The stories coming out of Moore, Oklahoma today, in the wake of the devastating tornado that blew through there yesterday, are heartbreaking at every turn. There is just so much lost. But when I saw Barbara Garcia find her dog, live on-air, while being interviewed about how she rode out the storm ... I just cried. Barbara had a plan. She lived through it. She thought little Bassie was lost.

Well, until ...

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When she says, "I thought God answered one prayer to let me be okay. He answered both of 'em," yeah, that's when I lost it.

Everyone needs someone -- and Barbara and her pup still have each other.

If you are curious how to help the victims of this tornado, there are lots of options. Every little bit helps.

Did this video touch you?

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Well mom -- you did tell us. You said, "One day you will thank me!" You told us that again and again and again. Little did you know, while you thought we were ignoring you, we heard each and every bit of guidance you dished out. We just weren't ready to accept that you might be right -- about any of it. We know now that all of the nagging heartfelt advice really did mean something. We can see that now. And yes, while it is slightly annoying -- we are learning to appreciate your wisdom. See for yourself ...

More from The Stir: 7 Mother's Day Cards We WISH We Could Send

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And so mom, we THANK YOU!

Want to get in on this tribute-to-mom thing? Tell us one piece of advice your mom gave to you!

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Writing posts every day, as we do here at The Stir, can get tricky ... especially when we tackle controversial topics. But you would be surprised at how even some of the most benign topics, like nursery rhymes for example, can get people all in a tizzy. And when people are in a tizzy -- whether they agree or disagree -- they show us their rage enthusiasm in their comments. So today, as we celebrate our 3rd birthday, we read to you some of the more passionate opinions to come from our posts. Check it out:

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You see what I mean? Passion ... lots and lots of passion.

Also in honor of our 3rd birthday, we are giving a whole bunch of stuff away -- and guess what -- to enter each giveaway you need to leave a comment. So appropriate, right?

And listen -- please keep telling it like it is because that is part of what makes our job so interesting -- hearing from you.

Thanks for reading us every day for taking a moment to celebrate our birthday with us.

How long have you been reading The Stir?

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has upset a lot of people over her new policy, forcing all employees back into an office. The thing is -- she isn't just saying you can't work from home anymore -- she is saying I don't trust you can adequately do your job from home. Not even one day a week from home. So get your commute back on and add a possible two to three hours to your day -- so you can have the honor of being employed by us. Or ... hit the road. Heartless? Our team at The Stir decided to talk it out. By Google Chat. Which is a great tool for remote employees ... but I guess one that Yahoo wouldn't be too keen to use. Here's what we have to say about it ...

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What do you think? Couldn't she at least have afforded some flexibility? So maybe they can't work from home every day -- but accept that some of her employees might be able to be effective from home once or twice a week? Maybe she will allow her employees to use the nursery she built next to her office -- so they too can be close to their kids?

Can you see both sides of this or do you stand firmly on one end of this debate?

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The Brazil nightclub fire that has killed more than 220 people -- young people -- celebrating their last days of their summer vacation is just absolutely heartbreaking. I can't tear myself away from the coverage because I am just waiting hoping that someone will come on and tell us that initial reports were wrong. Deep down inside I know that won't happen -- but I can't help but still hope for it.

This town in Southern Brazil is a college town. And so it is likely that most of the people in the club were college age -- which makes this disaster even more upsetting. Because these were kids, really, just kids. Many of whom were likely partying on their last big night out before school began and before their reality set back in. Kids with their entire lives ahead of them.

Apparently this club fits up to 2,000 people (and some reports even say up to 3,000 people) and it's been reported that it was at capacity when the fire broke out. So the chaos must have been extreme once people saw flames and then smoke starting to fill up the space. Reports are out saying that a lot of those at the club thought the bathroom was an exit and ended up fighting to get in -- thinking they were getting out. I can't imagine their horror when they realized they were trapped.

Of course no one will confirm what started the fire until investigations are complete but several witnesses inside the club said that it seemed to have started after a band member lit a flair or firework of some kind. And if that is true -- when will people learn? I can still see the images from the nightclub fire in Rhode Island from 2003 when pyrotechnics used by the band, Great White, started a fire that killed more than 90 people.

