Kid Nation: Kids: 10 Chickens: Still 0

It's not been a good season for chickens on CBS. Early on in Kid Nation, the chickens were little more than protein on the move. On the most recent installment of The Amazing Race, chickens were unwitting travel companions, lugged around in string bags like excess baggage. And last night on Kid Nation, the chickens were once again headed for the chopping block.

But in a particularly unsettling twist, Taylor, the resident pageant-queen-brat-extraordinaire, showed her true colors once again and after throwing a tantrum, was allowed to choose the chickens destined for execution. Taylor has, it seems, developed a fondness for some of the fowl. So she systematically removed the "pretty" chickens from Greg's ax-wheeling grasp, and instead offered up what she determined were "ugly" chickens. You know, chickens that would never be...well...pageant chickens. And in a truly sickening moment, Taylor shouted with smug glee, "Ugly chickens deserve to die."

Where do we begin? We're almost too tired of this kind of behavior to offer up comment. Let's just say that if these kids are making a better world in Bonanza City, we're staying right where we are.

Taylor, for better or worse, was central to the story last night. Her behavior, which by any measure is reprehensible, was part of what the Council (and the rest of the pioneers) had to deal with. She was unwilling to work, unable to get along with anyone (except a brown chicken) and seemingly unaffected by other kids' responses to her.

So the decision was made that no matter the reward, should the kids earn a reward, Taylor would not benefit. She acted as though she couldn't care less and she made no move to change her evil ways.

The wise and oddly coincidental Journal provided the guidance (contrivance) for this week's big idea - study! What a concept! Learning. Reading. It was a revelation. And it nearly caused a revolution. The kids split over the obvious line in the sand: the smart kids who loved the idea, and the slackers who, in the words of one young boy, "came here to get away from school." Ugh.

Wisely, most kids realized that whatever the Journal advised most often connected to the "showdown" which meant that they better read that little book on Bonanza City history if there was a hope of reaping a reward. Most of the kids studied, but not, of course, Taylor. She hates to read (shocker!) and she could not have cared less about a reward in which she would certainly not participate.

The predictable, ever mind-numbing challenge was aptly named, "pop quiz" because it required kids to use sling shots and metal nuts to pop balloons. We were happy to see that at least they wore protective goggles. It's not easy being Safety4Kids and watching this show.

The green district, who studied the hardest, won the showdown and became the upper class. The town won the grand reward, which was a choice between a library of books, both educational and entertaining, and an arcade, filled with free video games, a pool table, air hockey, poker chips and cards and everything else to fulfill any kid's fantasy. The wise and benevolent Council chose the arcade and all hell broke loose.

At first, it seemed like the right choice; it certainly was a popular decision. The green district went off to play, while the others went about their chores. For about five minutes. Then the pioneers abandoned their responsibilities and went off to play. Can you blame them? These kids have been deprived of anything resembling fun for over a month. Of course they wanted to play! And for a while, it was actually nice to see them enjoying themselves and playing and laughing and well...being kids. So you knew that couldn't last.

Taylor, brooding and forbidden to enter the arcade, went off to seek solace from the remaining chickens. Zack decided to try and "reach" Taylor by calmly talking with her about the situation and presenting to her the idea that everyone did things they didn't like but that was simply life in Bonanza City. And he sympathized with her about feeling bullied by the Council. Taylor relented and almost single-handedly washed hundreds of disgusting dishes. She was then ceremoniously carried in to the arcade in triumph, by Greg. If only there had been a tiara nearby.

Safety side note! Red alert! The dishes, left for days, are washed (and we use the term loosely) in dirty water seemingly without soap. YUCK! And more than yuck, health hazard. The unsanitary conditions are never really addressed, explored, or heaven forbid, corrected, but it was a glaring reminder that these kids live in a kind of contrived squalor and there is no telling what is living with them...at the very least on the dishes.

Okay, so the town goes wild in the arcade, staying up all night playing, and no one cooks breakfast or does chores anymore. Except Sophia, the responsible young teen who last night described herself in this insightful way: "I'm a thirty year old trapped in the body of a fourteen year old." Poor Sophia. She would have preferred the library to the arcade. She took all her buffalo nickels and bought the remaining books in the "store" and created her own library. She also made pancakes for the other kids, because no one else was cooking. She was disgusted with the whole situation. "The arcade is like a drug," she concluded.

DK, a Council member, began to regret the choice of the arcade. At the weekly Town Hall Meeting, the Council decided to padlock the arcade from now on until all the chores were done. And because of Sophia's demonstrated leadership in the whole "arcade debacle" she was deputized by the Council to "police" the town, making certain that all chores were complete before allowing anyone to enter the arcade. She stood up at the meeting and declared, "I'm the sheriff of Bonanza City." And in so doing, we know, of course, that next week's episode will feature the power-mad Sophia enforcing some sort of crackdown on the pioneers. We're not sure the formula could be more predictable. And less interesting.

Hunter, a sweet, hard-working boy, won the gold star and had a fake conversation with his proud parents.

We're starting to feel like ruminating on the "issues" raised on "Kid Nation" is endowing the show with more substance than it deserves. But we're in this until the end, so here goes:

The Lessons of Bonanza City, Day 32

• Deprivation, when followed by extreme temptation, will lead to chaos.
• Negative reinforcement, i.e., so much attention given to the brattiest child in the universe, only makes her brattier and creates bad feelings among the others.
• This Council, for all its macho, has absolutely no control over the town, and has to resort to punitive measures to make anything happen. Gone are the days of consensus, reasonable limits and respect, which the previous Council, under Laurel's leadership, clearly demonstrated.
• The producers will continue to create dissension, destruction, and distrust, in hopes of creating drama on a show that should have been canceled long ago.

