NC Pastor Suggests Parents Beat the Gay Out of Their Kids.

His blathering is nicely summarized here.

He's trying to defend himself now by claiming that it was "all in good fun" and that he was "just joking." Because, you know, advocating child abuse is hilarious.

I think my favorite part is where he uses the act of ditch digging as an example of manliness. Real men dig ditches, damn it! I think I might actually have to use that one on my son...

"Son, be a man. Go dig a ditch."

Sadly, I think many people would actually take this pastor's advice seriously.

Hill's Ideal Balance: Keeping My Boys Healthy and Active

Disclosure: I am a BzzAgent. As a BzzAgent, I have the opportunity to receive product samples in exchange for my honest opinions on the various products that I'm asked to try. I'm not a salesman; in fact, if I don't like a product, I'm encouraged to provide my honest opinion on that product. At no time will I attempt to sell you anything. I'm just here to provide you with my honest opinion. That being said...

I love my boys. They're my constant companions. So of course, I want to provide them with the best possible nutrition so that they can enjoy long, happy lives with me. When I was asked to participate in a Bzz campaign for Hill's Ideal Balance dog food, I was excited; I love being able to include "the boys" in my Bzz activities. I was a little worried, however; the boys can be very picky, and I was worried that they would turn up their noses when they saw a new type of food in their dishes.

It was silly of me to worry; I had barely removed the free sample from its packaging before the boys were investigating the bag. They seemed to know that this was just for them. Although they had both eaten recently, they couldn't resist the temptation to try some of the new food once I had filled their dishes. I could tell by their body language that they loved it. On subsequent days, they enjoyed their meals with gusto.

At first, I was concerned that switching the boys' food would cause some digestive problems. Hill's Ideal Balance is specially formulated for easy digestion. The boys were just fine, and they seemed to be more active as a result of the switch. The product also claimed to improve pets' skin and coats; admittedly, I have noticed that the boys' coats have a newfound sheen. They're also shedding a little bit less, which could be related to having a healthier coat.

The only thing I don't love about this product is the price tag. It's a bit more expensive than the boys' usual brand of dog food. However, Hill's Ideal Balance does not contain corn, artificial flavors, or preservatives. It DOES contain fresh chicken as well as various fruits and veggies. As far as the health benefits are concerned, I would definitely be willing to pay a little extra in order to keep my boys healthy and active. However, I feel that the higher price tag might discourage a lot of pet parents from purchasing the product.

I would give this product a 4/5 stars- I'm docking one star just because of the price tag. Healthy products should be more affordable to all.

I highly recommend giving this product a try. Cat lovers, don't worry- they have an Ideal Balance just for our feline friends.

If you've tried the product, what do you think about it?

PS: Check out the pet food comparison tool!

Positive Aspects of Asperger's: Megan

Aside from being another positive tale from the autism spectrum, this was just cute. Megan, a young girl diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, displays her memorization skills by reciting the various capitals of the world. Many individuals on the autism spectrum display above average abilities in specific skills. Having a "special interest" can often help an individual find their voice in a world that may not otherwise make much sense to them. It's finals week for a lot of my friends- I bet that memorization skill would sure come in handy for them!

An Inspirational Graduation Speech

Very well said! This young man has a bright future. More and more individuals with autism are proving that they can lead meaningful lives; we've come a long way from the view that the only viable future for individuals with autism was confinement within an institutional facility.

Fiona's Story

This isn't autism related, but the story deserves to be shared as much as possible. Seeing this story only encourages me to open my own shelter someday. I don't know how anyone could allow this to happen to a dog, but I'm grateful that there are good people in the world who care enough to take a stand and do something about it.