Young Brenden Adams towers over his entire 6th grade class.  In fact, Brenden Adams towers over his entire school! 

On Primetime Medical Mysteries last night they covered a story featuring Brenden, the boy who can't stop growing.  He is a kind and lovable twelve year old; normal in all aspects but one.  And Brenden IS the only one of his kind.

It seems that he has a defect in his 12th chromosome that is causing his unusual and rapid growth.  It has affected his teeth; at 4 months he already had all his teeth.  He has had to have several removed to make room in his mouth.

When Brenden was first born he seemed normal.  However, at his three month check-up the doctor told them he was unusually long.  It didn't stop there he just continued to grow.

It is difficult on his joints, face and teeth.  He says that it get uncomfortable and painful for his joints sometimes.  He can't completely straighten out his arms and legs.

With his height and size 18 shoes he has difficulty getting into the family SUV and he would love a bed like Shaquille O'Neils'. 

Brenden has some good news now though.  His geneticist and doctors think they have come up with a way to halt and hopefully permanent stop his growth.  They inject him with testosterone.  The reasoning behind this is that testosterone will speed up the puberty process. 

As for now it is working.  Brenden has stopped growing, at least for now.

Brenden will more than likely always be the tallest boy in his class.  And his classmates and friends all say he is "normal" to them.

Check out this YouTube clip to see Brenden Adams and you will get a brief glimpse at an amazing twelve year old boy.  You can also read all about the story at ABCNews.com.

If you read my previous post 'Fly Me To The Moon 3D - A Movie Review', you know I loved the movie; and you also know I have an issue with paying $2.50 extra per person for the 3D (polarizing) glasses.  My problem isn't with the initial extra price for the polarizing glasses but in having to buy the 3D glasses every time you see a 3D movie.

As I said, we just saw 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' in 3D and paid $7.50 extra for a family of three.  Then yesterday we paid another $7.50 for the polarizing glasses to watch 'Fly Me To The Moon'.  This still might not be a big problem for me, but during the previews of coming attractions, there are two more 3D movies (Rated G) coming out this year!  And I have a feeling that this 3D trend is only going to get bigger.

So can someone tell me why we have to continue to pay for the same polarizing glasses over and over again?  I can keep up with our 3D glasses.  If I happen to lose a pair before the next 3D movie I can pay the $2.50 for a pair.  If I don't have the polarizing glasses I don't mind paying for them.  My gripe is paying over and over again for the same 3D glasses!

Over the years the price for a movie ticket (not to mention the concessions) has risen to the point where I don't know how a big family can afford to see a movie in a theater.  Now add $2.50 more per person, and it can put a serious drain on the pocketbook.  Especially when the 3D movies are targeted to our children, who beg and plead to see them.

As I said in my 'Fly Me To The Moon' review...I am glad I got to experience the nWave 3D technology for it was visually astonishing!  I just wish I could have used the 3D glasses I just purchased the week before.  I really don't think that is too much to ask!

What is your opinion on the extra $2.50 per person fee for every 3D movie?  Share it with us.  Hope to hear from you!

This is the second time in two weeks I've seen a 3D movie.  But the first time ever to really experience a 3D nirvana.  Yesterday we saw 'Fly Me To The Moon', and I still can't say the movie title without singing 'Fly Me To The Moon' by Frank Sinatra.  So every time you see the title 'Fly Me To The Moon', trust me I sang it out as I typed it.

Okay back to the business at hand...'Fly Me To The Moon' is the first ever animated movie created for 3D.  The movie utilizes nWave 3D technology.  The 3D stereoscopy technique, quite literally, make the characters in the movie jump out of the screen.  It is a visual experience that will have you in awe!

Firstly, the story is predictable.  They go to the moon and come back.  Okay, I give you that.  But this movie gives you a 'fly on the wall' perspective.  And I will tell you that you have not seen a 3D film until you've seen this one! 

'Fly Me To The Moon' (I bet your singing it now too), is about three houseflies that hitch a ride on the Apollo 11 space mission.  Nat, I.Q., and Scooter, are three young flies that dream of going somewhere different.  And with the help of Grandpa, voiced by Christopher Lloyd (Doc from Back to the Future fame), inspiring Nat to be adventurous, the three plot a way to get into space.  My favorite character by the way, is Grandpa.

Tim Curry, Kelly Ripa and Nicollette Sheridan join Lloyd in lending their voices to characters in 'Fly Me To The Moon', along with Trevor Gagnon, Phillip Bolden and David Gore as Nat, I.Q. and Scooter, respectively.

I won't write any spoilers here, but suffice to say that I give this movie a must see for the 3D experience alone.  Fortunately, I can also recommend you see it for the story as well.  It has a good message for kids of all ages - that it is possible to attain your dreams.  Also a good message for parents - sometimes we need to let our kids go... a little.

Finally, my son gives 'Fly Me To The Moon' an enthusiastic 4-Star.  He says, "he wants a fly as a pet".  Of course in the movie the houseflies were cute; didn't change my view though, I will continue to swat the little annoying creatures!

