Here's a roundup of recent H1N1 news stories. And tell us: Have you encountered Swine Flu in your community? Did you get your family vaccinated? Did you get the shot, or the mist? Let us know!

In Iowa, the first case of a family pet with H1N1. The cat most likely got it from the family members recently suffering from swine flu. (Time) 

How did Wall Street bankers score the swine flu vaccine ahead of millions of others? (Associated Press)

Going sanitizer-happy? An unusually high demand for Purell could lead to limited supplies in some areas. (CNN) 

Seven members of an endangered Amazonian tribe have died from H1N1. (BBC)

A new bill in the House of Reps would guarantee paid sick leave to workers if their employer asks them to stay home with swine flu. (Associated Press) 

To put it in perspective, here's an interesting history of the swine flu, from 1889 to today. (New Scientist)  

Plus:

Our no-freak-out swine flu guide for parents

Swine flu know-how for moms-to-be

 

Check out the latest education-related news from around the web -- then be sure to sign the Mom Congress petition to fix No Child Left Behind.

“Race to the Top” education grant propels reforms (USA Today, 11/4/09)
States that want their share of the $4.35 billion federal grant must commit to closing historic achievement gaps and getting more kids into college – and while the first batch of money isn't scheduled to go out until January, state legislatures are scrambling to rewrite laws governing these systems.

A year after election, Obama focuses on schools (Boston Globe, 11/4/09)
President Obama is using the anniversary of his election to call for "a national mission" to improve public education and build it into a pillar of the new economy.

Rachael Ray's sizzling taco strategy to have students eat healthier (New York Daily News, 10/24/09)
This week, 1,200 public schools across New York City will serve up Ray's "sizzling soft tacos" as part of a plan to get kids to eat healthier meals.

Teacher Training Termed Mediocre (New York Times, 10/22/09)
Education Secretary Arne Duncan has implored universities to change the way they prepare teachers to run classrooms, saying a “revolutionary change” was needed to train as many as one million new teachers in five years.

School chooses Kindle; are libraries for the history 'books'? (USA Today, 10/27/09)
A Boston-area boarding school replaces most of the library's books with a brand-new, fully digital collection.

Here’s a new kind of Thanksgiving dressing...clothing made to wear on your annual holiday shopping sprint. God bless the legions of moms who rise before dawn and make their way, coffee in hand, to Toys R Us, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart.

I confess, I have never had the energy, since I always host a whopping big dinner the day before -- or should I say the night before, since the last relative rarely leaves before 10:00 p.m. But I have a friend who goes every year with her neighbors, and they try to make it a girls’ morning (night? It’s still dark when they leave) out.

If you, too, make a tradition of dashing to door-buster sales with your pals, donning these celebratory duds will add to the fun. Or at least, squash the temptation you must feel (admit it) to bag the whole thing when the alarm goes off. ("We bought outfits! We have to go!")

Head to Black Friday Apparel for the dish.

 

Wouldn't it be awesome if the sugar-coated cereals our kids beg us to serve boosted their immune systems and helped them fight off sickness? (And did the laundry and dishes?) That's what Kelloggs was claiming on their cereal boxes (minus the laundry and dishes part), by slapping a huge banner on their Cocoa Krispie box that read "NOW HELPS SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S IMMUNITY." The FDA supported the claim because vitamins A, C and E technically can boost your immune system, but health experts were (duh) skeptical and several lawsuits were filed.

Now, Kellogg's has scrapped the whole claim. So though the erroroneous boxes will still be on shelves for a few months while supply runs out, there won't be any more printed. (Maybe you should buy a box -- it might be a collector's item someday. Hello, e-bay!)

 

Fall in love with fall by doing these simple crafts with your kids! They'll have a blast (and you'll get free autumn decorations for your house.)