Here is a report on the Brazil nightclub fire from earlier on CNN:

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Are you following this story today?

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Casey Anthony just won't go away -- and now is coming out swinging against the people she owes money to. I'm guessing that since she was found not guilty in the murder of her little girl, Caylee, in 2011, she figures there is no reason she should have to pay for the court expenses incurred while defending herself. Why do I think that? Because yesterday she filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court. It's a convenient way to get out of her debt. $792,000 in debt.

It's really outrageous. She gave the courts and the police investigating her daughter's death such a ridiculous runaround -- she shouldn't be let out of these debts. She should have to find a way to pay them.

Her debts listed include:

Her attorney, Andy Chmelir, did tell a CNN affiliate that she is distraught she can't pay her bills. He said:

To some extent she feels, she feels bad that she's having to have all these legal services provided to her and she is unable to compensate anyone.

He also said she would like closure. Well, so would those people that want justice for little Caylee. And to add insult to injury, Anthony made these filings the same day two of her lying convictions were overturned.

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Do you think her application for bankruptcy should be approved?

Image via Queuenews/YouTube

Last night Adam Levine, Andy Samberg, and Kendrick Lamar starred in the best digital short on "Saturday Night Live" since the hilarious Justin Timberlake "D*** in a Box" short. I know -- you doubt me. Go ahead and watch it because this is an instant classic if I've ever seen one. It's called "YOLO" -- which stands for You Only Live Once -- and I've watched it five times already because every time I watch it I catch some other little hilarious clip I missed the time before. I think Levine is trying to move in on Timberlake's territory and you know ... I think he's got a shot.

Just watch ... you will LOVE it.

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You see what I mean? Instant classic. And Samberg's Lonely Planet team (that's the name of his production company) is ready for the onslaught of attention. They've got half a dozen t-shirts for sale with different sayings from the short. I think I need to petition them for one that says this:

YOLO: Stay away from kids cause their hair's full of mad lice.

Listen, I have kids so that line resonates even more with me. It's all in good fun, right?

More from The Stir: Justin Bieber's 'SNL' Gig Will Likely Include Pot Smoking & Selena Gomez

My only concern now is for Samberg -- because who knows what kind of jealous rage Timberlake will fly into once he realizes Levine might be Samberg's new guy. Maybe they will make the next one a threesome.

Did you love this digital short? Were there any lines that made you laugh out loud?

Image via TheLonelyIsland/YouTube

Looks like Tina Turner is trading in her American citizenship and heading to Switzerland. Well, to be fair, she's been living in Switzerland since 1995 and speaks fluent German. But she has just been awarded citizenship there, pending formal approval from state and federal authorities. The big question on everyone's mind now is why would she want to renounce her rights as an American? Many people speculate that high U.S. taxes have something to do with it -- but I like to think it is something else. Something more Hollywood ...

You see -- Turner has been living with her longtime partner and music manager, German record executive Erwin Bach, in Zurich all this time and it seems she simply loves it there. So why not officially make it her home? She was quoted in the German paper Blick as saying:

I am very happy in Switzerland and I feel at home here. I could not imagine a better place to live.

In fact ... if you choose to believe in happy endings, this is the oldest story in the book. Love can make you do many things you thought you would never do. I honestly don't see what all of the hype is about. People are lining up to become American citizens ... if she has found happiness somewhere else then I say more power to her.

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Does it bother you that Tina Turner is giving up her U.S. citizenship to live overseas?

Image via Generationbass.com/Flickr

You seriously can't make this stuff up. A woman named Laura Safe was texting her boyfriend and walked herself right into an icy canal. And no, I am not joking, her last name is really Safe. She is a radio personality in Birmingham, England and is thankfully fine. She even managed to throw her purse and phone to safety before she completely submerged. Pretty impressive!

Luckily there was someone there to lift her out of the freezing water and so the only lingering issue is her new fear of texting and some lumps of embarrassment. Safe even gave an interview (below) where you can see her describe how she managed to get tripped up and what she thinks about it now.

It is safe to say this whole texting on-the-run is becoming a hilarious and disturbing trend.

What on earth is so important that it can't wait? Or how much in a rush must you be that you can't stop for the 20 seconds it will take to send your text. I won't even get into the many, many people that text while driving. At least when you text and walk you are only putting yourself at risk ... well, for the most part.