But perhaps the real lesson of Bonanza City is, being a chicken, even a pretty one, is a slippery slope.

(c) Caroline Bloor. Image from BigStockPhoto.com (c) Andrew Mah. Imgae from BigStockPhoto.com

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Technorati Tags: Kid Nation, TV, Safety4Kids

HOUSE: Final 2007 Episode?

Even though the Fox Television website is still promoting a new House episode for next week, during tonight's coming attractions the deep-voiced announcer twice mentioned "...when House returns in January on Fox." (read "...when the writers' strike is settled!")

Hey, did I get ahead of myself? This season's ninth episode, "Games," narrowed the finalist pool to three and another long list of impossible diagnoses were entertained. Maybe the writers do need a break!

A drug-addicted rock musician develops bloody vomit, seizures, fever, a hemorrhagic rash, and encephalitis (brain inflammation - you know that's not good).

Could it all attributed to a dissolute lifestyle? No.

Drug impurities? No.

Malaria? No (although 100 USA cases are reported yearly).

Guess what? Rock star had measles (also called rubeola)!

Wasn't measles eliminated in this country? Well, almost. There were 37 cases reported by CDC in their last annual report, with no measles deaths. In 4 years House has treated two patients with measles. Worldwide there are approximately 30 million measles cases per year with 800,000 deaths.

Here in America, our measles record is pretty good with over 92% of children immunized. Remember, not every vaccination works in every individual. Besides, some parents still prevent their children from being immunized. Sometimes the protection wears thin over decades. Given the fact that House's patient suffers from chronic impaired immunity due to all the junk in his system (the patient, not House), his body was incapable of properly mounting resistance to the measles virus.

Measles is caused by a virus. Like a cold it is spread by respiratory droplets and saliva ... AH-CHOO! The first symptoms (cough, fever, fatigue) don't appear for 10 days or so following exposure and the rash appears even later. That is a real public health challenge in these days of rapid transcontinental travel.

For some unexplained reason House demanded a brain biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. Rapid PCR (polymerase chain reaction) analysis of a throat swab can accurately confirm the presence of the measles virus. Like I said, maybe it's a good time for the writers to take some time-off...and perhaps read more.

One quick additional point worth mentioning: The patient in tonight's episode was prescribed nicotine replacement patches and applied dozens to his skin. Not funny. If you rely on nicotine patches, treat them like serious medicine. Keep them far from children because children like to imitate their parents. After 24 hours a discarded nicotine patch is still loaded and a small child might retrieve the patch from the trash and quickly overdose. Same thing happens if they chew on a used patch, so be very careful with replacement nicotine products.

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Technorati Tags: House, TV, measles, rubeola, nicotine patch

Kid Nation: R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

When we last left Bonanza City, the Council had received a vote of "no confidence". The kids decided to hold elections, again, and try to do better. Oh if only our system worked that way--just change-out the people in charge when we've had enough!

So the hands were raised by those who wished to run against the current Council and they each had thirty seconds to convince their district why they'd be better. When the votes were tallied, the entire Council had been replaced, even Laurel, our favorite and most effective leader. The new Council was all the older kids; the bullies. Greg, the oldest "pioneer" in Bonanza City and the one with serious anger issues; Blaine, his side-kick; D.K., who vacillates between being nice and being bossy; and Michael, the mop-top blond who early on won a gold star for his kindness. All boys. All older.

In the words of Sophia: "I was scared for the future of Bonanza City." We were, too. Laurel added: "Bonanza City is going to crash and burn."

As the first act of exerting their new found power, the Council decided to play a "communications game", believing that there was not nearly enough respect among the pioneers, evidenced by people interrupting each other while they were talking. Blaine had once been through an exercise he described to his fellow Council members and they agreed it was an excellent exercise to foist upon the group.

They gathered the townsfolk in the saloon and explained the rules: each kid would get up, state their name, age, where they were from, and say one thing about themselves. No one could utter a sound during these mini monologues. Not a single sound. Not a cough, a giggle, a mumble, nothing. And if there was a sound, the entire exercise would begin again, and repeat until all the kids had had their turn. This, they explained, was the way to learn respect.

Nathan was not happy about this, and summed up what many of the kids were thinking: "They should work on themselves before they teach us about respect."

It goes without saying that it took a very long time to get through this nightmare and created a deep and powerful resentment in all the kids and taught them nothing other than the fact that the Council can make them do anything they want, no matter how inane.

The effect of this exercise was that the kids felt upset, angry, more homesick than ever and very unhappy with the council.

Eric said, "Greg is so rude and disrespectful."

Jared simply concluded, "The respect game sucked."

The green district, now lead by Michael but once strong and united under Laurel, held a meeting in their bunkhouse and discussed the problems with the current Council, the fear and anger they felt for Greg and Blaine in particular, and encouraged Michael to stand up to them and be more independent in his thinking. Not to mention a better representative of the green district. There was a good deal of open and honest exchange, as these kids tried to deal with the changes, their feelings, and their concerns. There was one problem however: Greg and Blaine were listening under their window. Greg and Blaine. The Council members working to instill respect. Yeah, right. In that instant, they showed themselves, again, as nothing more than bullies, trying to control everyone and everything. And entirely disrespectful. The most consistent complaint about Greg has been his lack of respect for others, and this was further proof. Greg and Blaine were incensed by what they overheard.