Gobble Gobble Turkey
Nature Notecards
Painted Pumpkins
Mini Maracas
Turkey Can Centerpiece

Mommy blogger, did you know the government is basically calling you Winona Ryder in Saks Fifth Avenue? As most of the blogosphere knows by now, on Oct 5th the Federal Trade Commission announced it was amending its laws about advertising endorsements and testimonials to include mommy bloggers. Ever notice how some commercials show a guy talking about how much he loves soap but in fine print it says "not a soap user"? Or a Internet dating site shows an amorous couple and the 12-point font blurb "not actual love. she just really wants to travel this summer...alone...without him"? Well now the government wants bloggers to admit upfront whether they were paid or compensated for endorsing a product in their blog. 

Can you believe this? What in the name of delicious new Jalapeno Popper-flavored Doritos is going on here? Does the government think that just because we love the smooth refreshing taste of A&W root beer that someone will just send it to 460 N. Orlando Avenue in Winter Park, Florida? That's absolutely positively Zestfully clean ridiculous. So be aware, blog readers: look for notices at the bottom of each entry that say "This is a paid endorsement" or "I enjoyed this product mostly because it arrived for free in my mailbox."

While the media made mommy bloggers appear to be the sole target of the FTC, that's incorrect. The new amendments also target celebrities. That's right: the goverment is cracking down on celebs, who, according to the FTC, "have a duty to disclose their relationships with advertisers when making endorsements outside the context of traditional ads, such as on talk shows or in social media." Drew Barrymore, when you went on Jay Leno and talked about how you make the best grilled cheeses with Kraft Singles, you were paid? So what are you saying? Did you bring those Reese's Pieces to the set of E.T. too?

So stay sharp, brave consumer. While there are times when the government will intervene, you will typically face these challenges alone. Like the time I kept pushing those big nacho chips into the dip and they kept breaking. Then I tried Tostito's Scoops, the bite-size chip that goes great with any dip or salsa.**

**I am currently eating free salsa^^

^^With free chips

 

I don’t know about you, but after two kids -- and a half-dozen years of finishing their leftover mac 'n cheese and dino-shaped chicken nuggets -- my butt doesn’t need any help in the plumping department. For those of you who suffer from a too-flat fanny, though, now there’s hope: Bremenn Research Labs’ Butt Lift in a Box.

 
www.BremennLabs.com

I’m intrigued by this little kit (though, so far, not enough to try it) which contains a “plumping catalyst,” a “lifting and firming emulsion,” and, last but not least, a special butt-lifting and toning program. I’m guessing that’s a regimen best done in a room with drawn shades, but who knows? It could also make an amusing and possibly lucrative video.

Ironically, getting a Kardashian-worthy caboose will take a toll on your other bottom line -- the kit costs $99. So if you want a free option, please let me know, and I’ll send you some of my surplus butt. Then maybe we’ll both look like perfect tens in our Sevens.

 

Check your freezers! Fairbank Farms (NY) has recalled 545,699 pounds of ground beef that is already past its sell-by date.

Read New York Firm Recalls Fresh Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination (USDA) 

"Each package bears the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the nutrition label. These products were packaged on September 15 and 16, 2009, and may have been labeled at the retail stores with a sell-by date from September 19 through 28, 2009, unless otherwise noted [below]. Consumers should ask at their point of purchase if the products they have are subject to recall. The products were sent to distribution centers, intended for further distribution to retail establishments in Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Consumer questions should be directed to the company's Consumer Hotline at (877) 546-0122."

Here's a list of the recalled ground beef products, and where they were sold:

Trader Joe's
• 1-pound packages of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF 85/15."
• 1-pound packages of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF 80/20."
(NOTE: The sell-by dates for the above two products may be October 6 or 7, 2009.)
• 1-pound trays of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF PATTIES 96/4 EXTRA LEAN."
• 1-pound trays of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF PATTIES 85/15."

Price Chopper
• 1- and 2.5-pound trays of "PRICE CHOPPER MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX."
• 1-pound trays of "PRICE CHOPPER EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF 96/4."
• 1-pound trays of "PRICE CHOPPER FRESH GROUND BEEF CHUCK FOR CHILI 80% LEAN 20% FAT."