But really -- when will people learn? We've seen a woman text herself right off a pier, another text her way into the fountain at a local mall, and a texting pilot narrowly escape a plane crash. Maybe we need to resume those talks of a ban on texting while walking -- because if people can't save themselves maybe they need some help.

Okay ... so I don't believe this problem warrants a new law -- but come on people!

Listening to Laura Safe tell her side of things is all sorts of fantastic!

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And here is the actual fall ... which you don't want to miss.

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Do you walk and text? And if so -- does seeing something like this make you stop?

Image via 5MinMedia

Liberty Ross has officially finally filed for divorce from her can't-keep-it-in-his-pants husband, Rupert Sanders. And well, what did we expect? To their credit -- after it became public that Kristen Stewart and Sanders had a pretty intimate fling, Ross and Sanders tried to work things out. But honestly, I don't know how you get over such an awful public display of unfaithfulness.

TMZ reports that Ross filed her paperwork in L.A. County Superior Court yesterday, has asked for joint custody of their two little ones -- ages 5 and 7 -- and is asking for spousal support.

More from The Stir: Liberty Ross Finally Speaks Out After Kristen Stewart's Affair With Her Husband

Ross took her wedding ring off back in August, after the cheating scandal came to light, and it seemed pretty clear back then that their marriage was over. But then Robert Pattinson took Kristen back and we all thought there might be hope for Rupert and Liberty. Clearly -- that's not the case anymore. This video talking about the two of them from August clearly says all that needed to be said.

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You do have to wonder if their divorce will make RPatz question taking Kristen back. I mean, they are already slowing things down a bit -- and now with the divorce -- how can he not have lingering thoughts that Rupert won't make a run for Kristen again? Rupert is free and clear now -- and will be on the prowl for a new girl soon enough. RPatz has got to be questioning whether Kristen can remain faithful to him.

Do you think this divorce will make RPatz question whether or not he should stay with Kristen?

Image via 5MinMiedia

There's no arguing that we love babies in this country -- but you might be surprised at how much we love them. According to the CDC almost 4 million little mushes were born in America in just one year! 3,999,386 to be exact. That's a whole lotta baby loving. And really ... who can blame us? Still, that's not even the most surprising stat rounded up below.

The thing that caught me most off guard is probably how few of those babies were born at home -- 29,650. I chose hospital births for my kids but I really thought more people opted for home births these days. Or maybe it's how many babies are breastfed -- 76.9%. That's actually a lot higher than I thought it would be -- which is all sorts of awesome.

Check out the infograph below and let me know which fact surprises you the most!

Research compiled by Emily Abbate

I am not yet 40 -- but OMG -- the new Judd Apatow movie, This Is 40, totally had me crying I was laughing so hard.

The movie also managed to hit a nerve -- because if you're married with kids, you know what it's like to be, well, married with kids. Delicately trying to balance your relationship while trying to spend quality time with the kids and help them become decent human beings -- all while trying to make enough money to pay your bills, maintain relationships with other people in your life, and stay sane. 

What This Is 40 does exceptionally well is force us to laugh at ourselves. Because even if you aren't living in a big house and driving fancy cars like Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's characters in the film, it is likely you are still trying to escape to the bathroom in an effort to sneak a minute to yourself. And come on -- be honest -- you know that toilet time is the perfect hideaway to play Words With Friends or check your email or post pictures to Facebook! And I promise -- you will love how Mann's character calls out her hubby while he is sitting on the can. It is genius.

Another scene that really resonated with my husband and me is when Rudd and Mann come back from an amazing weekend away, only to have their return met with a kid screaming in pain from an ear infection. And in one fell swoop all the love they felt for each other after this weekend of re-connection is washed away -- as real life slaps them in the face.

The relationship/family topics are perfectly addressed and some of the scenes are pure comedic gold. Plus, the cast is just terrific -- and makes up for the fact the movie feels a little long at times.

Also, Paul Rudd is completely adorable. And his on-screen teenage daughter, Sadie (who happens to be Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann's real-life daughter), is a gem! See for yourself:

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What this movie makes exceptionally clear is something my mom has been telling me since I was a teenager ... staying married, especially when you've got kids, is really hard work. But the payoff is great.

