Infjs Forums - News and Politics

Neuro Law

Animekitty — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 04:54:54 GMT

The problem with our laws today is that they do not tell us what crime is. Not everyone agrees which actions are good or bad. A criminal to me is a hero to another. What laws do is give us a baseline that creates equilibrium between apposing view so that we can dismiss our differences and work towards shared goals.

But what if in the future we discover the neuroscience of why people disagree so much. How will the law be affected by this discovery? Extremists politicians could use neuroscience to impose laws that everyone share the beliefs they want them to. They could use Neuro Propaganda on the weak minded for devious purposes. On the other had the non-extremists could help the weak minded to have strong minds to resist the extremists.

I see two scenarios that could happen. A global Orwellian dictatorship or a global Age of Enlightenment.

Question: How do we define extremism, how "should" we eliminate it with neuroscience?

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Raccoon Love — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:42:02 GMT

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/09/...ex.html?hpt=T2

Quote:

In a graphic example of election-year politics at work, a defense bill that would repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy got blocked Tuesday in the U.S. Senate by a Republican-led filibuster.
The bill stalled on a 56-43 vote, four short of the 60 votes needed to overcome the Republican opposition. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, changed his vote to "no" as a tactical move, allowing him to bring the measure up later.
Reid and other Democrats accused Republicans of stalling the National Defense Authorization Act, which traditionally passes with bipartisan support, to undermine the "don't ask, don't tell" repeal and an immigration provision offering a path to citizenship for students and soldiers who are children of illegal immigrants.
Republicans countered that Democrats were trying to use defense policy act that authorizes $725 billion in military spending to force through provisions popular with their political base ahead of the November 2 congressional elections.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs expressed disappointment at the vote but said "we'll keep trying" to get Congress to approve the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy barring openly gay and lesbian soldiers from the military.
A federal judge recently ruled that the "don't ask, don't tell" policy was unconstitutional, and the uncertainty of congressional action after Tuesday's vote further complicated the issue.
The Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group, said in response to the vote that the Justice Department should let the court ruling stand instead of filing an appeal.
Video: Lieberman: 'Don't ask' 'un-American' Video: Gaga: If you don't like it, go home Video: Gaga: Senators, repeal 'don't ask' Video: 'Don't ask, don't tell' on the line
"We still have a fighting chance to repeal DADT through congressional action, but in the meantime, the best interests of our men and women in uniform -- as well as the country -- are served by doing everything we can do to get rid of this discriminatory law," said Joe Solmonese, the group's president.
Debate on the defense bill was rancorous in the run-up to the vote. Republicans accused Reid of trying to prevent them from proposing amendments to the bill and criticized his plan to tack on the immigration provision, known as the DREAM Act.
"I've never seen such a cynical use of the needs of the men and women of the military," said GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, calling the expanded bill "a cynical act for political reasons as the election nears to try to salvage what appears to be a losing campaign."
Reid countered that the Republican opposition was a blow to gay and lesbian Americans, as well as those born to illegal immigrants, who want to serve their country.
"The Defense Department�s strategic plan explicitly states that passage of the DREAM Act is critical to helping the military shape and maintain a mission-ready all-volunteer force," Reid said in a statement.
McCain and other Republicans "should know better than anyone that patriots who step up to serve our grateful nation should be offered a path to citizenship, and that anyone who volunteers to serve should be welcomed regardless of their sexual orientation," Reid's statement said.
Republican opponents included some GOP senators who favor lifting the Pentagon's requirement that gays and lesbians keep their sexuality a secret.
However, they expressed concern that Democratic leaders could limit GOP amendments to the broader National Defense Authorization Act that includes the "don't ask, don't tell" provision.
Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the chamber's top Republican, proposed an agreement for the chamber to consider 20 amendments on a rotating basis, but none could include adding the DREAM Act to the bill.
Reid rejected the proposal, saying such an agreement was too great a departure from how the Senate normally conducted its business. Another of the chamber's Democratic leaders, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, said McConnell's proposal was intended to "stop the DREAM Act."
With 59 seats in the chamber, Senate Democrats and their allies needed at least one Republican vote to reach the 60 needed to overcome a GOP filibuster.
However, none of the moderate Republicans who in the past have voted with Democrats crossed the aisle this time.
"I find myself on the horns of a dilemma," Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said before the vote.
Collins explained that she supported repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy but "cannot vote to proceed to this bill under a situation that is going to shut down debate and preclude Republican amendments."
She called for an agreement that guarantees "full and open debate," adding: "Now is not the time to play politics simply because an election is looming in a few weeks."
On Monday, pop star Lady Gaga held a rally to call on both Collins and fellow Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe to join Democrats in overcoming the expected GOP filibuster attempt.
Both Snowe and Collins oppose the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and Collins was the sole Republican vote in the Senate Armed Services Committee in support of getting rid of it.
However, both joined the GOP filibuster after Reid refused to change his approach.
Reid had said he wanted the Senate to take up the bill now, but no final vote would take place until after the November 2 elections. He rejected the GOP calls for an agreement on how the amendment process would proceed, citing what he called a pattern of Republicans obstructing debate on important policies.
The legislation, which is a broad defense policy bill, would rescind "don't ask, don't tell" after the Pentagon completes a review of the repeal's impact on the military.
The review is due in December and would serve as the basis for certification by the president, defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the military could handle repealing the policy.
On Tuesday, the general nominated to head the Marine Corps told a Senate committee that he believes responses from Marines on repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy have been mostly negative so far.
Gen. James Amos said he had heard that at Marine bases and in Marines' responses to an online survey, the feeling "is predominantly negative." He added, however, "I don't know that as a fact."
In written answers to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Amos said he opposes repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy now because it could disrupt cohesion due to "significant change during a period of extended combat operations." At the same time, Amos made clear that he would oversee a repeal if ordered to do so.
"The Marine Corps is probably one of the most faithful services you have in our country," Amos said. "And if the law is changed by Congress and signed by the president of the United States, the Marine Corps will get in step and do it smartly."
Many Republicans complain that Congress should not step in until after that military review is completed.
McCain, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said that approving a repeal provision before finishing the review process would amount to an insult to military personnel.
"The most fundamental thing we could do to honor the sacrifice of our troops is to take the time to hear their views," McCain said Tuesday.
McCain also cited statements by the heads of the four military branches opposing congressional action on the issue before the review process is completed.
Democrats noted that Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the Joint Chiefs chairman, have said publicly that they support repealing "don't ask, don't tell."
The military has working groups looking at how to implement the change if ordered. The groups are looking at issues such as housing to entitlements and even personal displays of affection.

