Stimulus schimulus....

Guess what I got this weekend???

That $600 stimulus check from our rusty, non-trustworthy government. I logged onto my bank account on Saturday to see of my payments had cleared and noticed I had WAY too much money in my account. So, I clicked on the detailed report...and low and behold, I had the 600 smackeroos from the government.

I am still annoyed by this whole idea of the stimulus checks. Everyone keeps saying how great it is that we are getting "free" money from the government. It's not free people...and it's not the government giving us anything. We are so far into debt that we are taking loans left and right from places like China *gulp* to keep us afloat as a nation. So, we are giving ourselves 600 bucks....that we had to take a loan to get and will no doubt be paying back with lots of interest in the future. So, enjoy the "free" money.

And...I'm not hopeful this stimulus package is going to work. I don't think it's going to jump start the economy like they hope it is going to. People are scared about where the economy is heading, so spending the money on a flat screen tv or a down payment on a new car....not really what people are jumping to do. I personally feel that if the government really wanted to help the economy...they should be controlling gas prices. They could do it in a variety of ways...but that I think would actually work in stimulating the economy. If gas was cheaper...people wouldn't be so worried about filling their tank. And...prices would go down because the cost to transport goods wouldn't be so expensive. People wouldn't have to decide between groceries and gas, like many are now. So, if gas was in the $2 range...instead of the $3-4 range, I think the economy would naturally start to turn around some....a lot more than these random checks that people are afraid to spend because they are waiting for the next shoe to drop.

So, what did I do with my stimulus check? I did exactly what the government didn't want me to do with it. I made a $600 payment on my student loans. I figure...my loans will get paid off just a smidge faster. It's not helping the economy any...but it is helping my personal finances. So, Sallie Mae...consider yourself stimulated!

Have you gotten yours yet?? What do you plan on doing with it???

TGIF

Hi all...happy Friday! Today is a day that I really wanted to call in "fake sick" because it is so beautiful outside. Today it is going to top out in the high 70s...maybe even 80 degrees. And no rain, no clouds...just beautiful sunshine. But I came to work like a good girl. But unlike a good girl, I am using my time at work to blog. Here's an update on my life so far this week....

I'm going bowling tonight. I am going with the girl I am matched with in the mentoring program. I'm excited since I haven't been bowling in a long time...probably 2 years. I really like bowling too. It's one of the leisure activities that it doesn't matter how bad you are at it, it's still fun.

And, congrats to the Boston Red Sox for beating the Yankees last night in NY. The Red Sox started off the season a little shakey, but they've bounced back well..and are in first place right now in their division. There is still a lot of baseball ahead of them, but still...congrats! I have a co-worker who is a die hard Yankee fan and he went down to the city to see the game yesterday. I guess if I was a better person I'd hope the Yankees could win for him, but well...I'm not. *snickers* Go Sox!

I watched the debate on Wednesday between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. At first I wasn't going to watch it and just catch up on what was said by watching the news the next day, but I changed my mind. I wanted to see what they actually said and not all the spin. The debate was ok, but not great. The questions focused so much on the drama and politics and not enough time on the actual issues...but then again, what do you expect? It's no secret that I am a democrat...and that my politics usually side with Hillary Clinton. I just want to have a candidate and then be able to support that person. I like Hillary...she's my girl, but I could also support Barack, especially against John McCain. I have nothing against McCain...he's a heck of a nice guy, but I don't think he should be the next President. I don't agree with his policy on the war...and he has openly said he doesn't know much about the economy and given the downturn we are in...and the recession we are heading into, that is not something I think is acceptable of the POTUS.

I saw on the news this morning that while the Pope is in town...he met secretly with some victims of sexual abuse. The people he met with...they all said the meeting was very positive and the Pope was very apologetic about the sex abuse that has happened in the Catholic church. Hmm...well, that's all well and nice...but I want to see less talk...more action. I want to see the Catholic Church actually make steps to stop this from happening...and not protecting the priests who are doing it. I want to see the church defend the victims instead of the priests. If and when that happens...I might have a moment of respect for the Pope. Maybe I'm distrustful and jaded, but well...can you blame me?