Are you going to see This Is 40?

Image via thisis40movie.com

Today, on The Daily Stir, I talk about Teen Mom Farrah Abraham's ridiculous gift idea, Instagram thinking they should be allowed to do whatever they want with your photos, David Beckham's son following in his daddy's modeling footsteps, and Paul Rudd in This Is 40. Check it out!

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For more on the stories you've just heard you can click below:

'Teen Mom' Farrah Abraham Gives Plastic Surgery Gifts This Holiday -- How Sweet!

Instagram Plans to Sell Your Photos Without Telling You

10-Year-Old Romeo Beckham's Modeling Gig Was Bound to Happen

'This Is 40' Will Have You In Stitches

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Would you be insulted if someone gave you plastic surgery as a gift?

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If you doubt the value of social media, this will turn you into a believer. 

Twitter, well, a Tweet helped us get our cable and Wi-Fi restored in a matter of 12 hours -- after having been without it for three weeks. It all started with Hurricane Sandy. Like thousands of other people, we lost power -- and we know how lucky we are that this was all we lost. But this post is about how Twitter helped us get back into our normal routines.

After two weeks and an email to our local representative to get someone out to our house -- great crews from Ohio, Michigan, and California reconnected the wires that were taken down by some trees, and our fridge powered up. What they couldn't do was reattach the cable wires. Those stayed on the ground.

We called our cable company, told them about the downed wire, and got an appointment for someone to come out the following week. But when the guy got to us on that Saturday, he took one look at the downed wires and told us this sort of thing was beyond what he could do.

Really? Then why did they send you out? Because we were exceptionally clear on the phone, when setting up this appointment, what our problem was. Our frustration grew because we knew we were looking at another entire week with no cable or Wi-Fi. I work online, people. I was getting sick of hopping from Starbucks to Panera to the library.

Out of frustration, on Sunday morning, my husband, @Jaredames23, sent out this Tweet:

"I've always enjoyed @Verizon bundle service but nothing works 3 weeks after #Sandy maybe it's time to move on... @aboshnack #FIOS #Wifi"

It then got Tweeted by @baldvinny who said:

"@jaredames23 wow, i am surprised. we had a generator for an afternoon and my fios fired right up. maybe @VerizonSupport can help"

Then @VerizonSupport Tweeted @baldvinny:

"@baldvinny We're here to help, Vinny. Let us know if you're having any issues with your services. ^ARB-SA"

To which @baldvinny replied:

"@VerizonSupport talk to my man @jaredames23"

To which they replied:

"@baldvinny Will do! Thank you, Vinny. ^ARB-SA"

Next my husband got a Tweet asking him to follow @VerizonSupport so they could Direct Message him. He did and then what happened next was nothing short of AMAZING. The rep that was assigned to us took this on as if it was her personal mission to restore our service. Within ONE hour of his initial tweet we saw customer service like we'd never seen before.

By 5 p.m. on Sunday night there were two veterans from Verizon, Carmen Tillery and Ray Claudio, with 31 years of combined service, at our house surveying the scene. They told me they were not leaving until service was restored. And that's exactly what they did.

But it didn't end with them getting us up and running that night. They were back the next morning with a lineman (the guy that climbs up the pole) to make sure the cable was nice and high and out of our backyard. Plus, they called me throughout the day with updates! I mean -- when you are paying for a service, this is what you expect, right? But all too often we just take what we are given. Man -- did they spoil us. It was nothing less than white-glove service. All because of a simple Tweet.

The power of social media is not something to be taken lightly. We were able to reach decision makers at this company in a way we NEVER would have been able to in the past. Our voices were heard within minutes and our problem was fixed within 12 hours!

I am telling you ... if you aren't already ... get on the Twitter bandwagon. You may need it one day.

Do you Tweet? If not, would this make you consider getting an account?

Ohhh -- Thanksgiving. How we love you! And how we love the alcohol that is hopefully available -- and flowing quite nicely -- on this family-filled day.

Whether you are drinking an ice cold beer, an oaky red wine, or something much harder and on the rocks -- we thought we'd help you add a little spice to your Turkey Day with a drinking game the whole (over 21) family can play.

It's really quite simple.