Should this even be an issue? I feel as it is rather ridiculous that the military can kick out gays simply because of their sexual orientation. Sure, they say hide it as if sexuality were even that important in the first place, but what gives straight soldiers the right to engage in straight activities while homosexuals not?. I am just terribly sad that this did not get repeal, the making of this law never had any rational foundation to begin with.

The sad part is that a large part of the military seems to be in favor of keeping DADT, to me that's just a sign of insecurity.

Preacher man burning Qurans & deathsquadmania

just me — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:20:29 GMT

Most have heard by now the hype and warnings of the burning of Qurans, I would think. There is a big deal also about a few American soldiers killing civilians in Afghanistan. The State Department is concerned about the blowback of the burning and has issued pleas and warnings not to do so, along with military leaders stating it could cause our military problems overseas. They are now saying the few soldiers that killed a few civilians will cause great harm.

When I weigh in the balances with a blind eye all that has happened and is happening around the world concerning this stuff, I cannot help but feel sickened.:m100:

One guy burns a few Qurans? Another will burn a few Bibles, no doubt. Killing civilians is wrong, but it happens all over the world every day. Doesn't make it right. Make a big political statement out of it? What about all the suicide bombs? What about the incoming into civilian populations in Israel every day by their enemies?

I do not have a cold heart, but give me a break somewhere here. That's all I have to say about that.

Book on molesting children.

The Jester — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:17:43 GMT

http://abcnews.go.com/US/manual-mole...ry?id=11561609

I have no doubt this will fuel the good old 'freedom of speech' debate.