Alright that's it for now...on the rambling updates. If you can...enjoy the weather and enjoy your weekend!

the news, mortgages and money...

I was watching the new the other day...I try to watch the local news from 6-7am and then I watch Good Morning America for as long as I can before I have to leave for work. They have been focusing on money and finances for the last month, especially since it is tax season and all.

I think it wa Tuesday or someday close to that, they did a huge whole story about the mortgage crisis going on in this country right now. They talked about the possibility of a new government program that would help the homeowner and the mortgage lenders get out of tough situations where because of the adjustable rates, the homeowner can no longer afford to make their house payments. I used to think that the bank still won when they foreclosed on a house, but in the end...they don't. I mean, they don't lose out as much as the homeowner, but they definitely take a hit.

So, what is this whole mortgage crisis about? Well, mainly is has been about banks letting people loan way more money to buy a home than they can really afford. It's a tough spot though because of the increase in the cost of homes. Many times, the normal income doesn't qualify for what the normal house is in many neighborhoods. I know it makes me personally nervous. If I went to a bank today and asked to be pre-approved to buy a home...there aren't any decent homes in this area for less than $100,000. In reality, on my one income...that is too expensive for me. They say that you should not spend more on your monthly mortgage payment than 1/3 of your total take home income. So, I would end up spending more than what I SHOULD be. Now, I am pretty financially responsible, so I would never sign up for more than I could afford, but still...it's pretty daunting.

These adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) are the real kicker that is getting people now a days. The homeowner gets into a loan for more than they can afford...and gets a 30 year mortgage. The kicker is that it isn't a fixed rate, it's a variable one. Well, the first 5 years is a fixed, low rate, but when those 5 years are up...it turns into a variable one. That is great...except when that rate hikes up, the homeowners can no longer pay and risk going into foreclosure.

And you wonder why the idea of buying a house is completely terrifying to me. I mean, I should be doing it because I am not getting any younger and instead of wasting money on rent, I should be spending it on equity in a home. Aurghh!

Writers Return and Politics as Usual....

I am happy to report that the writer's strike is officially over and they are heading back to work this morning. Thank goodness because they have been on strike since Nov. 5th and of course, as a result...TV has basically been driven to a halt. I haven't read what the actual terms were, but I imagine they were favorable to the writers or they wouldn't have come back. I am looking forward to seeing the Oscars, new episodes of Grey's Anatomy, The Office, etc. 24 still won't come back until the 2009 season, but at least now we now that Jack Bauer will be back at some point. And, tonight's episode of The Daily Show will be back full force with their writers and that should be entertaining to watch. Yeah for having writers...and being able to have more to watch than an array of reality TV!

And politics...it saddens me to report that things look dismal for Hillary Clinton's campaign. Barack Obama is just winning too much all over the place. He has won the last nine primary states...including the most recent in MD, VA and DC. The Clinton camp said they didn't expect to win those, which surprised me...because she is such a DC person...as a powerful Junior Senator and as the former First Lady. Clinton says that her campaign is in good shape (what else is she going to say...puh lease) and that when she wins Texas and Ohio things will be heading towards victory, but at this point...I just don't think that is going to happen. It's sad for me because I think that Hillary Clinton is the most qualified person to be President. She's a strong, smart politician and she has proven she can get things done. I like Barack...but I don't think he has the experience to show he can handle the country's most important job. He talks a great talk...I just hope he can put that talk into action. I also support Hillary because of her intensive focus on health care. It's HER issue, so I am more confident she will keep going even if it is a tough battle (which it is going to be). I worry that when the going gets tough...Obama might not keep going and fight through to victory. I've been without healthcare and I see the effects it has had daily on clients I work with...so, I desperately want a President who is going to make it a priority. I know Hillary would do that, I only hope that Barack would.