One last thing - even though I loved this 3D experience, I have an issue with paying $2.50 extra per person for your 3D (polarizing) glasses.  Let me clarify, I have an issue to paying extra for the polarizing glasses every time I go to a 3D movie. Check out the post above to see why.

How traumatic it must have been for the children visiting Disneyland yesterday, August 14, 2008, to see their beloved Disney characters handcuffed and loaded into police vans.

This is what kids saw on Thursday at the Anaheim, California's Disneyland; Tinkerbell, Snow White and Cinderella, to name a few, were carted off to jail during a labor protest.  I don't think the 'Happiest Place on Earth' was so happy yesterday.

The 32 protesters, many of whom wore costumes representing famous Disney characters, came at the end of an hour-long march to Disneyland's gates from one of three Disney-owned hotels at the center of a labor dispute, according to MercuryNews.com.

The protesters were members of the Unite Here Local 681, made up of about 2,300 maids, bell hops, cooks and dishwashers at three Disney-owned hotels: the Paradise Pier, the Grand Californian and the Disneyland Hotel.

Their dispute is over non-competitive wages, trying to cut their hours, and taking away their seniority; but the biggest issue is with health care.

From the Mercury News:

At the heart of the issue is a free health care plan that has been provided to Disney hotel workers through a trust fund that Disney and other unionized hotels in the area pay into.

Briceno said that in exchange for the free medical plan, union members agreed in previous contracts to a lower wage for hotel workers in the first three years of their employment.

But Disney now wants to eliminate the free health plan for new hires and wants to create a new class of workers who put in less than 30 hours a week, said Briceno. Those part-time workers would receive no sick or vacation pay and not be given holidays, she said.

They are hopeful that they will reach an agreement soon. 

It is disturbing that Disney whose name is synonymous with family...isn't taking care of their worker's families.

Being a woman I have heard all the jokes and remarks about how women can't drive or park.  You have to be loaded with testosterone to be able to drive.  So I decided to do a little research...and this is what I found.

According to Car-Accidents.com:

Men are more than twice as likely to die in a car crash than women, consider the yearly statistics shown below. In fact, studies have shown as many as 73 percent of all people killed in car accidents are male. Since record keeping began: male fatalities significantly outweigh female fatalities. However men and women do not drive the same number of miles under the same conditions- men do about 60-65% more driving than women. Studies show that woman take shorter trips and female drivers have a greater number of minor crashes than do men. However men are still 70% more likely to be in a serious crash.

In 2006, Male drivers killed was 29,722 compared to 12,747 female drivers killed.

What could account for this disparity?  Some researchers believe the explanation could be hormonal - related to aggressiveness, others put more emphasis on data such as the measurably greater alcohol use among men while driving.

Now if this isn't enough proof check out this YouTube video.

I want to add that I am by no means 'men-bashing'.  Men are wonderful!  I have to say my husband is in fact, a good driver. 

Just a little good-humored retaliation for all the videos, pictures and comments about 'bad women drivers'. 

So guys please don't be offended...just admit women are better drivers!

Care.com the premier source of trustworthy family care options, has announced a new feature that helps parents calculate an appropriate pay rate for their babysitter.

The pay calculator allows parents to determine an hourly rate for to pay a babysitter  on where they live, how many children they have and the sitter's level of experience.  Go to  www.care.com to try it out.

In addition to the Babysitter Pay Calculator, Care.com provides child care listings for babysitters, nannies and day care centers across the country.  Launched in May 2007, Care.com helps families to find babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, senior caregivers, housekeepers and tutors through a national network of trusted caregivers. 

All caregiver profiles are pre-screened by experienced moms, and members can run free background checks, listen to recorded references and view caregiver ratings.  These aspects of the service provide users an added layer of confidence and security when making important decisions regarding family care needs.

If you need a babysitter or if you want to make sure you are paying your babysitter appropriately (because if you have a trusted babysitter, you want to keep them), check out Care.com.

Tonight on Primetime Crime, they will be recalling the grisly murders of an Idaho couple, Alan and Diane Johnson who were shot to death in their home in September 2003.

In late June, judges in the Idaho Supreme Court upheld a jury verdict that Sarah, the Johnson's daughter, had brutally murdered her parents in 2003, a case solved by DNA and the then-16-year-old's suspicious behavior shortly after the bodies were found.

Sarah's motive -- her parents tried to prevent her from seeing an older man.  Now Sarah Johnson has one last chance to convince a judge of her innocence.

For investigators, the first clues in the shocking case came when they discovered that Sarah had fallen in love with a Mexican man, who was in the country illegally. Alan and Diane did not approve of their daughter's relationship with Bruno Santos, a 19-year-old high school dropout from a poor home across town.

Relatives and friends stated that the Johnson family were arguing a lot and that Santos became the source of many heated family arguments.  Tensions mounted the Saturday of that Labor Day weekend, when Diane and Alan discovered that Sarah was sleeping over at Santos' apartment. When Alan picked up Sarah, he told Santos that he was to stay away from his daughter. He even threatened to report him to the police for having sex with an underage girl.