The next morning brought a full-blown confrontation between the green district and Greg, Blaine and D.K. No one could manage it. The anger built. The feelings got stronger. The younger kids more scared. The older kids more obstinate and controlling. It should also be noted that the three Council members who acted out their anger on the group, did so by making snide, sexist comments to the girls as they walked by...commenting on their shorts, the fact that they were "looking good" and even cat-calling. All of which set a particularly disturbing tone to the episode.

Laurel decided to go home, seeing no value in staying one more minute in a situation like this.

But Sophia had the winning insightful comment, one that perhaps sums up the entire disastrous episode and gave us an Art Linkletter "kids say the darnedest things" moment:

"It's like someone won the presidential election with no background check." Out of the mouths of babes.

This episode had all the usual, manipulative side stories, almost too mind-numbing at this stage to report. Suffice it to say that no one knows how to handle Taylor, but this Council thought she should be punished; they ultimately relented, but cautioned her that she had to step up her game. Where have they been? This is her game. She's the pageant queen unable and unwilling to adapt.

The "Showdown" was the usual combination of idiotic, sprinkled with disgusting, and always laced with unhealthy competitive drive. This one, in addition to reminding us that adults can get kids to do anything with the promise of a surprise reward, also demonstrated the need for these kids to get back to school asap. Nary a handful of them knew that the television was invented after the telegraph. Some did not recognize a phonograph. Perhaps in reaction to their own ignorance, next week's preview revealed that the pioneers will try to create their own school. We can hardly wait.

The kids actually completed their Showdown competition in time to win the grand prize. A choice between ponies, who could clearly help with chores vs. letters from home. We breathed a great sigh of relief when the Council chose the letters; we were very concerned for the ponies. The letters gave some of the kids a boost, made some a little more homesick, but ultimately made them all feel that they could make it through the last ten days. We're hoping we can, too.

The episode ended with a fairly clear split over who thinks the Council is doing a good job and who does not. But there was an overwhelmingly united cry for Greg to change; he was on notice that the kids did not want him to leave, but they wanted him to stop being a bully and start demonstrating respect. He tried to defend himself, but ultimately agreed to try harder.

The gold star was awarded, without great ceremony, to Laurel, our choice for a gold star every week. She accepted the surprise honor with characteristic honesty and grace. And it stopped her from going home, of course. She and her mother had a little chat about hitting the mall when she got home.

So what was this all about? What is going on in Bonanza City? And how do we, at Safety4Kids, make sense of these episodes while keeping a watchful eye on the well-being of these pioneers?

We were left with more questions than answers after this episode, but questions that are worthy of discussion.

• Why do kids (and maybe not just kids) vote for the very people they fear?
• Why do the bullies end up in positions of power?
• Does the desire for change, above everything else, ensure bad choices?
• Do kids still believe that people can change?
• How do so many governing bodies end up in autocracy, rather than democracy?
• Why don't people rise up in revolt and cry out for change, when the feelings are so strong and the need so great?

Perhaps the meek will one day inherit the earth; but not right now. And not in Bonanza City.

(c) Matt Trommer. Image from BigStockPhoto.com

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• WebMD Video: How to Survive a Schoolyard Bully
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Technorati Tags: Kid Nation, CBS, respect, bullying

HOUSE: Illusion of Illness

Take a deep breath! This week's episode had three strong storylines: Cuddy's panties (details here), a fellowship candidate (#13) worried about a lethal hereditary illness, and a local magician who keeps bleeding.

Certainly an entire blog post can be devoted to each of these dramas but we'll stay with the mainstay of each episode - the guest star with the unresolved medical malady.

An illusionist attempts the Houdini underwater handcuff escape trick and immediately suffers cardiac arrest with multi-organ hemorrhages. MRI scanning causes explosive abdominal bleeding. Yes! That has happened before and in this episode of House the magician had previously swallowed a (ferromagnetic) key that went crazy once inside the powerful MRI device. Yes, the "M" in MRI stands for magnetic. Dude, eat more fiber!

Acute nasal bleeding prompts the obligatory weekly 'House Break-in' and the trainees discover rabbits in the magician's home (who knew?) Rabbits can carry the bacteria responsible for Tularemia, a known infectious cause of internal bleeding. Getting sleepy yet?

Seizures and limb numbness follow and the doctors entertain the diagnosis of Amyloidosis. I have decided to stop things right here. Amyloidosis is a remarkable systemic disease that is often passed along family lines. The word amyloid means 'starch-like' - the preface 'amy' means starch...like amylase, the starch-dissolving enzyme. As you properly surmised, the suffix 'oid' means like or resembling.

Okay, enough etymology. People who have amyloidosis synthesize lots of abnormal, twisted proteins that accumulate within organs like the heart, lungs and kidney. It can be inherited or acquired, as happens in folks with multiple myeloma. Once the diagnosis is considered amyloidosis can be confirmed or refuted with a straightforward tissue biopsy. The hard part for doctors is remembering to think about amyloid.

I refer to amyloidosis as a 'back pocket diagnosis'. By that I mean doctors-in-training can save patients and impress others at Grand Rounds by remembering a short list of frequently overlooked conditions. I encourage young doctors to keep that list on a 3x5 card in their back pocket for ready reference. The list includes crowd pleasers like undiscovered foreign body, unrecognized trauma, and amyloidosis.

Patients with chronic lung, cardiac, skin or kidney problems that evade a precise diagnosis and don't respond to treatment as expected might want to ask their doctor, "What are the chances that this might be amyloid?"

What about the illusionist? Don't lose any sleep about the magician, he previously had received a blood transfusion with a mismatched blood type and enjoyed a rapid recovery upon receiving the right treatment...with two minutes left in the program. Once again the illusionist escaped death with mere seconds to spare!