Any time one of the things listed below is said -- everyone must take a drink.

Any time YOU say any of them out loud (or hell -- if you just think them in your head!), then you must take two drinks (while everyone else takes their one).

Any time a child cries during the course of the meal, each participant must take three drinks. Just, please, make sure there is at least one responsible, sober adult to take care of said crying child.

Drink List

I don't want to sit at the kid table.

I'm thankful for ...

Pass the mashed potatoes.

Do I have to eat the [insert vegetable]?

Chew with your mouth closed.

Pass the wine.

Can we have dessert now?

Can I leave the table?

Can I watch TV?

What's the score?

Who's playing today?

I have to unbutton my pants.

Why did I wear these pants?

The diet starts tomorrow.

Your eyes are bigger than your stomach!

Pass the gravy.

I have to save room for dessert.

I found a wishbone!

The turkey is dry.

I don't like pumpkin pie.

Why is the cranberry shaped like a can?

Is this gluten-free?

When's dessert?

The tryptophan is setting in.

Now print this out so you have it handy. And one last bit of advice ... take small sips and make sure you have a good drink!

Oh -- and have a very, very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Image via Dana Beveridge/Flickr

So maybe by now you have moved on from watching all of the Hurricane Sandy coverage ... or maybe your local station has stopped showing it. There are lots of other things going on -- uh -- today is election day after all! But I can't escape the ripple effect of Sandy. It is all around me. And I am one of the lucky ones. We are still without power -- but our house was not damaged. Our cars were not damaged. We count our blessings every day.

The thing is ... even if you have power on Long Island, in New York, it is a frightening time. The gas lines and fear on the faces I walk past are something I have never witnessed before. So I thought I would share this video my husband took as we left our polling place this morning. This is a gas station in Queens ... but the line stretches into Long Island. It took us more than a minute to find the end of this one -- and it is shorter than most we are seeing.

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And here a photo I took yesterday at a Hess station in Bellmore, Long Island.

Do you see an end in sight for this gas shortage? Is there anything we could have done to better prepare?

Stories about spirits and ghosts always freak me out. I mean -- to the point where I get really uncomfortable inside, a shiver runs up my spine, and I need to immediately stop contemplating what it really means. So when my college roommate came home from visiting her grandfather in hospice and told me he'd been talking to her deceased twin brother ... I didn't sleep all night. 

This is how she relayed the story to me, again, the other day -- it unnerved me just as it had when she first told me about it, 18 years ago:

We were at Aventura hospital (in Florida) and my grandfather was in Hospice, because he was dying. There had been moments as the weeks were unfolding that I had noticed, on several occasions, that while he was looking at me, he was also looking beside me or behind me. But I didn't think anything of it. That is, I didn't think anything of it until he actually told me to "tell Van to have a seat and to stop hanging over you." Van is my twin brother; he passed away from a terrible car accident when we were 16 years old, that was more than four years earlier.

My grandmother and I both witnessed him mention Van and we immediately looked at each other in amazement. We both got the chills, because we inherently knew that at that moment Van's presence was with us. My grandfather then proceeded to tell my grandmother that he had a very nice time earlier that day spending time with his Father ... they apparently had lunch together and talked for the entire afternoon. However, this was impossible because his father died when my grandfather was in his 30's.

It absolutely freaked my grandmother and I out because we realize now that my grandfather was in between worlds … exiting this one ... and on the verge of entering another. At least that's what a medium/psychic later mentioned to me … and it made a lot of sense. We don't run on batteries ... our spirit is the essence of God, or whatever you conceive Him to be.

It was interesting and really scary to us all at the same time. I will never forget it.

Have you ever heard anything like this before?

Read other "scary week" installments:

My Father Sent Me a Facebook Message From Beyong the Grave

One Night in a Haunted Mortician's House Was PLENTY for Me

A Ghost Tried to Hook Up With Me in a Hotel Room

I Saw Real Paranormal Activity on My Baby's Video Monitor

A Ghostly Marching Band Terrorized Me in the Night

Story told by Katerina Wagner 

Image via Ghostboy/Flickr

I met my husband in November of my freshman year of college. I was 18. He was 19. We were crazy for each other. I mean -- we weren't planning our wedding (I was never one of those girls clipping pictures out of wedding magazines) nor was I even looking for a relationship -- I had just started college for goodness sake. At the University of Miami of all places. The last thing I was thinking about was finding a boyfriend! But isn't that exactly when things happen? When you aren't looking for them?

