a national award.
Greenfield Arts have been recognised for their contributions to family focused arts activities, bringing creativity to local communities. In this 20th birthday year they are reflecting upon the many activities, projects and events they have developed and led. This nomination is fantastic recognition for the work that has taken place and continues to be developed to support the wider community to be creative, explore ideas and express themselves.
The Fantastic for Families Awards are organised by Family Arts Campaign, an organisation that encourages engagement with the community and the arts. Greenfield Arts are perfectly aligned with their ethos supporting young people and families to participate in arts with many free events and activities that support engagement without barriers. Activities such as their free art club, free holiday activities, projects such as Storymakers and Creative Communities and the offer of regular high-quality live performances for all to enjoy.
Greenfield Community College have been recognised for their consistent and proactive approach to valuing the importance of student voice and the structure in place that has encouraged this to thrive and impact upon student learning and school improvement.
This award is organised by Votes for Schools an award-winning platform that gives students a voice on the issues that affect them the most. Greenfield Community College are nominated for the Student Voice Awards that recognise and celebrate high quality and inspiring practice in schools.
The strength of student voice is an integral part of decision making and school life at Greenfield. Student Leaders have a strong presence leading assemblies, facilitating whole school staff training and have even attended council meetings and have designed and led their own school student conference. The student communications team, The Newshounds, have worked hard to keep issues and initiatives on top of agendas and have been an excellent conduit to involve the whole school in positive initiatives.
We wish nominees at both Greenfield Arts and Greenfield Community College every success with their award nominations. You can find out more by visiting our websites at Greenfieldschool.net and Greenfield-Arts.co.uk

domain: sociology


text:
Superstar Rajinikanth’s ongoing project, Kaala, has recently wrapped up its second schedule in Mumbai. The latest buzz is that noted Tamil actor Dileepan, who shot to fame with critically the acclaimed film Vathikuchi, will be seen as Rajini’s son in the film.
Telugu actress Eswari Rao will be essaying Kaala’s better half’s role in this gangster drama. Rajini is expected to resume the shoot in July 2nd week. Kabali fame Pa. Ranjith is directing the movie and Dhanush is producing this prestigious project.
Articles that might interest you:
- Poll : Which of these star directors should make a gritty web series?
- Enforcement directorate questioned about these topics to Rhea Chakraborthy
- Kiara Advani signs yet another biggie
- Talk-Star daughter planning her career cleverly
- Samantha and Rashmika to play sisters?
- Sukumar launches Kanabadutaledu’s teaser

domain: entertainment


text:
Saturday, May 29, 2010
"Scandalously Close" Relationships
I was listening to the radio yesterday and I heard Obama decry the "scandalously close relationship" between the oil companies and the regulators who were supposed to be keeping them in check. Apparently (surprise, surprise) the inspectors and other regulators enjoyed the gifts and other perks of a happier relationship with those companies, so instead of scrutinizing their activity and preventing risk, they rubber-stamped whatever the companies asked them to and looked the other way so that Big Oil could sell out all of our health and safety for a buck.
I was not the least bit surprised to hear this, but apparently the American public is scandalized. Good! We should be. And let's not limit it to Big Oil. Who else do you think enjoys a similar relationship with regulators and inspectors? Big Pharm, perhaps? Big Agriculture? You think the FDA and the USDA might have a similar pattern of greenlighting whatever they do with a wink and a nod?
Turns out, they do. Drugs with very serious side effects go through the FDA based on half-assed research funded by the drug company itself. It didn't end with Thalidomide. The USDA was itself promoting the practice of cannibalism in cows - that's right, feeding the guts, fat, and other waste of cattle to OTHER CATTLE as cheap filler in feedlots. Did they promote this practice because it's good agriculture? Of course not, it just made a bit more money for the corporations behind the feedlots. Of course, it turned out to cause Crutzfeld-Jakob disease, a very nasty and incurable brain disorder that causes a horrible death in humans who eat the infected meat. But what the hell, money is money.
Did you know that if you switch a corn-fed cow to a grass diet for a mere two weeks before slaughter, you completely remove all traces of E. coli from its system? But over 20,000 people are infected with E. coli every year in this country, and every year several (including many children) suffer death or paralysis from it. The USDA doesn't require a grass diet for cattle, or even finishing on grass, because Big Ag turns a better profit on corn feedlots. Hell, the USDA even prohibits farmers from testing more than 10% of their herd for bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("mad cow disease") or E. coli O157:H7 (the deadly strain) - that's right, a farmer who wants to market his meat as safe after testing 100% of his herd was prohibited from doing so by the USDA, because large corporate feedlots couldn't afford the expense of doing same, and it would've been "unfair" competition.
So when you hear the USDA or the FDA carrying on about "safety," think of the oil companies. Think of nice gifts for federal inspectors, the bonuses, the cuddly relationship between our government safety officials and the profit-at-any-human-cost pigs they're supposed to be protecting us from. Think about that murderous gusher pumping thousands of gallons of oil into an ecosystem that may never recover, and livelihood destroyed, and human lives lost because safety officials looked the other way for money. Then think very hard about who you trust to protect you.

domain: news