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Technorati Tags: House, TV, chronic illness, health, wellness

Grey's Threw Me a Bone!

As a doctor, last nights Grey's Anatomy brought a smile to my face. And I'm not just talking about Christina's intense brown nosing, which did crack me up.

I know you guys hate it when I disrespect the show too much, so I've been trying to lay off the criticisms and enjoy the craziness. But it seems like Grey's writers have been doing their homework -- or maybe they just listened to their medical consultants this time.

You can break your "butt." Your brain can swell very quickly if you pull a pencil out of your brain. And the Chief actually ordered the right test when Dr. Bailey's "friend" developed a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs.

The cheerleader didn't actually break her butt. I just went with it because one of the editors at WebMD asked me, "Can you actually break your butt?"

She actually broke her coccyx, or tailbone, which is fairly common for someone who lands hard on their rear. Surgery is rarely needed but Callie wouldn't have had much to do if they just treated it with a "doughnut," a pillow that you sit on to cushion the area. And that's not nearly as exciting as surgery - although it probably would have lent itself to some good whoopee cushion jokes.

Onto the pencil. McDreamy mentioned that the pencil was lodged near the "ACA." If you know what that is, then here's your honorary MD degree. The ACA is the anterior cerebral artery, one of the main large arteries in the brain.

It's completely reasonable that the brain would bleed profusely if the ACA were nicked. And like McDreamy said, since the brain is encased in the skull, the blood and the resulting swelling has nowhere to go. Not only does this lead to severe brain damage, oftentimes this will cause "brain herniation," where the brain is essentially pushed down into the spinal canal, causing severe brain compression and death.

Now, Dr. Bailey's high school crush. While that was really the focus of that storyline, for me, I was quite interested in the series of events around his pulmonary embolism.

The guy had atrial fibrillation, which is the most common heart rhythm problem. The main problem with atrial fibrillation is that the blood doesn't get pumped out of the heart like it should and can form a clot inside the heart. The clot can then be pumped into the lungs, blocking blood supply to part of the lungs.

When the man "crashed," the term doctors use when a patient goes downhill quickly, the Chief rushed in to save the day since Dr. Bailey was acting like a "blithering idiot" (Dr. Hahn's words – not mine). And he actually ordered the right test – a spiral CAT scan. It made me feel all warm and cozy inside.

There are probably few of us that actually get this kind of joy out of watching TV medical dramas. Hopefully for my sake, and the few others out there who get their joys this way, Grey's writers will keep up the good work.

Does accurate medicine really spoil Meredith's inability to commit to the man she loves or Izzie's lack of sexual electricity with George? I think not. Throw me a bone, please.

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Technorati Tags: Grey's Anatomy, TV, medicine, McDreamy

Kid Nation: "Not Even Close To Fair"

That was actually their title, not ours! But it's beginning to be the theme of most weekly episodes, not to mention life in general in Bonanza City.

If you read our blog last week, and we sincerely hope you did, you would have been surprised to find that we actually had some good news! We felt that despite inane showdowns, the decided lack of all basic forms of hygiene, and the useless, bordering on detrimental influence of adults, the "pioneers" of Bonanza City were actually coming together as a group. There was cohesion. There was genuine support and affection among the kids. They were...dare we say...becoming friends.

So you know the producers couldn't let that happen! After all, we adults in the audience would rather see kids at each other's throats, right? Who wants to tune in Wednesday night and find a little peace in Bonanza City?

Enter the trusty, dusty journal. The entry that guided the Council last night was, incredibly, written by the fore-pioneers on April 26, 1886. And yet it is so timely today. NOT!

The brilliant guidance provided last night suggested that in order to create "balance" within the community, the Council should "mix up" the districts. This notion was met with great surprise by the Council, who had finally helped achieve unity. The reason given for this idiotic suggestion was that certain districts were top heavy with older kids, and one district, "yellow" had mostly younger kids who did not like to work, i.e., Taylor and Emilie.

It should be noted and applauded that Laurel, our favorite pioneer by a long shot, staunchly refused to mix up her district, insisting that they were good friends, worked well together, had won four gold stars, and did not need to be broken apart.

OK. Reality check: isn't that the point of this whole ridiculous show? Create a society where unity and respect and productivity prevail in the face of contrived adversity? Laurel was right. And for her stance, she was roundly admonished by her Council peers.

Remember Laurel's stance.

Anjay, clearly a weak Council member who struggles each week to gain his district's respect thought the idea would be difficult to implement. "This is dynamite waiting to happen", was his take on the matter.

But because this show is about trumped-up drama and undermining any progress the kids might actually make on their own, the Council brought everyone together to give them the news. The reaction of the community was unanimous and vocal. And it got mean. Really mean. No one wanted to switch districts. And after all the commotion and conversation and gut-wrenching decision-making (cue laugh track) only three people moved to a different district. Is it just us, or was that really ridiculous?! After all the drama, what this move did was to focus everyone's attention on three kids, two of them a little troubled and out of the mainstream, and one of them, Blaine, was simply needed on a weak district to balance the physical strength. Everyone else stayed in their assigned groups. When Laurel announced that her group would be unchanged, her kids cheered and were relieved, but, again, she was maligned by the rest of the community. Unbridled anger was pretty much the order of the day, as the three kids made their moves to their new bunkhouses.

Blaine, a strong, strapping 14 year old, actually felt that he would finally be out of Greg's shadow and maybe get some credit for all that he contributes. Greg is the oldest kid, by far the strongest, and quite often the most angry. He was, you may recall, no friend to the chicken.