The weather is crazy this morning...so my office is quiet and quiet can be, which I will be honest...is nice.

Super Duper Tuesday Recap....

Last night, I watched some of the results come in...but got tired and fell asleep and figured that the news would do nothing but update me this morning.

So, how did Super Tuesday turn out for the candidates??

Delegates Count (Stats taken from MSNBC.com I have found different numbers on a bunch of different sites).

Democratic Side (Candidate needs 2,025 votes to win nomination)
Clinton Delegates: 582
Obama Delegates: 485

Republican Side (Candidate needs 1,191 votes to win nomination)
McCain Delegates: 516
Romney Delegates: 207
Huckabee Delegates: 142

For the Republicans...it looks like McCain and slowly, but SURELY inching towards the nomination. Romney and Huckabee can try, but I don't think anyone can catch him now.

Democratic Recap...I will talk about this more in-depth...one, because it is my party and two, because it is still very much a contested race.

States Clinton Won: California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts

States Obama Won: Idaho, Utah, Alaska, Colorado, North Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Alabama, Georgia, Connecticut, Delaware

Obama won more states than Hillary, but Hillary won the big states that she needed to. Hillary won New York, California and Massachusetts. NY was expected, but because of big endorsements in CA and MA...that was pretty unexpected. So, what does it all mean??? Well...we don't really know right now. I think they are still trying to find out who exactly gets how many delegates, but it looks like Obama won more states, but Clinton might have won just a smidge more delegates.

It'll be interesting to see where the race goes from here. Honestly, I wish one candidate would just outshine the other, so the party would fall in line behind one candidate instead of battling with itself between two wonderful candidates. I think the next big race is Texas...who holds a bunch of delegates as well. Obama has done well in the South so far, but Clinton is also showing promise in Texas.

Who knows and I don't think any of us are going to know for a while.

STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!

So, the WGA is on strike. What does that mean? Well...it means the writers for movies and TV are on strike. They were looking to negotiate with the producers in order to get a piece of the pie when it comes to DVD and internet revenue. That doesn't seem unreasonable, does it? Maybe not to you or me, but it did to the producers....so they were not able to come to an agreement so as of Monday, the WGA went on strike.

And how does that effect you and me? Well...for one, there were no new episodes of The Daily Show all week long. Shows like TDS and Letterman and Leno...rely on daily writing because their shows are so topical...so, those were effected immediately.

I will admit it, I watch a soap opera...and they will be next to be hit. Soaps only run ahead about a week and a half. So, I might not be watching GH while I am working out on my elliptical in about a week and a half. How will I know if Lucky finds out that Jason is actually the father of Elizabeth's baby? Or how the mob war will be resolved? Or why Nicholas is having blackouts...and having Incredible Hulk angry outbursts. It's just not right...to not know the answers to these things.

And next are some shows like The Office, Grey's Anatomy, 24, Lost...shows which will have to cut the season short if the strike continues for any length of time. I heard The Office may be hit soon...and since half their cast are also writers, I am sure the cast supports the cause. Grey's will be out of episodes by the end of December....and I heard only 10 episodes of the current season of 24 are written. I guess that Kiefer won't have to worry about when to serve his jail time for his DWI...if the strike continues.

A lot of actors are really supporting the writers...they are walking the picket lines with them. I think it is great...because the writers are the back bone of any great show. An actor delivers the lines...but they would be nothing without a writing...well, writing it. I will be sad if the strike continues and my favorite shows go dark...but, I fully support the strike. I think the writers deserve to get their share...and the fat cat producers need to get over themselves and start paying them what they are due.

So...there is my mini essay on the writer's strike. Anyone else have any opinions on it? You know...of the 2 people who read here. lol

Britney loses the kids...