We knew, almost immediately, that we were a good match. The connection between us was instantaneous, passionate, and strong.

We both cared about the same things. Family was important. Communication with each other was even more important. And trust was even more important than that.

But man, our dating and getting serious at such a young age -- it really freaked people out!

We ended up getting engaged during my senior year and at least half-a-dozen people tried to convince us (separately) that we were nuts and should wait to get married. My question back to them was always ... how long should I wait? Is there some magic number? By the time we were to get married -- assuming neither of us ran for the hills -- we would have been together for five years. Would seven years be enough? Do I have to wait until I am 28? Or maybe you need to be over 30 for a marriage to last?

No -- there is no magic number. If it is right -- it is right. Although it was a little disconcerting when, at my first work Christmas party, a very jaded divorcee pulled me aside and told me she was sure I would be divorced in five years!

So I realized through all of this that what really mattered wasn't what everyone was saying -- but rather how we felt. Were we ready? And we were.

At whatever age you get married, you need to understand that relationships will have ups and downs. It's not always going to be roses (though it's nice to get them) and lovey snuggles on the couch. My husband and I have had plenty of things we've had to work through over the years. After our first child was born we didn't like each other -- literally -- for about five months. But you figure out why ... because every problem has a solution ... and you work on fixing it. Not for a day. Not for a week. You really work on it -- until it is fixed. And in some cases it can't be fixed. And that's just the way it is. But how old you are when you get married has nothing to do with it.

Relationships provide us with a love and security and a strength that build over time -- but holding on to that relationship isn't always easy. Staying married is hard work. My mom's been telling me that since I was a little kid -- and she's happily married to my dad for 46 years.

My husband and I have managed to grow together -- and that's not luck. We talk about everything. We have the same goals for our family and understand we both must be happy individually too -- whether it's allowing him time to run his 40 miles a week or me taking a weekend away with my girlfriends. 

Today is my 15th wedding anniversary. I am not sure how so much time has passed ... but two kids later, we are still madly in love. 

So to all of you haters that thought we were crazy to get married so young ... we're still going strong.

Do you think people who marry young are more likely to get divorced?

It was an anniversary dinner for my parents. I must have been 10-years-old at the time. My mom was toasting my dad and said, "David, you are my best friend, my confidant, my lover ..." And that's where she lost me. I know they had to "do it" to make me but the last thing I needed at that impressionable age was to picture them as loverrrs. Even writing it down makes my skin crawl.

So at our last staff meeting I asked everyone to throw out words that make them cringe. Let me just say ... it was one of the funniest meetings I have ever been in. Below is our list, along with the reasons I was given. Do you feel our pain?

More from The Stir: 20 Tech Words That Are More 'Annoying' Than Sexting

What words are on your list? Any of these?

Image via supernova3688/Flickr

I have a confession to make. I sit on public toilets when I am out. My name is Amy Boshnack and I do not know how to squat and pee. I never learned. It's not my fault. My mother just always had me line the toilet with paper, then sit, then pee. I fared okay -- mostly.

The college years were tough. Nasty bars, no toilet paper. I had a few gross moments. And camping, of course, was a challenge. Thankfully, most of the time, there was at least some sort of outhouse with a rim I could sit on (after wiping rim clean and lining it, just as a proper young lady would do.) Oh ... and when I studied abroad and realized that a lot of European spots didn't think toilet seats were a necessity -- yeah, those were hard. But I powered through.

I did have a friend or two over the years try to teach me. Because that's what girlfriends are for, right? They would stand nearby and try to talk me through it ... but it never worked and either my butt would end up touching the toilet (unlined) or I would pee on myself. Is that TMI?

Anyhow -- this all leads to my giant parenting FAIL. I have a daughter and I don't want her destined to a life of nasty toilet wiping/lining. I have enlisted a friend of mine to start working with her ... but I think it might be too late. She is already 8-years-old and may be too set in her ways. She lines the toilet just like mommy. You can laugh -- but this is the kind of thing that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. I need to figure out a way to teach her to squat and pee. Maybe there is a video on YouTube?