So now, after weeks of building consensus and community, Bonanza City was in chaos.

In past weeks we at Safety4Kids have been concerned about numerous aspects of this show and its impact on these kids. Physical safety, health issues, emotional well being. We have raised issues concerning the long term effects and wondered aloud about the parents who signed the contracts. Last night, it became even clearer to us that the manipulation of these kids for some perceived dramatic effect, was the only objective, and it was actually disheartening as well as disappointing. We thought that perhaps, because the kids seem to be building a genuine feeling of community, that we would just see this grow and flourish. But "dynamite" it was last night, and now all those weeks of suffering (the audience as well as the pioneers) in order to create cohesion, were for naught. Bonanza City is in utter chaos. There is anger everywhere, and for the first time since the beginning, a younger child, Randi, left the show.

All of this made us angry, too. Why couldn't they just leave the kids alone to continue what clearly they were achieving? Does CBS really believe that we like seeing these kids suffer and get angry with each other and live in chaos?

This is not only a setback for the fake community, it's a setback emotionally for these kids, for real. How can they try, even in a television world, to move forward when the producers impose on them this overlay of distrust and anger?

Well, it appears the answer comes next week, of course. The show ended last night with the pioneers voting overwhelmingly to hold elections again, demonstrating their lack of support for the current Council.

Remember Laurel, who stood up for her group, held them together, refused to be broken apart for some perceived imbalance, and was criticized for it? Well, at the town meeting kids started saying that only Laurel stood up for her district. But where did it get her? The kids knew in their hearts this was a bad idea, but they were obviously under contract to do it. So now, in one move, they've undone all the good. They've blown up the system they worked hard to develop. The Council that just last week could have easily won a popularity contest, is now slated for removal.

Seems the only real lesson being learned in Kid Nation is that adults just can't stand it when kids actually do achieve anything on their own. It's not just a sad day in Bonanza City - it's a sad day for us all.

(c) CBS. Kid Nation (c) Paul Moore. Image from BigStockPhoto.com

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Technorati Tags: Kid Nation, Safety4Kids, entertainment, TV, reality show, review

Marie Osmond: A Time to Dance

Oprah.com: An Osmond Family Tribute

Marie Osmond had every excuse to bow out this week. I wouldn't have been a bit surprised, nor would I have blamed her, if she had. But I would have been disappointed, and Marie Osmond did not disappoint.

Despite the death of her father last week, Marie Osmond's night on Dancing with the Stars wasn't all love and roses. The judges keep putting pressure on her to dance like a 20-year old, ignoring the fact that she's not. I only wish that I could do half of what she's doing, but it doesn't seem to be enough to satisfy the judges -- they keep telling her to give more, do more, make it more complex. I double-dog dare anyone over the age of 30 to try that hip-grinding move she did from a prone position on the stairs...wow! And have you noticed how she's slimmed down? She looks fantastic!

This post is not about a medical mystery contained within Dancing with the Stars. It is, however, a celebration of Marie Osmond's example when it comes to overcoming grief and depression.

No matter how old someone is, losing a parent is painful, even when that parent is aging and in poor health. George Osmond was suffering from dementia and was living in a nursing home. Last week the entire Osmond family -- over 100 of them -- had been booked to appear on the Oprah Show. He was thrilled. He was looking forward to seeing it on TV, but sadly, he died before that show was taped. Still, the family did appear as a tribute to him last Friday, and Marie Osmond came back to DWTS this week with two new dances, her dazzling smile, and a marvelously positive outlook.

It hasn't always been this way for Marie Osmond. In 1999 she wrote a book recounting her struggle with postpartum depression (PPD) following the birth of her son, Matthew. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey following the book's release, she described what postpartum depression was like:

...it's like your eyes are in the back of your head and you just want to close them and never open them. You're so incredibly tired. Not only do you have a new baby to take care of, but I have six other children as well. One of the first times I noticed it was everybody said, `Oh, leave her alone. Give her a few minutes to herself.' I went downstairs to get something to eat. There was nothing that I could eat offhand except a jar of peanut butter. I opened up this peanut butter and I sat on the floor and I started eating it and I just started sobbing.

And this:

And what happened was you just--you start sobbing uncontrollably. You question your mother skills. You don't want your children to see you.

Postpartum depression can be a dangerous and difficult condition. Our own Dr. Pat Farrell has this advice for anyone who is depressed following childbirth:

The symptoms of postpartum depression, which in its more common form, affects anywhere from 50-80% of women, include mood changes, insomnia, fear of harming your child, an overwhelming feeling of inability to cope, hopelessness and sadness, irritability and crying, fear of being alone, poor self-care, loss of interest in activities, social isolation, problems concentrating or thinking, decreased energy. For most women these will last a few days to a few weeks and, for some, as long as a year.

What to do? Talk to your doctor and understand that others are there to help and support you. This is biology, not you being a bad mother.

In her backstage interview tonight, Marie was asked how she felt about coming back to the show so soon after her father's passing. She quoted this passage from Ecclesiastes 3: "To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven...a time to weep, and a time to heal; a time to mourn, and a time to dance..."

Marie danced, and danced well. It was her time.

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Technorati Tags: Marie Osmond, Dancing with the Stars, entertainment, postpartum depression, aging parents, dementia, grief, loss

Kid Nation: Starved for Entertainment, But Not Gum

"Bonanza City is getting really, really, really, dull."

Once again the kids themselves, in this case Mike, have provided us with our opening line. And our overarching sentiment. Yet we persevere.

Last night Kid Nation had some reasonably good results to report. The kids quickly decided that they were bored out of their minds; evidenced by a group of them discovering that lying on the ground actually provided them with some form of entertainment. This was not good news, even to them.