Financial crisis outlook (a movie)

Tamagochi — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:50:49 GMT

A bird's eye view on what had happened to the economy and what's next to come. The main message is that we're not out of the woods yet.

It's a bit dumbed down for a broader audience and the style is similar to Moore movies. But the professionals really do talk about the issues presented here right now and there's quite a lot of data to support it's claims. Overall I think it's useful to watch. Just do not forget to use your own head ;)

Made in Sweden.

More weird news...

arbygil — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:42:45 GMT

Medical student or not, this was...kinda dumb. And gross.

Darwin Award contender--?

Quote:

(CNN) -- The decomposed body of a California doctor was found lodged in her boyfriend's chimney, several days after she had apparently attempted to get inside his home, police said.

Internist Jacquelyn Kotarac, 49, had been reported missing on Thursday, Bakersfield, California, police said in a statement Tuesday. Her body was found lodged in the fireplace flue on Saturday.

Kotarac was last seen Wednesday night at about 10:15 p.m., "trying to force her way inside (the home) as she was involved in a dating relationship with the resident," police said. "The resident left the house undetected to avoid a confrontation and stayed the night elsewhere."

Authorities did not identify the boyfriend or say why Kotarac was attempting to get inside his home.

Kotarac did not arrive for work on Thursday, and her assistant and the boyfriend searched for her at his home. Her car and belongings were there, but there was no indication she had gotten inside, police said. The boyfriend and her medical staff reported her missing.

"Her purse was there, with her phone, all her money, all her credit cards, all that stuff," neighbor Terri Terrazas told CNN affiliate KBAK-TV.

Thursday night, the boyfriend stayed at the home before leaving for Europe, police told KBAK.

"Friday night, we could smell something," Terrazas told the station. And "someone down the street said they thought they heard someone yelling quietly for help." But the sound was dismissed as coming from kids playing in a nearby pool, KBAK reported.

Kotarac was found by a friend of the boyfriend's, who stopped by to feed his fish while he was away, police said.

"The house sitter detected a strong odor coming from the fireplace, and upon inspection located the deceased woman lodged in the flue approximately two feet above the top of the fireplace interior opening."

It took authorities five hours to dismantle the chimney and flue from the exterior of the home enough to remove Kotarac's body, authorities said.

There was no evidence of foul play, police said, and "all the evidence thus far indicates Kotarac accessed the roof via a ladder and on her own volition removed the chimney cap and slid down the flue feet first."

Kotarac's family told KBAK they are horrified to think she could have spent several days lodged in the flue. They said she graduated from medical school with honors, and KBAK reported that Kotarac was voted a favorite local doctor last year.

An autopsy was planned for Tuesday, police said, but did not immediately return a call from CNN on Wednesday.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/01/...ef=mpstoryview

War on Iraq ''officially'' over.

Raccoon Love — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:00:28 GMT

Quote:

