What's with these kids today??? (and their parents)

Reading this entry over at Dom Bettinelli's reminded me . . . on Friday we went to see an OB/GYN at the local fertility clinic. I told her we had already discussed things and were cool with "whatever kind of baby we end up with, if we end up with a baby" (i.e., if it has Downs or other issues, I won't get an abortion). She was like, okay, don't have to get into that, then -- like it was a bit of a relief. On the way home husband and I talked some more, as we have lately, about the sheer unwillingness of modern parents to have children that are less than perfect. In the first world, and increasingly in the third world, we demand that children be utile, that they at least be able to "perform", to earn their own keep once they reach their majority, if not take care of us as well. There is no room for the deformed, of any kind, because they are not obviously productive to their families or to society. Of course, Mr. Musings has a grown sister with Downs (she's the same age as I am - 35), and I've volunteered with folks with various disabilities, so we've both seen that these people do in fact indirectly contribute to society -- but not in any ways that can be measured by the yardsticks of worldly success and achievement.

Well, this is not terribly new - parents always want healthy children, which new mother or father cries, "Oh, autism! Just what I was hoping for!" or some similar? But today it is worse, because parents in middle- and upper-etc.-class families, seem to focus on one or two wonderful, adorable, perfect little ones who can do no wrong. These children are starved of things they do need (authority, free time, unconditional love, stable families) and stuffed with things they don't (money and things, over-scheduled activities and "experiences", parents as friends, familial instability - these are all just examples). Parents seem to think that children need things that are at best "wants", while not even deigning to provide things that once would have been thought essential. At least we "latch-key" kids of Gen-X had free time, and I think Gen Y'ers did too. But what are these Britney'd and Justin'ed turn-of-the-millenium kids going to turn out like?

Or, as I told my husband, "Yeah, I must be turning 35 - 'Hey, these darn kids today!'"

But, still, I am serious. The other part of it is that parents have just forgotten what the whole point of getting married and having a family is -- having babies. I mean, if you're going to have one, why not have two? And if you're going to have two, why not three? And if three, why not four . . . (I've heard three toddlers is the worst it gets, it improves from there). I'm not saying everyone should have 20 kids, but my husband is the oldest of 15, and they are a pretty decent brood, with lots of kids themselves, it makes you think how pathetically onanistic modern "family" life is today. And I'm just talking about secular people, I'm not even addressing us Catholics!

Well, anyway, happy birthday to me (after midnight).

"Hi, I'm a genius" news

Hezbollah Head Didn't Foresee Such a War

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said in a TV interview aired Sunday that he would not have ordered the capture of two Israeli soldiers if he had known it would lead to such a war.

Well, DUH.

But he still "won".

Bottom story of the day

Dressed-Down Actors Rehearse Emmy Lines

Candice Bergen relaxed in the green room - really a sand-colored, Moroccan-themed enclave trimmed in red - while comedian Howie Mandel marched on stage with a bevy of "Deal or No Deal" beauties.

. . . Outside, workers meticulously readied the red carpet for famous feet.

Article most likely to be quoted by Phyllis Schlafly in the next month

Don't Marry Career Women

Bottom Story of the Day

Heidi Klum and Seal Want More Children

NEW YORK (AP) -- Heidi Klum and her husband Seal, currently expecting their second child together, might not be done. "We want to have a lot of children," the supermodel tells Life magazine in its latest issue. "(Seal) always says that he finds me the most beautiful when I'm pregnant."

When headlines have no meaning

Lamont: Lieberman Sounded Like Cheney

What the hell? That might play good with the Nut, I mean, Netroots, Ned, but I don't think it's going to go so well with average Connecticut voters.

Anyway, as another blogger (I forget who) has observed, this whole thing is really going to get amusing from here on out. Ned can't run any further to the left, or will alienate centrist voters. Yet if he talks about things besides "the war", his partisans will be angered - however, a Connecticut senator has to deal with things besides foreign policy. It's quite a Chinese finger trap he's got going, and I for one am just going to enjoy watching Neddy try to win the general while pleasing all sides. Of course, he does have the MSM doing his heavy lifting for him . . .

The '80's really are returning this fall . . .

I had a blouse exactly like this in 1986 (from Carroll Reed or the late, great Gokeys, I think, maybe Brooks . . . ). Supercute then and now. 'Course, then, you wore it, buttoned, with a floppy plaid or paisley bow tie . . . not quite as trim-fit as this, either. See? It never is quite the same the second time around.

Warning: One additional stupid AP Health story can be overly irritating to your system

Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!

One High-Saturated Fat Meal Can Be Bad

"Leopard: Request vs. Reality"

With Apple's WWDC getting going today, Steve Jobs unveiled Leopard (aka OSX v10.5). Of course, Macworld's all over it; my favorite article so far is Chris Breen's "What we wanted in Leopard: Request vs. reality", in which he considers the shortcomings of the current OS and checks Steve's reveal against what he thinks users are looking for (and I think he's pretty spot-on in his criticisms).