So, as I was watching GMA this morning...they reported, much like everyone else, that the judge has ordered custody of Britney's children to K-Fed temporarily. I guess I should feel bad for her, but in reality...I don't. I feel bad for those kids. I have little hope that they are going to survive all of this without being scarred...and well, probably turning into a mini version of her. I hope that she sees this...not as the world being unfair to her, but as a wake up call to change the things she needs to do in order to be a mother to those kids. You know, I take it back...I do feel sorry for her. I don't think anyone taught her how to be a mother...I think she was a such a celebrity/media engine when she became a mom that she didn't get the education she needed. Yes...some things are common sense. MANY things are common sense, but she doesn't live in my normal world...she lives in Britney land. lol I hope that with this ruling and the required drug testing and parenting classes, etc....that maybe she learns something. Those poor kids.

Now...I know that there could be much worse for parents. I see it everyday. Example...there was a news story on the local news. It makes me angry and sick just to think about it. This woman...I think she was 36 or 37...she was arrested for prostitution in one of the urban cities in our area. And here is the kicker...she picked people up for services with HER CHILDREN in the car. She would perform her workly duties in the front seat while her 6 year old and one year old were in the backseat. Umm...really? And there are also reports that she smoked crack in the car with the kids present. Ooh...and someone else reported that she once snorted lines off her baby's chest while she was breast feeding him. You HAVE to be flippin' kidding me! And now her children have been taken...but they should have been taken a long time ago. *shakes head*

You know...in comparison...this woman makes Britney's parenting style look like she was Mother Teresa!

Britney drama...

Oh..since I was mentioning the OJ Simpson drama...what about the Britney Spears custody drama. The courts say that Britney needs to attend a parenting class, she will be randomly drug tested twice a week, she has to meet with a parenting aide for 8 hours a week, she cannot use drugs and alcohol during her visits with her children and that she cannot use any substance 12 hours prior to getting her children. Now, I do wish that they mandated her into addiction treatment instead of just saying she needs to be tested. Obviously, she has problems and drugs and alcohol is pretty much a part of it.

Who would have ever thought that K-Fed would be the shining example of parenting in that relationship? Sheesh.

So, the news has been all over the new OJ Simpson case...where he allegedly went into an LA hotel room and attempted to steal back some stuff that people stole from him. So, he got caught and has been in jail for a few days. He went to court yesterday and bail was set for $125,000. The bail was paid and he went back to Florida.

How many times is OJ supposed to get away with doing stuff? At some point, he will be in a jail cell for good.

The thing that broke my heart more than anything was seeing his daughter in court behind him. Can you imagine...your mother being murdered and more than likely, your father did it. I can't imagine what her life is like. I feel really sorry for her.

OJ is an idiot...but then again, he's not in jail, so maybe he is a genius.

Mitch Hedberg

I was talking to someone at work today about people who we think are funny...and Mitch Hedberg came up. I mentioned how gosh darn funny I think he is....and then someone mentioned something shocked me. I didn't know Mitch died in 2005. I didn't believe it...at all. I was sure that the person was mistaken...because if Mitch Hedberg died, I would know about it.

Well, he did die...in 2005...from a drug overdose. He died in 2005...and I can't believe I didn't know about it, so...I'll mourn him now. He was one of the funniest people on the planet, not just because of the jokes, but because he had one of the best deliveries I have ever seen.

RIP Mitch Hedberg. *pouts*

the complete heebie jeebies!

I was reading on the internet last night...yes, on my new LAPTOP...and came across this story. Just reading it made me panicked. *shudders* For those of you who are too lazy to click on the link...it's a story about spiders in Texas who made a huge spider web which scans over 200 yards. They say that some people are visiting and some people are staying very far away. I would be one of those people...who wouldn't get near that place if you paid me. They also say that you can hear the screeching of the mosquitoes who are all caught in the webs. Eww....ewwww....ewwww!!!!!!!!!!