Washington (CNN) -- Almost seven and a half years ago, President George W. Bush launched a blistering "shock and awe" invasion of Iraq.
The goal: eliminate a perceived threat of weapons of mass destruction while replacing a hostile, tyrannical regime with a friendly democracy in the heart of the Middle East.
On Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET -- at a cost of more than 4,400 U.S. military personnel killed and 30,000 wounded -- America's combat mission in Iraq will officially draw to a close.
The quick removal of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ushered in years of grinding sectarian violence, war, terrorist attacks and, according to some observers, increased Iranian influence in the region. But it also paved the way for nationwide elections and increasing economic development.
Whether the war was worth the price remains a subject of fierce debate both at home and abroad.
President Barack Obama, who based much of his campaign for the White House on growing public exhaustion with the conflict, will announce the conclusion of the combat mission in a speech to be delivered from the Oval Office at 8 p.m. ET. He spent the day meeting with troops at Fort Bliss, Texas -- a base which has supplied soldiers at all stages of the conflict.
Obama called Bush for a "few minutes" from Air Force One while en route to Texas, according to White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton. The White House has not said if Obama will give Bush any credit during his speech for the controversial 2007-08 military "surge," believed by some observers to have helped curtail Iraqi violence.
His remarks are "not going to be a victory lap," Obama told the troops stationed at Fort Bliss. "We still have a lot of work to do."
Obama said his main message will be a simple one to military veterans of the conflict: "Congratulations on a job well done."
Ben Rhodes, a presidential foreign policy speech writer, told reporters Obama's remarks will focus on -- among other things -- the responsibilities of Iraqi leaders moving forward, as well as the new partnership between the United States and Iraq.
Obama will also discuss the refocusing of U.S. resources in the global fight against al Qaeda, as well as the heightened U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, Rhodes said.
Vice President Joe Biden, who once advocated splitting Iraq along largely ethnic lines, is in Baghdad, Iraq, for the transition. He will also help mark Wednesday's transfer of U.S. military command there from Army Gen. Ray Odierno to Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin.
While the official U.S. combat mission is ending, roughly 50,000 American troops will remain in the country until the end of 2011. Their mission will be to will train, assist and advise the Iraqis.
As the U.S. military has been scaling down, the U.S. civilian presence has been ramping up. Iraqi officials are struggling to form a new ruling coalition in the wake of last March's closely contested national elections.
And while Obama administration officials have touted what they claim is a gradual decline in the overall level of violence in Iraq, the country has recently been the target of a series of attacks.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki warned last Friday of the likelihood of continuing attacks across the country. His warning came two days after a wave of 20 bomb attacks struck 13 Iraqi cities, mostly targeting police. The bombs killed 48 and wounded at least 286.
Al-Maliki said there were indications that "al Qaeda and remnants of (Saddam Hussein's) Baath party with foreign backing are planning to carry out a series of bombings in Baghdad and the other provinces."
The attacks -- a show of force for the insurgency -- have increased fears among Iraqis about the ability of their security forces to protect them after the U.S. withdrawal.
But Biden on Tuesday suggested that reports of increased violence in Iraq have been exaggerated by the media.
"Notwithstanding what the national press says about increased violence, the truth is things are still very much different," he told reporters while meeting with al-Maliki. "Things are much safer."
Biden called recent terrorist attempts "dismal."
For his part, the Iraqi prime minister marked the occasion on Tuesday with a national address proclaiming his country "sovereign and independent."
Like Biden, al-Maliki insisted there had been major strides in Iraqi security.
"If these security achievements were not real, we would not have been able to move to executing the bigger and more important step, which is the withdrawal of American forces that is happening today," he said.
"We do not view the withdrawal as an accomplishment of one person, or one party or one sect or one ethnicity; it is an achievement for all Iraqis. ... And it represents a golden opportunity to strengthen national unity and a starting point to build Iraq after decades of destruction and suffering."
Top Republicans were loath to give the Obama White House any credit for Tuesday's milestone.
House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a speech delivered Tuesday to the American Legion in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that the day "belongs to our troops."
In a thinly veiled slap at Obama, Boehner said that "some leaders who opposed, criticized, and fought tooth-and-nail to stop the surge strategy now proudly claim credit for the results."
At a speech in his home state of Kentucky, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was more direct in his criticism.
"You might recall that the surge wasn't very popular when it was announced. You might also recall that one of its biggest critics was the current president," McConnell said.
"So it makes it easier to talk about fulfilling a campaign promise to wind down our operations in Iraq when the previous administration signs the security agreement with Iraq to end our overall presence there."
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a holdover from the Bush administration, asserted during a speech Tuesday to the American Legion that, despite the recent spate of attacks in Iraq, "overall levels of violence this year remain at their lowest point since the beginning of the war in 2003."
"Al Qaeda in Iraq has been largely cut off from its masters abroad."
But Gates stressed that he was not "saying that all is, or necessarily will be, well in Iraq."
"Sectarian tensions remain a fact of life. Al-Qaeda in Iraq is beaten, but not gone. This is not a time for premature victory parades or self-congratulation," he said.

Apparently the war is set to be ''officially over'' by 5 PM today, in which Obama will give a speech. They state there are still major conflicts in Iraq(well of course). What is your opinion on the validity of this? do you think there was any sort of convenience of ending this war at this time?. I am just glad its supposedly over as of now, this war was unneeded and hurtful to many.