Please tell me I am not alone here ... is there anyone else out there that never learned to squat when they pee? What are you doing about your daughters?

And just as an aside, I have a request for you squatters out there ... not sure if you realize it -- but you are always leaving pee on the seats -- that I end up wiping. It would be wonderful if you could work on your precision for us non-squatters.

Do you squat or line the toilet with paper?

Seth McFarlane hosted the SNL season premier last night and if the rest of the year goes like yesterday then the show should be added to your "must watch" list. I laughed at almost every skit, some of which threw in hilarious surprises that reminded us why SNL has been on the air for so long.

Yes, the past few seasons have been more disappointing than not -- except for a few gems like Andy Samberg's digital shorts -- but I have really high hopes for this new season. Here's why:

The sketches were short. Over the last few seasons the sketches were always so damn long. And so when you had the inevitable snoozer you couldn't just wait it out -- you ended up changing the channel. That didn't happen once last night! They were short and funny and kept me wanting more.

Jay Pharoah is now playing Obama. In the opening sketch Fred Armisen passed the Obama torch to Pharoah who went on to do a spot-on impression and OMG -- he was hilarious. I've been a big fan of his since he joined the cast and am thrilled he is going to be front and center this election season. Pharoah even got Obama's eyebrow movements. I'm telling you ... he is one funny guy and this is going to be a breakout year for him.

Jason Sedeikis is playing Mitt Romney and he killed it. I was really worried Sedeikis would jump ship with his other castmates and leave the show -- but he stayed and I'm thrilled. He is adorable and will make watching through November so much more entertaining. Okay, so I have a little crush. But for real -- he plays a great Romney! See for yourself ...

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Korean pop star Psy showed up! What, you don't know who Psy is? Don't feel bad, neither did my husband -- and I talked about him in an episode of The Daily Stir last week! Anyhow, the skit showed an actor playing Psy -- jumping around on his imaginary horse and swinging that imaginary whip above his head (that's what he is doing, right?) And then out through the back stage door came the real thing. When Psy stepped out in front of the audience the crowd went wild. It was awesome.

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Did you watch SNL last night? Are you looking forward to the new season?

Image via Hulu/NBC

All is right in the world again! Robert Pattinson has forgiven Kristen Stewart for her infidelities and the two have apparently moved back in together -- and are happier for it. So it seems we no longer have to worry about RPatz running off to London to get away from all of the drama this cheating scandal has brought. Robert, 26, and Kristen, 22, have had some heart-to-hearts and RPatz is willing to give it another try.

All of this according to an inside source over at The Sun.

The source says that there was a reconciliation because "Kristen poured her heart out to Robert and told him it was a one-off and a mistake.”

The source goes further, saying:

Rob sees it as Kristen made a really stupid mistake. After a lot of long tearful talks, they've worked it out.

and that:

Rob can see how truly sorry Kristen is and has totally forgiven her. They really do love each other.

There is an outrageous disgusting development in the latest Kate Middleton, topless photos, scandal. TMZ is reporting this morning that the French magazine, Closer, was offered a financially enticing opportunity to give the photo rights away. If they accept then the images, which are already set to be published in Italian magazine, Chi, next week, will be headed for a porn site. Does this make anyone else feel ill?

TMZ has actually published the letter that was sent from YouPorn.com to Closer where YouPorn formally requests to buy the very revealing pictures of Will and Kate's holiday. 

More from The Stir: Kelly Osbourne Gives Kate Middleton Advice for Sweet Paparazzi Revenge

The letter itself makes my skin crawl. In it, YouPorn Marketing Director, Cory Price, says:

Ms. Pieau, you have stated that you are currently in possession of "intimate footage" of the future Queen of England, Kate Middleton and Prince William that you are not going to show at this time. We'd like to make an offer on this footage since we believe this is an incredibly newsworthy story, and we are already being slammed with emails from our site's loyal visitors begging us to make an offer.

Newsworthy? Really? How is seeing someone undressed -- future Queen of England or not -- newsworthy?

Sleazeball Price goes on to say that they have an "open checkbook" and are much better equipped to deal with the legal actions that the owner of these photos will most certainly face. 