I am afraid of spiders...I'll admit it. I find them tricky and just plain mean. And don't bother telling me how good they are...and that they eat bugs that are real pests, etc. I've heard it before....still terrified.

So...the idea of possibly millions of spiders working together to make a HUGE spiderweb. I am sorry...that's just chuck full of creep. I think they are starting their plan of taking over the world....and of course, they'd start in Texas...evil, evil Texas.

*shudders* Evil, evil spiders.

Thoof happens people!

There is a new website out there, Thoof.com...where normal people, like you and me...can post articles we found or even posts on our own blogs. So, we can read the news that our fellow bloggers found interesting instead of what the media circus thought we should be reading. It's like a personalized news service for the internet.

There are a few articles on there right now...which caught my interest. There is one about the 7 credit traps to avoid...another about 15 unfortunately placed ads and how it just made them ever so funny...one about Keira Knightley posing naked and the digital enhancement of her misquito bites. So...there is a little bit there for everyone.

I think the concept is really interesting and I am definitely going to put some of my blog posts up on there when I think it is something people might want to read. You can even install a ThoofRank Badge on the posts that you have put up there and it will tell you how many people are clicking through from Thoof to your site. So, in essence...it will tell you how popular your article is. Oh...and of course, the more popular an article is, the longer it stays up on the top of the front page.

So, find some interesting articles and get them all Thoofed up and ready to go!

my heart is broken just a little...

I woke up this morning and was watching the local news...and heard about the news story of 3 of the rescue workers in Utah were killed trying to get to those 6 miners. There is an article about it here.

As of right now, 6 people have been injured and 3 were killed when a second cave fell in during the rescue effort. I feel for the families and friends of the 6 miners who are still in there...and that rescue efforts have been halted because of the new tragedy. I feel for the families of the 3 people who have died trying to save the lives of the 6 inside. There is some kind of hero...someone who knowingly puts their life on the line in order to save someone else's life. That takes so much strength and guts. I respect those people so so much.

We don't know if the miners in there are still alive...and if anyone can safely get to them...and get to them in time.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those involved.

What the thoof???

So, there is a new website out there called Thoof. It's a site where normal, average people can submit articles and then you can either click on it, which means you think it is cool or interesting...or not click on it and let the article die a lonely and depressing death. And, if you submit something to Thoof, you can put a Thoof PageRank on your article and it will tell you how you are doing in comparison to other people's articles on the site. It's kind of like a popularity contest on the net.

Now...why would a website name itself Thoof? It's left me wondering and here what my mind comes up with. I think that some crazy internet designers and hackers got together and wanted to make a site where people could submit their own stories, etc. They were so sick and tired of the media elite deciding what news is and is not important. They were sick of watching the news each night and not seeing anything that mattered to them. And, as time went on, they found that the internet was spoon feeding them just like the nightly news. These internet boys had enough and so, they decided a new location must be created...where people can come and share their news with the internet world. They decided they were going to call their website the "Truth" because it would be wear everyone could tell the honest to goodness truth. Only one problem...when they were registering for the website, they did it by phone (there was a great deal...almost made it free!). But, the guy giving the information had one hell of a LISP...so he said, I want the site to be www.truth.com and all the woman heard on the other end of the phone was www.thoof.com. When they got the website registration in the mail...they saw it was not what they wanted, but it made them laugh their little internet heads off. So, they decided to keep it. And, it was their own inside joke. The truth is told at the internet on thoof.com. LOL

Too funny, but seriously...if you want to read real, personalized news on the internet...it's the place to do it!

Bush vetoes war funding bill...

So, I won't talk about fitness and weight loss ALL the time...just almost all the time. I was getting ready to go to bed last night and was checking email and such...and read on Yahoo or MSN or somewhere that Bush did in fact veto the war funding bill because it had a troop withdrawl on it. Did it surprise me? Nope. He said he was going to do it...and I believed it. I think that Bush thought the dems would just lie down and die and not even put the bill in front of him. I am happy they didn't...they were elected because of frustration over this war, so I am glad to see that they are standing up.