So D.K., who has taken the lead in the past, did so again and rang the bell to gather the troops. Once together, he stated the obvious: there is nothing to do in Bonanza City. Nothing except chores. They were all "starved for entertainment."



The Council quickly retreated to their wise "journal" where, lo and behold, they found the answer! Put on a show! The Council assembled a quick meeting and announced the plan, which got a rousing ovation. The kids had one day to prepare their "acts." There were discussions about stand-up comedy, Shakespeare, music and dance.

This gave us a shudder, but more about that later.

First, the "Showdown." It's that time every week where Jonathan, the "lone" adult, shows up and announces some form of challenge that will ultimately divide the group just as they were beginning to feel cohesive. Hmmm...a reminder of the adult world, perhaps? A way to create drama where clearly there is none? We're beginning to feel that as soon as Jonathan shows up on the scene, the show takes a decided turn for the worse. If the premise (which clearly the producers long ago abandoned but we're still trying to hold on to!) was to let kids create a better world, or at least give it a try, it's notable that the only time an adult appears is to remind the Bonanza City inhabitants of class structure, winning and losing, and how adults can make kids do anything in order to earn a reward.

The real breakthrough on this show will come when the kids refuse to do what Jonathan proposes.

This Showdown was flat out revolting.

Guylan: "I thought that this was going to be disgusting and just all around gross; as soon as we started, I realized that I was completely right."

Zack: "It was disgusting."

It's one of those head-scratching things--imagining how the producers come up with these ridiculous, disgusting, demeaning tasks week after week. But one thing is certain: whoever dreams these up has no respect for these kids. Yet another wonderful lesson in life, brought to you by the producers!

Given that the kids were striving to inject a little culture into their lives, the Showdown was purportedly about creating art. Art with bubblegum, that is.

Each district leader handed out quarters to their team, who ran to large bubble gum machines and for one hour straight, chewed and chewed until the gum was pliable enough to be attached, by hand, to a large, empty canvas. The canvas had an image, not unlike a color-by-number scene, only the color was represented by chewed gum. If only we were kidding. The district leader had to take the chewed gum, saliva and all, and find a way to make it adhere to the canvas. If all the teams completed the challenge within an hour, the town would receive a great reward. Well, it didn't happen, so Jonathan gathered the kids to show them what they were missing: a choice between cans of paint, literally to paint the town, or the materials needed to throw a block party--popcorn machine, disco ball, etc. The kids were disappointed, but not crushed. After all, they still had their talent show!

Ok. Before we go any further, a moment of silence for dental hygiene. We are, after all, Safety4Kids, so we can't let this go! If you recall, it was weeks before these kids got toothbrushes and toothpaste. Many have braces, some have missing teeth, but now surely they all have cavities! Laurel expressed her concern last night: "My orthodontist is going to kill me." What is the point of this? A solid hour of chewing gum? All that sugar? All those aching jaws? Which brings us again to the problems in Bonanza City that are most often instigated by the arrival of the adult. Odd indeed. Perhaps in the tome of a contract the parents have signed, there is a dental clause. Something about indemnifying the producers and CBS when, a few years from now, the kids have lost all their teeth.

As in most episodes of Kid Nation, there is a side story, playing itself out all evening. Last night it was Savannah's homesickness and her friends, most notably Kennedy and Alex, trying to comfort her and convince her to stay. She was crying, missing her parents, and debating whether or not to leave Bonanza City. Who could blame her?

But it's time for the talent show.

As we watched, we were reminded of that moment when you go to a friend's house for dinner, after which they announce that their wondrous, talented offspring have prepared a little entertainment. You wish you had opted for that second glass of wine. You brace yourself. The room grows silent. The theme song from "Annie" is belted out, often without accompaniment, and you find a way to paste that smile on your face that your host believes is genuine awe and you know is more shock. Make it stop, you think to yourself.

But last night, something truly remarkable happened as the performances began: the kids were genuinely supportive, encouraging each other with laughter and applause. The performances were what you would expect--by and large perfectly awful--but it didn't matter. The kids were laughing, enjoying themselves, and being kids. And being friends. And it was clear that this disparate group had coalesced. There was unity. There was cohesion. There were no adults. Take that, Jonathan! And there were no rewards, no divisive groupings, no peculiar and disgusting challenges. Just kids trying to entertain each other and relieve the boredom. And it was actually sweet. Really. And then Savannah announced that she was staying in Bonanza City. The kids cheered.

Lesson to be learned: if you want to see if these kids can create a better world, ADULTS BUTT OUT! How about a week where Jonathan doesn't show up and pit one group against the other?

(Side note: the kids seem to be ever so slightly annoyed by Jonathan's appearance, or are we just projecting?)

The Council awarded the coveted gold star to Kennedy for her kindness and support of Savannah, and her willingness to be silly and entertain everyone at the Talent Show. We had not even seen Kennedy before tonight. It was a popular decision. And in Kennedy's acceptance speech, she mentioned that in Bonanza City, "you can be different" and be a winner.

This Council is very effective and democratic; they look for consensus before awarding the gold star, which is a happy departure from the tyrannical rule of Taylor! And Laurel is clearly the council leader. She represents what's best in any human being: she's kind and fair and generous. And deserving of many gold stars. In a final moment of the show, D.K. stood up and asked that Laurel sing. She stood up and sang "Amazing Grace" a cappella, to a stunned audience, both on screen and off. Perhaps she's on the wrong show. American Idol anyone?