Lancaster and Wild Harvest
• 1-pound trays of "LANCASTER BRAND 96/4 EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF."
• 1- and 2-pound trays of "LANCASTER BRAND 90/10 GROUND BEEF."
• 1-pound trays of "WILD HARVEST NATURAL 85/15 ANGUS GROUND BEEF."

Shaw's
• 1- and 2-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF 93/7."
• 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF 80/20."
• 1- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF 75/25."
• 1.3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND SIRLOIN BEEF PATTIES 90/10."
• 1.3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND ROUND BEEF PATTIES 85/15."
• 1.3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF PATTIES 80/20."
• 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF PATTIES FAMILY PACK 80/20."
• 1-pound trays of "SHAW'S ANGUS GROUND BEEF 85/15."
• 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND ROUND BEEF 85/15."
• 1-pound trays of "SHAW'S 90% NATURAL GROUND BEEF."
• 1-pound trays of "SHAW'S 85% NATURAL GROUND BEEF."
• 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND SIRLOIN 90/10."
• 1-pound trays of "MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX."

BJ's
• 5-pound trays of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 15 % FAT" patties.
• 3- and 5-pound trays of "LEAN GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 7% FAT."
• 2.5-pound trays of "MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX." Ford Brothers
• 3-pound trays of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 20% FAT" patties.

Giant
• 1-pound trays of "GIANT EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF 96/4."
• 1-pound trays of "GIANT MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX."
• 1-pound trays of "GIANT NATURE'S PROMISE GROUND BEEF."
• 1-pound trays of "GIANT NATURE'S PROMISE GROUND BEEF PATTIES."

And, products for further processing:
• Cases of 10-pound "FAIRBANK FARMS FRESH GROUND BEEF CHUBS."

There's a North Carolina-based group called College Bound Sisters that gives girls a stipend toward college, if they make it through the program without getting pregnant.

Read Teenage girls earn extra cash for college -- as long as they don't get pregnant 

From the article:

"In 1997, [Drs. Hazel Brown and Rebecca Saunders] turned their focus to primary pregnancy prevention, founding College Bound Sisters for girls 12 to 16 -- considered high-risk because their sisters were teenage mothers.

…The program is controversial on several levels. Abstinence is not required of participants; the program offers information on both birth control and safe sex, which doesn't sit well with those who support abstinence-only education. Other critics believe the government should not pay teens to do what's in their own self-interest.

Indeed, many of the girls who join the program initially are motivated by the money. But they stay, Brown says, because of the support they receive and the opportunity to get a college education. "You can't work toward a negative," she says, "so saying 'Don't get pregnant' isn't good enough. This program gives them something to work toward."

Only six girls of the 125 enrolled for six months or longer have become pregnant. About 40 have already finished high school, and 10 have graduated from college….North Carolina ranks eighth in the nation for teen pregnancies. The $75,000 annual cost for the programs run by Planned Parenthood and College Bound sisters pales next to the $500,000 a teen pregnancy can cost taxpayers for health care and welfare."

What do you think about this program? Do the ends (more at-risk girls going to college) justify the means (dangling cash in front of them)?

 

After a toddler tantrum got a 2-year-old and his mother booted off a Southwest flight, the blogosphere rejoiced. "Bout @#$$#@ time," and "The mother is only angling for a free ticket so she can flee the little basterd," were among the comments on fark.com. In response, James C. Kaufman wrote an article for Psychology Today asking, Why Does Our Society Hate Children?

"Toddlers have to have tantrums. It's how they learn boundaries," he said. "I don't like screaming in my ear, either. I also don't like people who wrestle the armrest away from me, people who lean their seat ALL the way back, and people who claim their suitcase is a purse and cram the overhead compartment with too many bags. But that's life. That's what traveling by air means. Heck, that's what it means to live in this world."

Do you think society really hates children? How do you react when if your toddler starts throwing a tantrum and you get that look from people who don't look like they're willing to offer much compassion?