Why be Normal?

Kate Gosselin, from the hit TLC reality show Jon and Kate Plus 8, was recently “caught” by the paparazzi spanking her daughter Leah.  In Touch magazine plastered this picture on the front page of their magazine.

Cara and Alexis (?) are standing by, watching the whole thing.  From the looks of it, they are hardly traumatized and probably figure that their sister Leah is getting a little bit of what was coming to her for not behaving.

I’m not writing about the incident to further fry Kate Gosselin on the proverbial media fire, but to support her choice in using spanking as a tool to teach children right from wrong.

Although spanking is frowned upon by many, if you were spanked as a child, didn’t it teach you quickly right from wrong?

Would you rather sit in time out for lengthy periods of time, or get a quick swat?  I’d take a swat on my butt anytime to get back to what I was doing as quickly as possibly. 

Yes, some children do get physically abused.  I’ve investigated hundreds of child abuse cases in the past seven years and I’ve learned the difference between spanking and physical abuse.

While many claim that spanking is a form of physical abuse, I politely disagree.  Some physical abuse cases I’ve seen include belt whippings that left deep welts up and down a sixteen year old’s back, a broken femur on a 10 month old, a cracked skull on a 3 month old, and many children covered in bruises or with mystery fractures.

Let’s not confuse spanking with child abuse unless the spanking becomes so forceful that it leaves physical marks.  That might sound funny, really, that spanking is not abuse unless it leaves bruising or “signs”, but there are many children out there that need the attention of authorities to be saved from abuse and the Gosselin children are not those children.

You might disagree with spanking, so don’t spank your children.  There are many “positive parenting” parents out there.  Their children are the ones telling adults what to do and the children trying to reason with their teacher why they shouldn’t have to be quiet right now.

Sometimes a little fear of adults goes a long way.   I’m not saying to go and beat your children into submission, but if my daughter decides to tell me off  someday, she’s getting a swat on her butt.  No questions asked.

Hollywood has taken a hit this week and lost several celebrities that were all legends in their own right.

News that Ed McMahon has passed wasn’t unexpected, but Johnny Carson’s sidekick will be missed.  Ed McMahon had been in poor health for a number of months and at 85 years old finally gave up the good fight. 

Ed McMahon spent most of his career on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, coining the phrase “Heeeeeeeeeere’s JOHNNY!”

Ed McMahon died on June 24, 2009 at the age of 85.

On Thursday, June 25, 2009, the public then learns that Farrah Fawcett, who has been bravely fighting anal cancer in the public eye has passed away.  Farrah Fawcett was only 62 years old.  Again, we might have expected her death because we know she had been fighting for her life for some time now, but I think most of us held out hope that she just might get better.

Farrah Fawcett, a television star, pop culture phenomenon and actress, fought hard against the cancer that eventually took her life.  Known as one of the original Charlie’s Angels, Fawcett will be remembered forever by fans everywhere. 

Here with her Charlie’s Angels, Farrah Fawcett is the woman on the left.

Although Farrah and her long time love Ryan O’Neill never did get to get married, he has stated that the cancer and watching her battle with it made him love her more than ever. 

Thoughts go out to Ryan O’Neill and Farrah’s family that they find solace in her memory.

Now, if losing two celebrities this week wasn’t enough, hours after Farrah’s passing we learn that Michael Jackson has also died.

What?  MJ?  Michael Jackson?  How?  When?

Although details aren’t clear, he reportedly died from cardiac arrest.  I heard on the radio that his father called TMZ on the way to the hospital to let them know that his son was dying.

Jackson recently began working on reviving his career in England and reportedly went through an extensive medical exam that said he was in the clear.

As a teenager in the 80’s, I learned the steps of Thriller and knew how to moonwalk.  I didn’t go as far as wearing the one glove, but many kids did.

As an adult in 2009, I am not as thrilled with Michael Jackson.  His recent troubles with accusations of pedophelia make me wary of completely canonizing the King of Pop.  Regardless, Michael Jackson is the third legend lost this week and Hollywood isn’t going to be the same without Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.  What a strange week for the stars.

In 1921, Charles Ponzi came up with a scheme that sounded too good to be true, and it was.

Charles Ponzi promised investors that they would receive a 50% return on their money within 90 days, an opportunity that many of the poor and uneducated people he approached found too good to pass up.

Charles Ponzi during the height of his scheme.

Ponzi, already a convicted criminal came up with the idea that if he purchased International Postage Reply Coupons in another country, he could turn them into US postage stamps and sell them for much more than he paid for them.

Values of Inthadernational Postage Reply Coupons were set in local currency and did not take into consideration exchange rates, so Ponzi could buy more coupons for the same money in a poorer country.