(c) Susan Quinland-Stringer. Image from BigStockPhoto.com

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HOUSE: Polio, Poisoning and Plots

This week HOUSE offered a double feature: two mysterious cases in two separate locations. Although Dr. House has many wonderful talents bilocation is not one of them.

House is recruited to save a dying CIA operative and Foreman is left behind at Princeton-Hillsboro Hospital to supervise the fellowship applicants. Eerie similarities appear at both venues and the events at each hospital faithfully follows the House play book: initial diagnostic impression, steady worsening, multiple revisions of the working diagnosis, eventually resolution with an unexpected twist.

Something else was also similar. In each instance the original diagnosis ended up being correct. Foreman and House were right but allowed themselves to be misled by colleagues and marginal information. Had they followed their intuition the entire episode could've ended before the first commercial break. In case you wondered, I counted eight commercials during that break!

Foreman's crew cared for a young woman with apparent heatstroke which changed to: Miller-Fischer Syndrome (variant of paralyzing Guillan-Barre), multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, botulism, and polio (last USA case occurred in 1979).

Meanwhile in Langley, House's patient had extreme rapid weight loss and scalded skin. He originally was suspected as having eaten a nut toxin, then they jumped to other exotic toxins, radiation poisoning, pancreatitis, Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia (blood cancer), and back to radiation poisoning.

The actual plot details matter little in this episode. The woman ended up not having polio and the spy did eat too many nuts. As a physician I most enjoyed observing Foreman's and House's different reactions to being wrong. Both made many misjudgments during this episode.

Whenever House found himself up a dark alley he merely made a U-turn and kept moving towards finding a solution. Foreman, on the other hand, was emotionally wounded when his decisions imploded, and then the patient and younger doctors made mincemeat of him. To his credit, Foreman reclaimed enormous credibility with the patient by humbly apologizing for his mistake - something I have never witnessed about House.

This TV drama is pure fiction but tonight's lesson remains genuine: doctors are human and, by definition, doctors will make mistakes. The real test is how one reacts to those inevitable failures. I have watched insecure colleagues blame everybody else on the planet for their missteps. Others continue to deny that any mistake occurred whatsoever - their psyche (ego) won't permit any other interpretation of the facts. Such behavior is tragic because it contradicts all that defines the collegial profession of healing. At the same time such immature behavior tarnishes the reputations of all physicians.

Time and again the fellowship candidates live by the credo "Results matter". As they gain experience (usually by making more mistakes) I suspect that motto may be amended: "Results matter - Character matters more".

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Technorati Tags: HOUSE, TV, Hugh Laurie

Nip/Tuck: On the Cutting Edge

The much-promoted Tuesday night season premier of Nip/Tuck on FX Channel did not disappoint this viewer.

In keeping with a standard Hollywood practice, the hyped first episode hinged around guess what?  Hype and promotion. Our plastic surgeons, Christian McNamara and Sean Troy, are newly arrived from Miami, but naively astounded to be underemployed. To keep their hands in shape, they set up a basketball court in their otherwise unused but lavishly-equipped operating room.

Awakened from their arrogance by their hot-shot office manager, our boys quickly redeploy by hiring a hot publicist, hitting the party circuit, where with a touch of bona fide reality, Dr. Sean asks: "Anyone in this town not had cosmetic surgery?" Then, in a maneuver mirroring the real-life path taken by some super-ambitious, newly-arrived Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeons, Christian and Sean attach themselves to a plastic surgery TV series.

In classic NIP/TUCK style, the action happens very quickly; you need to pay attention to savor the undercurrents. Christian, a player and hype-ster extraordinaire, and immediately at home with Hollywood glitz, is at odds with Sean, his more conservative, old- school, traditional partner. As the team wrangles a spot as advisors on an amateurish TV series, Hearts and Scalpels, they deftly slither to on-camera supporting roles. Of course, the over-confident Christian maneuvers best into the camera's eye but when the program airs, inexplicably, it is Sean who gets the "face time" ( I learned that term as one of the original E! Channel's DR. 90210 Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon ensemble).

In the classic role reversal, the ostensibly less ambitious of the partners, Sean, wins the "celebrity" lottery by instantly becoming the Hollywood plastic surgeon du jour. His phone rings while Christian fumes. And, all the attention suddenly makes Sean a convert to celebrity.

I find the program "edgy" at several levels. First, there is eternal tension between the two plastic surgeons. The two different personalities are strummed very smoothly. The program itself carries an edgy flavor with the sub-plots including patients who are into sado-masochism. Then, depiction of a reconstructive procedure by which the lining of the vagina is used to rebuild burnt lips. I need not enumerate the assorted plays on that operation.

The office scenery is very stylish, contemporary and yet cold. Says something about the doctors, of course.

Summary: Great entertainment. With gentle pokes at Hollywood staples: goofy producers, killer publicists ( Lauren Hutton great in the role; she tells the boys that studious publications in medical journals are no match, marketing-wise, for a mention in PEOPLE magazine), hungry for fame and fortune plastic surgeons. And, catchy music, nifty sets and sexy costumes for all.

This doctor's prescription: Stay tuned.

Robert Kotler, MD, FACS
Author, SECRETS OF A BEVERLY HILLS COSMETIC SURGEON

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Technorati Tags: nip-tuck, cosmetic surgery, reviews

Kid Nation: Money Changes Everything

We are mid-way through Kid Nation, having survived "Day 20"". Whew! Never thought they'd make it this far. The audience that is, not the kids.

The day began with the industrious Divad deciding that she needed more money to buy...uh...more soda?! So she took the food from the kitchen, (food that is otherwise available and free for all the kids) and set-up a "snack bar" selling food "repackaged" for a mere five or ten cents. And while that may seem like a small price to pay for canned apples on a stick ("All you can eat"!) it is a small fortune in Bonanza City.