Does this mean I think the troops should not get the money they need over there? Absolutely not....no one thinks that, not even the most liberal of the dems. Not Hillary. Not Barack. Not Ol' Teddy boy. But I do think that we need to stop giving blank checks to the administration without some serious talk about the direction of this war.

It'll be interesting for me to see how the dems react now...what they do after the veto. I personally think the dems should find a bill and a compromise that Republicans will support as well...so that they have the numbers to override a veto if need be. Now what that middle ground will be...who knows? I sure don't. I also wonder if Republicans will be willing to override a presidential veto. I know Bush's power and control has been diminished, but well...not that much. He's still someone who will crush you if you don't follow him...look at the US attorneys as examples.

I plan on watching how this all turns out. I hope the dems behave like they should. I hope they don't stick their heels in and just turn their nose at the President and the Republicans...even if John Edwards says they should. I also they don't decided to lie down and roll over now...and consider this bill passing and being vetoed a victory. We'll see.

Start a news circle!

It's kind of a mix between a news site and a personal blog, it's called News Circles. You can create your own News Blog through their site. It seems pretty cool to me. You can snag articles from all across the web...from Google and Yahoo and even paid news sites like The Wall Street Journal, etc...except that you don't have to pay. You can make the circle public or private, depending on who you want to read it. I get most of my news from the internet, so this is something I might just try out.

Who deserves to be fired more???

I was watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (hummina)....last night and I started thinking about something.

My question is...who should be fired more???

*drum rolls*

Don Imus vs. Alberto Gonzales

Imus: Yes, he said something horrible. He made some racist, sexist comments about a group of talented wonderful African American athletes. He should be held accountable...and he should not be able to walk away from that scott free. I don't feel that it is a free speech issue...at all. Imus can continue to say whatever it is that he wants...whenever he wants. He will not be arrested. He will not be charged with a crime. However, just because you have the right to free speech does not mean that you do not have to face the consequences for what you say. He said something horrible...and for that, he should have to stand and take his medicine. Now, what has Imus done since the incident? He has apologized in the press. He has apologized to the girls. He has continued to raise money and awareness for issues by standing down and allowing his wife to continue on the radio. He hasn't made excuses for what he did...and had not complained about his consequences...oh and let's remember he's paid to entertain us and really, nothing else.

Gonzales: One, he's paid to serve us...not just as the pleasure of the President, but to serve the American people. Gonzales is at the heart of a controversy as to whether or not several US Attorneys were fired for political reasons...meaning they were looking to prosecute Republicans and not just gunning for Democrats. Gonzales says that they were all fired for cause...but then information on all of their last reviews say that they had exception performance measures. Also, there is talk that Karl Rove asked for their firings...and there are the missing emails. Gonzales first stated that he remembered the firings and that they were not performing well. Then when it comes out that they were, Gonzales says he "does not recall" the firings. He admitted that he did not look at the performance reviews of the candidates until after they were fired and could not say the reason why at least two were fired. And he's the guy in charge? He goes to meet with the Senate and says "I do not recall" as an answer so many questions....about meetings he was at, what was covered, what was talked about, etc. He basically answers all questions with, "I have searched my memory and I do not recall." So, either he is covering up or he is blatantly incompetent. There are missing emails. They are secret email accounts. There are unanswered questions...and even the Republicans in the Senate didn't stand up with Gonzales. Of course, Bush said he was confirmed in his confidence in Gonzales after the hearing.

Hmm, so...who deserves to be fired more?????

tee hee hee

So, I was flipping around and seeing what was on TV before falling asleep...and stumbled across the local Fox news. There was a story about a prison riot in Indiana, so I decided to listen since I used to live in Indiana.