The Bro Code

Phoenix Down — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:11:46 GMT

Article 1: Bro's before Ho's
Article 2: A Bro is always entitled to do something stupid, as long as the rest of his Bros are doing it
Article 3: If a Bro gets a dog, it must be at least as tall as his knee when full-grown
Article 4: A Bro never divulges the existence of the Bro Code to a woman. It is a sacred document not to be shared with chicks for any reason...no not even that reason.
Article 5: Whether he cares about sports or not, a Bro cares about sports.

Amendments

A Bro is entitled to have sex with his Bro's ex if she initiates it, if she is really hot, or his Bro is out of town or in a different room.

If a Bro writes and directs a trilogy of awesome space-themed sagas that define a generation's childhood, he is forbidden from later tarnishing that legacy by crapping out a prequel trilogy that forces Bros to specify "Episodes 4 to 6" or "the real trilogy" when referencing what was once a perfect series of movies, regardless of how anyone feels about Ewoks.

Should a Bro become aware that his Bro has a really hot sister (a nine or higher), she is no longer protected under Article 19: A Bro shall not sleep with another Bro's sister. That said, a Bro should reevaluate if the sister kind of resembles his Bro in a wig.

A Bro shall never turn away a Bro who shows up uninvited at his door with a box of porn.

If your Bro finds himself living with a chick, it is no longer acceptable for you to show up univited at his door with a box of porn.

A Bro may toss the Bro Code out the window if Scandinavian twins are involved in any capacity.

A Bro is allowed to play air guitar, provided that the air guitar is made of plastic and connected to a video game system.

You can find a compilation on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=...id=13478403596

------------------

Saudi Employer drives 24 heated nails into maid.

Flavus Aquila — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:24:03 GMT

Quote:

Doctors remove nails driven into maid

August 29, 2010

COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan maid recovering from surgery to remove 19 nails from her body told doctors her Saudi employer had heated the nails before hammering them into her body.
Surgeons at Sri Lanka's southern Kamburupitiya hospital carried out a three-hour operation to remove a needle and 19 of the 24 nails stuck in her arms, legs and forehead.
Hospital director Prabath Gajadeera said the 49-year-old woman, L.T. Ariyawathi, told them her employer inflicted the injuries as punishment for her difficulties in communicating with the household.
''She said her employer heated the nails and then hammered them into her body,'' Mr Gajadeera said.
''The nails were in her arms, legs and forehead.''
He said the woman, who had gone to Saudi Arabia to work as a housemaid, could not have driven the nails in herself.
''In some places it is clear that someone else had to drive the nails,'' he said.
''We will in any case refer her to a psychiatrist for analysis before discharging her from hospital.''
She was admitted to hospital on Friday after she returned home complaining she was in great pain and unable to walk.
Surgeons at the hospital, 160 kilometres south of Colombo, removed 13 big nails, each about five centimetres long, and six smaller ones, Mr Gajadeera said.
He said the remaining nails were not removed immediately because the procedure might have resulted in serious nerve damage.
The woman, who travelled to Saudi Arabia in March, was deeply traumatised and unable to give full details of her experience initially, but was fast recovering, the doctor said.
''We will discharge her in about three days,'' he said.
Sri Lankan police have begun an investigation.
Officials said Sri Lanka was expected to take up the case of the housemaid with Saudi authorities shortly.
About 1.8 million Sri Lankans are employed abroad, of whom 70 per cent are women. Most work as housemaids in the Middle East while smaller numbers work in Singapore and Hong Kong, seeking higher salaries than they would get at home.
Non-governmental organisations report frequent cases of employer abuse of maids who work abroad.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/doctors-...ml?autostart=1

I just go angrily numb when I read about this kind of cold cruelty. Why is it immigrant workers often seem to be so mistreated in their host countries?

