Blog Posts by Mira Jacob, Shine staff

Dear lovely people who applied to be Shine Parenting Gurus,

Having closed the contest last Friday, we've officially begun looking through all the posts, and I just have to say--you guys are amazing. Truly. I can't believe the quality and thought many of you put into your posts and reading these is an absolute pleasure (well, except for the moments when I cry, which is awkward because I'm not much of a crier, but I'll get over it).

It's going to take a bit to sort through these, so I'm going to ask that you all hold tight until October 11th, when I'll announce the "winners"--the voices that I think are both diverse and compelling enough to help us build a great panel.

Meanwhile, thanks to every last person who took the time out to do this. I cannot tell you what an honor it is to read your post. You made my heart feel big.


Mira

Clementi, Ravi and Wei. Image courtesy of MSNBC.comAfter two students hid a camera in his room, filmed him engaging in a sexual act with another man, and posted the images on the web, a freshman at Rutgers University appears to have taken his own life by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. The New York Police Department harbor officers found what is believed to be the body of Tyler Clementi, 18. Two other Rutgers students, Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei, also 18, have been charged with illegally taping sexual activity and posting the images on the Internet.

According to the New York Post, Ravi and Wei have been charged with placing the camera inside Clementi's dorm room to collect the sexual images without consent, a fourth-degree crime that can result in up to five years in prison. Apparently, a live image of Clementi was broadcast on September 19th, accompanied by a tweet by Ravi which read, "Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude.

President Barack Obama talking to TODAY show host Matt LauerYou could almost hear the moans of every last sixth-grader in Mr. Cohen's Cincinatti class. Submitting a question to President Obama via the TODAY show this morning, the class asked: "We understand that there are discussions about attending school year-round. Do you think we should attend school year round? If so, why?"

The President's answer was quick and to the point: "I think we should have longer school years," he told the class and the nation, in a frank discussion with Matt Lauer that had already touched upon the rapidly declining graduation and literacy rates of our kids. "We now have our kids go to school about a month less than most other advanced countries. That month makes a difference. It's means that kids are losing a lot of what they learned during the school year in the summer. It's especially severe for poorer kids, who may not be seeing as many books in their house in the summers…Now [keeping schools operational for an extra month is] going to cost some

Uh-oh, Cookie Monster. It appears that Katy Perry, the pastor's daughter who launched her career with "I Kissed A Girl" has been yanked off of the Sesame Street site due to some unhappy viewers. According to the New York Times, the reprise of "Hot n' Cold" with Elmo just wasn't a hit among the parental set, who objected to the singer's scanty clothes, the lyrics, and something about a red monster running around the lady's bare legs. Hmm. What do you think?

Abbott Laboratories, the makers Similac, are voluntarily recalling up to 5 millions of containers of the best-selling formula for infants, believing they may contain insect parts. Boxes and cans of the product-including 8-ounce, 12.4-ounce and 12.9-ounce varieties sold in in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Gaum and some parts of the Caribbean-may contain a small beetle or larvae, which can cause stomach aches and problems with digestion.

According to Melissa Brotz, a spokeswoman for Abbott, the insects were discovered last week in a section of their Michigan manufacturing plant.

"We immediately shut down that one area and began an investigation," she told ABC news, adding that the company is in the process of resolving the matter now.

The Food and Drug Administration has determined there's no "immediate health risk" to worry about, but if you're worried about Similac you've purchased, you can either call the company hotline at (800) 986-8850 to get more information. While the company

You know those ubiquitous articles that tell you how to be a better parent? The ones that caution you from being a helicopter mom, or buying non-organic apples, or spanking your kid, or not spanking your kid, or breathing just a little too hard?

Yeah, I know them, too. As Shine's parenting editor, I read pretty much all of them and I get tired of them. I bet you get tired of them, too. And today, as I'm watching the back-to-school stories move steadily from "buy these gadgets, NOW!" to "prevent your kid from being COMPLETELY MISERABLE in class," I'd just like to celebrate something not often praised in these forums: "bad parenting."

Let me explain. I don't mean true terrible parenting-I'm not referring to anything close to neglect. I'm just talking about those subtle things that other parents might not approve of, the ones that self-help books warn you will set your children on a path toward certain failure. "Bad parenting" often comes in those moments where you go with your

What are your kids going to be clamoring for this holiday? Leave it to Toys R Us to come out with the definitive list, which previews the sure-to-please hits of the upcoming season.

Modest and preppy Bratz dolls. Pants that cover anything sold separately. You remember Bratz dolls-those bubble-headed, stick-bodied, pillow-lipped toy wonders that found themselves in a catfight with Barbie two years ago, when a jury ruled that MGA Entertainment had essentially stolen their concept from Mattel? Well, they're back. And according to the Los Angeles Times, they are "more modest and understated" with MGA's Chief Executive Isaac Larian going so far as to say they are "more preppy than sexy."

Hmm. Really? Preppy? That's so funny because when I think of preppy, I think of chinos, polo shirts, cable knit sweaters and loafers, not fur vests, berets, and poufy skirts that end just millimeters shy of tiny plastic crotches. But then what do I know? Maybe these ladies are truly "modest and understated" in a way that women like me-who can only see their outsized breasts, Jolie lips and smoky eye makeup-just can't appreciate. Maybe I'm reading way too much into the newest batch of Bratz, which include "Party" dolls that come with both day wear and