More from The Stir: 5 Birthday Wishes Prince Harry Must Be Making Today (VIDEO)

Blech... There will be legal action because what they are doing is wrong! Have everyone's morals gone in the crapper? And really, for all of those people making the argument (and there are a lot of them) that it's not really a big deal because it's only some nipple and boob showing -- it's a big deal because the two of them were at a secluded location on vacation. They had every right to believe they could not be seen. This photographer is no different than someone zooming in on a couple having sex in their bedroom with the door closed -- but the blinds not fully drawn.

Do you think it is wrong if these photos make their way to a porn site -- or do you think it's just not that big of a deal?

Image via SplashNews

Today Prince Harry celebrates his 28th birthday. I know -- I thought the same thing -- how on earth is he 28 already -- right?

That boy has done enough in the last couple of months to last an entire year. Thankfully, we can be sure that there won't be too much partying today, since he is stationed in Afghanistan, but there may be a candle to blow out -- and with that -- plenty of room for birthday wishes. And honestly, Harry could use these this year!

Five things I'm betting hoping Prince Harry wishes for on his birthday today...

1. I wish I could just keep it in my pants.

Awwww... Vegas. If only he could have banned anyone with a camera from any spot where he was partying! Oh ... and made everyone near him sign non-disclosure agreements so they couldn't provide salacious details.

2. Can the Queen please get off my back!

You see the Queen is so frustrated by his recent actions in Vegas that she's apparently demanding Prince Harry prove he is 100% royalty. As in -- confirm his mom didn't conceive him through an affair. It looks like a DNA test to prove himself a blood monarch might be coming soon.

3. My fellow comrades -- please stop supporting me -- you are making it worse!

In honor of his Vegas photos -- supporters all over the world are dropping their pants in his honor. While this is absolutely hilarious, it certainly isn't helping him in any way. Though, based on what I've read of him, he must love the creativity in which his "fans" are cheering him on.

4. DO NOT LET this sex tape get out.

Okay -- that's assuming there really is a sex tape. Which there may not be. But if there is one ... you can sure as hell bet that this would be one of his wishes! And it seems the Royal family might be willing to pay as much as 10 million dollars to keep it under wraps! 

5. I wish the Taliban would stop picking on me.

This guy seriously can never catch a break. He's back on duty in Afghanistan and the Taliban are, supposedly, specifically targeting him. Apparently they've even given it a name, "Harry Operations," and say they are going to make attempts to either kidnap or assassinate him. WTF??

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What do you think he is wishing for today?

Image via PopSugar/5MinuteMedia

Late Friday a tentative agreement was reached between the Chicago Teachers Union and the city's school board. This means 350,000 students may be able to return to school on Monday if everyone can agree to agree on the things they have apparently agreed to agree upon. Not a lot of which is public yet.

CNN sites a source close to the negotiations saying some of the terms include "keeping the current length of school year and school day; giving principals the freedom to hire their own teachers; and, chief among the dispute's sticking points, updating the teacher evaluation system for the first time in 40 years."

So while there is clearly a lot on the table for these teachers, I am very conflicted over their ability to strike in the first place -- hurdling working parents into a childcare nightmare. It's hard not to put myself in the position of all of those parents that have had to figure out what the heck to do with their kids while the teachers fought this one out. And I feel especially bad for those parents dealing with less-than-understanding bosses ... or those that had their pay docked because they had no other option but to stay home with their kids.

On the flip side -- I went to a public school in a big city with broken desks and classrooms so crowded that the radiators in the back were lined with students taking notes -- with our binders on our laps. I went and spoke before my local community board when I was 16 years old to try to help create change. Explained what it was like. Nothing changed. So I can also understand why the Teachers Union felt like they were left with no other choice. If you don't push for what you believe in -- for what you think is best for yourself and for the students you are teaching -- then you probably will never get what you really need.

More from The Stir: Chicago Teachers are Already Overpaid

What confuses me the most about these kinds of strikes -- because they happen all over the country in big cities and small -- is why it has to come to this in the first place? It is so obscene to try to come to an agreement without having to resort to such drastic measures? Stop. Don't answer that.

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Do you think teachers should be allowed to strike like this? Is there a clear-cut winner?

Image via sidewalk flying/Flickr