Ponzi’s plan didn’t account for the fact that he would have to purchases tons and tons of stamps (literally) to pay back his investors at the rate he promised.  This would require plenty of help and there was never any evidence that Ponzi ever bought any of these coupons with his investors money.

Charles Ponzi first raised more than a million dollars in three hours back in 1921 as he peddled his scheme to the unwary.  Overall Charles Ponzi admitted to taking ten million dollars from investors but skeptics believe it could have been fifteen million or more.  Ponzi returned eight million dollars before his trial.

For his scheming, Ponzi was convicted of mail fraud and sentenced to five years in prison.  This seems like a small price to pay for netting what many believe is millions of dollars.

Eventually Charles Ponzi was deported to Italy and in 1945 died alone, reportedly broke and alone.

Dubbed as “robbing Peter to pay Paul” Ponzi Schemes are still run today.  Bernie Madoff is one of the more modern Ponzi Schemers who promised investors high returns and was eventually caught when new investor money ran dry.

Ponzi schemes are enticing to both the schemer and investors because many people want something for nothing and a promise of high returns for your investment,   Ponzi’s mug shot   especially in times of recession, is very appealing.

When people are desperate, like in the case of the poor and uneducated Ponzi preyed on, they will give up what little they have in the hopes of having a better future. 

Always think twice before investing in something that sounds too good to be true.  If you have to do very little in order to make high profits, it is probably not going to work out in the long run. 

 Charles Ponzi, Early and Later in Life

Although the Gosselins announced their big split on Monday night’s episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8, the Crooked Houses that the children received seem to be even bigger. 

The little girls received a crooked garden house, the little boys a crooked pirate ship.  Mady chose her own design of an animal hospital type crooked house and Cara created a haunted house crooked house.

I believe the Crooked House Company gave the houses to the Gosselin family as a way to get on the show and advertise, but custom built crooked houses are available to the general public with a price tag.

Starting at around $1,200 for the smallest houses, crooked houses can run up into the $5,000 price range.  They are cute and whimsical, a great idea that the crooked house company has come up with.

On their website Kidscrookedhouse, they have displayed the custom built houses that were made for the Gosselins.  The children sure seemed to enjoy them on the show and I hope they get years of enjoyment out of them.

 The Custom Built Gosselin Boys Pirate Ship by Kidscrookedhouse

Miley Cyrus, Teen Queen from Hannah Montana fame is still interested in her former boyfriend Nick Jonas from the Jonas Brother Band.  Now, let’s look at it like this.  Miley Cyrus is currently 16 years old.  Miley broke up with Nick Jonas in 2007 after they spent two and a half years together.

It is now 2009, so the teen couple started dated when Miley Cyrus was 12 years old.  At 12 years old one might not find the love of their life, but maybe Miley has found the love her life in Nick Jonas.  Who knows?

Miley and Nick are working together again on a new video and they’ve been spending more and more time together. 

The two have found it impossible to stay apart from one another, says the insider. “Miley and Nick want to get back together,” the source tells the News.

Recently Miley and Nick were photographed at a lunch date together but they say they are just friends.

Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas as a younger couple.

Why is the media so interested in the love life of teens?

Simple.  Teens are interested in the love life of teens and teens are the ones that are searching the internet for every bit of gossip they can find.  Teens can’t necessarily afford the old-fashioned paper magazine, but they can surf the internet for free.

I’ll admit, I know more about Billy Ray Cyrus and his Achy Brakey Heart than I do about his daughter Miley, but if you’re going to have a successful site on the internet, you’d better include the teens.

Jon and Kate Gosselin of Jon and Kate Plus 8 announced last night on their show that they are officially separating.  I didn’t hear the word divorce, maybe I missed it, but it is my understanding that they officially separated.

In a one line screen shot TLC wrote that on June 22, 2009 official paperwork was filed by the Gosselins to dissolve their ten year marriage.  Still it did not read divorce proceedings and I am wondering, are the Gosselins still trying to work it out despite the obvious tension between the two of them?

We all know that Kate Gosselin was hard on Jon Gosselin.  I don’t love her, but at this point I empathize with her.  I think Kate Gosselin continues to shoulder the weight of the Gosselin family on her shoulders while Jon Gosselin decides exactly how much a part of the family he is going to be. 

Kate Gosselin was clear that she “didn’t want to do this alone” and that she “didn’t want her kids to be another statistic” but for right now at least it appears as though she will be doing it alone with Jon spending time with the children alone on his own.

Divorce happens.  Divorce among families of multiples happens even more often.  Why should Jon and Kate Gosselin be any different?