Some applauded her ingenuity, others were disgusted that she would take their food and sell it back to them. Jared, leader of the disgusted group, destroyed the snack bar in a fit of anger. Divad, trying to maintain decorum and demonstrate calm in the face of adversity, rebuilt. There were several references to Bill Gates, presumably a nod toward invention and genius, but it was a bit of a stretch in this context. The development of the personal computer v. apple kabobs.

But there was some good news in all of this. The Journal, that wise book of guidance and coincidence, just happened to offer an entry that dealt with money. Those pioneers of old really did have a handle on the future!

The Council found a treasure map in the Journal, followed it and found a cave full of bats and quarters. $18.50 in nickels is like striking gold. And so the Council deliberated on the fate of these new funds, ultimately deciding to use the money to purchase items that everyone could use. This turned out to be a very popular decision.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Sophia decided to see how far kids would go for money so she devised a disgusting little challenge. She took fifty cents and dropped it into a large bucket and then filled the bucket with garbage and food and slop and rotted vegetables and condensed milk and canned beans. She gathered the townsfolk and told them that they could have the money if they dug down for it with their bare hands. Initial reluctance gave way to repulsive foraging. All for Sophia's amusement. An odd sidebar to the evening.

The Council returned from the bat cave and presented the group with guitars and sports equipment and all the kids cheered and began to play together. This was the first moment of the entire, ridiculous, seemingly endless season where the kids really seemed like...well...kids. And it was refreshing. They were having fun! What a concept.

All the while, there was a new kind of conversation taking place about the coveted Gold Star. Kids were beginning to lobby for votes, hoping to prove their worthiness by doing extra dishes or being especially nice. The Council, to its credit, held the group to a higher standard and insisted ultimately that the reward be given to someone who simply did his work and did not have to tell everyone about it.

There was also the usual "forced drama" of two kids for whom there was palpable tension, in this case Greg, the oldest kid and often the bully, and Nathan, a shy boy, home schooled and ever so slightly obsessed with clean dishes. In a final scene between the two of them, entirely trumped up for effect and not terribly effective, Greg held out an olive branch and then recommended Nathan for the Gold Star. One might think out of guilt, but others agreed and Nathan won the star.

The evening's group "showdown" is not worthy of a paragraph; suffice it to say that raw eggs were catapulted over a fence and had to be caught in a large pillow. The reward was a choice between a laundromat, coin-operated (hmmm...there must be electricity!) or hand crank pioneer-vintage laundry machines and lots of new clothes for everyone. The Council quickly and unanimously chose the free stuff and everyone was thrilled. And in clean clothes for the first time in weeks.

The only other item of note in what was a terribly disjointed evening was that Jared, the one who overturned the snack bar early on in the episode, set up his own souvenir shop and sold Bonanza City necklaces that he made by burnishing writing onto small pieces of wood. These sold like hot cakes and soon the kids were calling him "The Bill Gates of Bonanza City". Sorry Bill, but at least it's not skewered apples.

We found ourselves asking what was the point of this boring, patchwork episode? Seems the point is Money Changes Everything. And Everyone. Another startling revelation brought to you by those wonderful folks who think eating bugs is entertainment! The kids who lobbied for the star were roundly dismissed as only caring about the money, not really caring about the community. The message from the Council was clear: no amount of "sucking-up" would earn you a star. Even if you worked incredibly hard. You have to be a kind person, nice to others, and genuinely contribute to the community. Evidenced by Nathan who won the star by keeping his head down, working hard all the time, and not demanding anything for it. This Council seems to care more about a person's genuine contribution than an outward attempt to impress. Which while admirable and surprising, poses a few questions:

If the show is designed to culminate each week in the awarding of a $20,000 gold star, why is it a bad thing to want to earn it? The producers have set these kids up for a struggle about money and once again not given them the tools to really address it. This is reflected in the confusion that erupts when kids try to discern what exactly is ideal behavior, balancing the desire to be a good citizen, worthy of reward, against the backdrop of a structured capitalist setting.

What's wrong with financial motivation, if as a result, the work gets done and done well? And why wouldn't kids who are in an environment of extreme deprivation, where everything is structured around earning a few cents, want to grab at the chance for that grand prize? Remember, the caste system is alive and well in Bonanza City, and it's based entirely on rewarding those who do the least amount of work.

The good news: the Council seems to be a tight, well-oiled machine, working together, often finding an easy consensus, and they are popular as much for their leadership as for their decisions. Taylor has been fairly silenced, which is not only a relief to the kids, it's a blessed relief for the audience.

This week in Bonanza City had much less to do with safety and wellness, the two things we care most about at Safety4Kids, and more to do with commerce and industry. But in the end, this show is still a frightful demonstration of manipulation and contrivance. It teaches very little and exploits a lot. And we still are left wondering about the aftermath. When these kids go home, and re-enter their real worlds, what have they learned and at what cost? Sure they'll be fed and cleaned (could take days) and clothed. But what about the internal issues and the emotional repercussions?

What they have learned in Bonanza City, so far, exactly replicates the world beyond those dusty gates. Money is power. The "losers" do all the scut work. The ones in charge make all the decisions. And in-fighting and resentment are a natural outcome. Nothing much new here. And it's certainly not what we were promised when all we heard about was a better world created by kids.

We suspect that the residuals these kids will receive will be more about dealing with their newfound confusion about life than any financial renumeration.

(c) John Sfondilias. Image from BigStockPhoto.com

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