Here is what the broadcaster had to say:

"There was a prison riot today in Indiana. The inmates took their shirts off in defiance and refused to follow any of the officers' orders. The inmates began a fire in the middle of the rec area. Two officers were hurt in the incident, but none of the injuries were serious. The prison was locked down for 2 hours and all of the prisoners have been accounted for. And at this point...umm, they probably have their shirts back on."

I'm sorry...but that's hilarious....they probably have their shirts back on. *giggles* I think he got caught starting a sentence and not having anything to say and just said whatever came to mind.

Totally funny.

VA Tech Picture

I don't know why, but this picture always seems to resonate with me...of people, common students just standing there....watching...wondering what is going on...if people they know are hurt or killed...not knowing what really happened or why. *shrugs* The first time I saw it on the news last night...it just broke my heart.

I am still pretty overwhelmed by what happened yesterday at Virginia Tech. I just can't get my head around what happened...and why someone would do that. I am just constantly shaking my head.

I do think that the media is being unfair to the administrators and campus police. I understand that what happened is a huge tragedy...and that there are so many people dead or injured, but I don't think the President should be asked to resign because of it. I think they dealt with the situation the best that they could...and they thought they were keeping their students safe. They didn't have a magic ball and couldn't predict what would happen after the first shooting. We still don't know if the first and second shootings were done by the same person. We don't know if it was all part of a master plan. If we don't know now...after it happened...how can we expect the school and those in charge to know? Yes, the students didn't get emails as it happened, but in some way...I get that. I get it that they felt it was a domestic, isolated incident at the time (and who knows...the first shooting could still be)...so they felt sending a panicked email out to the whole campus and shutting down the campus would have been a mistake and made more chaos, etc. And who knows...if they closed down the campus...and since the second shooter was an on campus student...maybe it would have made them sitting ducks even more??? We just don't know and I guess that is my point. We don't know. The President of the school didn't know...the campus police didn't know.

I feel for the families of those who were hurt, killed and those who weren't. I feel for the school and what legacy they will now have. This is a huge tragedy all around...and I just hope we try to heal before we go looking for people's heads...and people to blame.

My heart just breaks for all those people at Virginia Tech. My thoughts are with you.

8 year old weighs 218 pounds....

I am sure everyone has heard about this 8 year old in England who weighs 218 pounds. In the UK, social services is trying to figure out if this boy's weight is considered abuse from his parents. The authorities decided not to take the child from the home, but there is still a lot of controversy. There was a story about it this morning on GMA.

So the question is...is the issue with this child genetics or bad parenting?

In my opinion, it is probably a mix of both. I have seen a picture of this child's mother and she isn't all that thin and trim herself. So, it is genes or their bad eating habits that allow a 8 year old to weigh 4 times his normal body weight? I can remember watching shows like Montel and the like...about parents and their obese children. I was often left sickened by the lack of parenting going on there. On one of these shows, the child was 3 years old and completely controlled what he ate and how often. He's THREE! And...if the mother tried to control what he ate, he would just have a tantrum until he got his way...which always happened. And this was a kid who was eating a whole package of hotdogs at a time.

I just think that sometimes parents are afraid to be parents...to sometime be the bad guy. If your child is sneaking junk food...as the child in the UK is doing...the STOP BUYING IT! If you fill the house with nothing but lean chicken and carrots and rice cakes and the like...I can guarantee that child will lose weight.

Do I think the child should be taken from the home? Well...no, but I think social services needs to get involved. If a child is too thin or malnourished...then social services gets involved. How is this different? I think an agency should go in and work with the mom on structure and dieting and if there is no change in a given period of time...then maybe they should consider taking the child out of the home. Because...let's face it...if this child is able to continue the way he is...it's only a matter of time before he eats himself to death.

What do people think about this??? I know it's controversial...and I can only imagine how much someone at a fat acceptance site might bash me for my above comments, but well...I still believe them to be true!