(I must qualify this - by saying I was a foreign worker in the U.S. for a few years, but the 'cruelty to foreign' workers does not seem to apply if you are Australian - but I often noticed a deep disdain for Mexican workers in the U.S. - I just shiver to think how foreign workers are treated in some Middle-Eastern countries)

"Recession may have pushed US birth rate to new low"

Anita — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 02:06:50 GMT

Recession may have pushed US birth rate to new low
Fri, Aug 27, 2010
http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/us_med_birth_decline

Quote:

Forget the Dow and the GDP. Here's the latest economic indicator: The U.S. birth rate has fallen to its lowest level in at least a century as many people apparently decided they couldn't afford more mouths to feed.

The birth rate dropped for the second year in a row since the recession began in 2007. Births fell 2.6 percent last year even as the population grew, numbers released Friday by the National Center for Health Statistics show.

"It's a good-sized decline for one year. Every month is showing a decline from the year before," said Stephanie Ventura, the demographer who oversaw the report.

The birth rate, which takes into account changes in the population, fell to 13.5 births for every 1,000 people last year. That's down from 14.3 in 2007 and way down from 30 in 1909, when it was common for people to have big families.

The situation is a striking turnabout from 2007, when more babies were born in the United States than any other year in the nation's history. The recession began that fall, dragging down stocks, jobs and births.

"When the economy is bad and people are uncomfortable about their financial future, they tend to postpone having children. We saw that in the Great Depression the 1930s and we're seeing that in the Great Recession today," said Andrew Cherlin, a sociology professor at Johns Hopkins University.

"It could take a few years to turn this around," he added.
The birth rate dipped below 20 per 1,000 people in 1932 and did not rise above that level until the early 1940s. Recent recessions, in 1981-82, 1990-91 and 2001, all were followed by small dips in the birth rate, according to CDC figures.

The Great Recession "is definitely a deterrent" to people having more children, said Dr. Michael Cabbad, chief of maternal health at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, where births declined from about 2,800 in 2008 to about 2,500 last year.

Even Cabbad's son said he'd like to have more children "if his business plan works out."

Nearly half of low- and middle-income women surveyed a year ago by the Guttmacher Institute said they wanted to delay pregnancy or limit the number of children they have because of money concerns. Half of those women also said the recession made them more focused on contraceptive use. Guttmacher researches reproductive health issues.

Besides finances, experts said a decline in immigration to the United States also may be pushing births down.

The downward trend invites worrisome comparisons to Japan and its "lost decade" of economic stagnation in the 1990s, which was accompanied by very low birth rates. Births in Japan fell 2 percent in 2009 after a slight rise in 2008.

Not so in Britain, where the population took its biggest jump in almost half a century last year and the fertility rate is at its highest level since 1973. France's birth rate also has been rising; Germany's birth rate is lower but rising as well.

Cherlin said the U.S. birth rate "is still higher than the birth rate in many wealthy countries and we also have many immigrants entering the country. So we do not need to be worried yet about a birth dearth" that would crimp the nation's ability to take care of its growing elderly population.

The new U.S. report is a rough count of births from states. It estimates there were 4,136,000 births in 2009, down from a year ago's estimate of 4,247,000 in 2008 and more than 4.3 million in 2007.

The report does not give details on trends in different age groups. That will come next spring and will give a clearer picture who is and is not having children, Ventura said.

Last spring's report, on births in 2008, showed an overall drop but a surprising rise in births to women over 40, who may have felt they were running out of time to have children and didn't want to delay despite the bad economy. Women who postpone having children because of careers also may find they have trouble conceiving, said Mark Mather of the Population Reference Bureau, a Washington-based demographic research group. "For some of those women, they're going to find themselves in their mid-40s where it's going to be hard to have the number of children they want," he said. Heather Atherton is nearing that mark. The Sacramento, Calif., mom, who turns 36 next month, started a home-based public relations business after her daughter was born in 2003. She and her husband upgraded to a larger home in 2005 and planned on having a second child not long afterward. Then the recession hit, drying up her husband's sales commissions and leaving them owing more on their home than it is worth. A second child seemed too risky financially. "However, we just recently decided that it's time to stop waiting and just go for it early next year and let the chips fall where they may," she said. "We can't allow the recession to dictate the size of our family. We just need to move forward with our lives." ___ Online: CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs Birth trends: http://tinyurl.com/28b2gjc