But Alan Johnson didn't get a chance to go to the police, he and his wife were dead that following Tuesday morning.

As investigators removed Alan and Diane's bodies from the house, they  noticed a coldness and distance from Sarah.  Just the beginning of her suspicious behavior.

I remember when this case happened, how horrified I was that a teenager, much less the daughter, could be capable of killing her own parents...and I'm still horrified.

You can read more about the Sarah Johnson case at ABCNews.com and tune in tonight on Primetime Crime on ABC at 10:00 p.m EST to see if Sarah can convince a judge she is innocent.

Yes, you heard me correctly, the body of a 500 lb. ape-like creature has been found in Georgia.  According to the Post Chronicle, a group called 'Searching For Bigfoot'  has scheduled a press conference for Friday, at a hotel in Palo Alto, California where they claim they will be able to provide DNA evidence as well as pictures of the creature.

Bigfoot was evidently found by Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer in the woods in northern Georgia. They aren't giving out the exact location to respect the living members of the species.

You can see the Bigfoot pictures, one of the alleged Bigfoot in a freezer, and read more about it at www.searchingforbigfoot.com.

I have never believed in Big Foot, Sasquatch or the Yeti.  And I think the picture they show of this 'Bigfoot' lying in a freezer looks fake; but I think it would be pretty cool if it did turn out to be an authentic 'Bigfoot'.

So like you, I will wait till Friday when Searching For Bigfoot shows their proof...but I won't hold my breath.

On Primetime:  Medical Mysteries tonight 'August 12, 2008 at 10:00 p.m. EST   David Muir reports on Surfer's Myelopathy a mysterious and terrifying threat that could be lurking for beginner surfers -- not under the water, where you would suspect, but in their own bodies.

Muir speaks with two men who tried surfing for the first time on a beach vacation and became paralyzed from the waist down because of a rare complication known as Surfer's Myelopathy.  Read more about it here.

Dr. James Pearce, who first documented this condition nearly 25 years ago, explains to "Primetime" that, when the spinal cord is hyper-extended, as when a surfer arches his back on the board, it can interrupt the blood flow to the spine causing what he calls a "stroke to the spine."

According to Wikipedia, the condition gets its name because the phenomenon is most often seen in those surfing for the first time, but it can be caused by any activity in which the back is hyper-extended. The majority of patients suffering from surfer's myelopathy make a full recovery, though others suffer permanent damage.

For now, no medication or surgery is available to treat 'Surfer's Myelopathy'.  Many patients do recover, however, through intense physical therapy.

Also during Primetime:  Medical Mysteries season's premiere tonight don't miss the story about Dede who is referred to by people in his community of Indonesia as 'Tree Man'.  He has warts caused by the HPV that looks like tree bark.  Dede is severely covered by growths, that look like bark and roots.  Watch Primetime:  Medical Mysteries to see if surgery can help Dede become normal again

I am fascinated by these medical mystery shows...and on going to ABCNews.com/Primetime for a chance to play doctor and diagnose a disease. 

Police have obtained warrants for five alleged cult members accused of starving an 18-month-old boy to death because they thought he was a 'demon.'

According to The Examiner:  Police say they’ve charged the boy’s mother, Ria “Princess Marie” Ramkissoon, 21, and the alleged cult’s leader, Queen Antoinette, 40, with conspiracy to commit the first-degree murder of Javon Thompson, who went missing from Baltimore about two years ago. Also charged in Javon’s death are Marcus Cobbs, 21; Trevia Williams, 21; and Steven Bynum, 42 — all of whom at one point lived on the 300 block of North Robinson Street.

“Javon Thompson was deprived of food and water because he was non-compliance with existing rules of the cult,” Parker wrote in charging documents. “The child was viewed as a ‘demon.’ ”  Supposedly he 'refused' to say Amen after meals.  Uh, he was 18 months old, for goodness sakes.

Ramkissoon's family said she should not be held responsible for her son's death.  "She had no control over that situation at all," her stepfather, Craig Newton, said Monday.  Ramkissoon's mother, Seeta Khadan-Newton, told The (Baltimore) Sun on Sunday that it wasn't her daughter's decision not to feed the boy. 

I'm sorry but there is no way anybody is going to starve my child - they would have to kill me too!

I just don't understand anyone, nonetheless a mother, starving her baby to death.  The cruelty of this act makes me sick to my stomach.  I have never gone more than 18 hours without eating something and I know how I felt.  I have read from people who were lost or trapped and went several days without food and how excruciatingly painful it is...so this baby must have suffered.

I am sick of hearing about people committing despicable acts under the guise of religion. 

The only things I could find out about 1 Mind Ministries is that they all wore white, swore off medical care and referred to some members with titles including queen and princess.  The group was also accused of insisting that a pregnant woman give birth without access to doctors.

If anyone knows more about this 'religious cult' please let us know.  I hope that those responsible for little Javon Thompson's death get what they deserve!