I had faith in the Gosselins that through anything, they would work it out together.  When a family so full of love, with so much to lose by divorcing, why is the couple throwing it all away?

I’m guessing (yes, this is just my humble opinion here) that Jon Gosselin had enough and folded under all the pressures of a bossy wife, 8 children before age 30, and constant media attention.  Jon Gosselin seems to be the one in control right now and he seems full of anger.  Maybe if Jon Gosselin could let go of his anger and realize that he too is responsible for the breakdown of their marriage, they could still work it out.

I am a hopeful optimist and wish that the Gosselins could work it out.  I am now seeing that the Gosselin family is headed for divorce, but I think if they took a step back and sat through some couples counseling (maybe they already have) they might, just might be able to make it work.

It’s Monday morning and if you are a fan of the TLC show Jon and Kate Plus 8, you know that in 12 hours or so the couple is set to announce “their big news”.  Fans of the show speculate that the Gosselin couple is finally going to announce that they are getting a divorce and Jon is moving into his newly found apartment in New York City.

I’m not so sure.  Do I have an inside source with the Gosselin family?  Of course not.  Like US Weekly and every other snarky blogger out there I am guessing, surmizing and speculating on what the Gosselin family is up to this week.  I share my opinion willingly, but remember, this is an opinion and I am not positive that I am right.

I think Jon and Kate Gosselin are going to announce that they have decided to reconcile their marriage and will work together to build their marriage back up.  Jon and Kate Gosselin have 8 children together and once loved each other.  So Kate Gosselin is overbearing and treats Jon like a child sometimes, but Jon certainly didn’t mind that Kate was in charge and someone had to be.  Trying to raise a family of 8 children, all under the age of 8 has to be overwhelming at best.

Will Jon and Kate Gosselin reconcile after months of fighting in the media?  Can Kate Gosselin forgive Jon’s alleged affair with a 23 year old teacher?

I believe that Jon and Kate Gosselin can make their marriage work and that the big surprise tonight will be that the Gosselin family is back together again. 

Jon Gosselin held an inpromptu press conference yesterday where he made reference to no longer clubbing anymore.  Maybe Jon Gosselin has started to settle down and is trying to win Kate’s heart back. 

It might be a crazy life, but it’s their life.

Gisele Bundchen, Brazilian supermodel and Tom Brady, Quarterback for the New England Patriots are expecting a new baby to add to their family in early 2010.

How has the news come out after months of swirling rumours?

The baby bump is beginning to show in catwalk photographs and there is just no hiding this pregnancy from the media, especially when you are a tall, thin supermodel.

Gisele and Tom Brady were married twice.  Once in Los Angeles and a second time in Costa Rica in Bundchen’s home.”

So far, representatives for the couple have refused to comment, but Gisele has stated in the past she believes that family is everything and she has always wanted to be a mother.

This will be Brady’s second child who has a son John with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan and a first for Bundchen.

Besides setting the catwalk on fire, Bundchen also made a cameo appearance as an assistant in the popular movie, The Devil Wears Prada where they had to work hard to make Bundchen look less beautiful and more like a serious magazine assistant.

Good luck to Brady and Bundchen.  We’ll know soon enough if she is carrying a future quarterback or future supermodel.  I’d say it’s a win-win situation in anyone’s book.

*This is a JOKE and is NOT REAL.

Johnny B. Good

Single father of half a dozen or so seeks playmate for fun, frolicking and friviolity.  Must enjoy being chased by paparazzi, clubbing, and balding young men.  Alpha females need not apply.

If interested, I might be found at my house in Pennsylvania with my eight kids or in an apartment in Manhattan.  I’m not sure yet, I’m taking it day by day.

Ability to deal with strong headed ex-wife a plus.  Name must rhyme with Eight for show continuity.

Social smoker, social drinker a plus.

In Los Angeles, California, actor Dennis Quaid and his wife Kimberly have come to a settlement with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center following an incident in November 2007 where their twins were given an overdose of the blood thinner Heparin.

The twins, Zoe Grace and Thomas Boone will be the recipients of the $500,000 settlement according to a petition filed in Los Angeles Superior Court back in may. 

Although the drug Heparin can be fatal to infants, the Quaid twins aren’t showing any lingering health issues from the overdose.  The hospital has agreed to provide free medical care to the twins if any future issues from the Heparin come to light.

In November 2007 newborn twins Zoe Grace and Thomas Boone were given an overdose of Heparin after a nurse confused an adult dose of the drug with an infant dose.  Both vials were similarly labeled, which sparked national debate about how medications for adults and children should be labeled.