There is no such thing....

"There's no such thing as bad publicity," or so goes so the old bromide. Well, it seems maybe there is. The PR agency representing (pro bono, it should be noted) in vitro octo-mom Nadya Suleman has dropped the account after receiving over 100 death threats.

Ms Killeen said she had received more than 100 e-mailed threats and many others that were left on the agency's voice-mail, AP reported.

"They'd put me in the wood chipper and throw me in the bottom of the ocean and hope I die," she is quoted as saying.

Some of the threats were also directed at Ms Suleman, she said.

"We've never had a public reaction to us representing a client pro bono like this, ever."

This would be a good time to note Brendan Behan's full quote was, “There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.” It seems there is no shortage of idiots in the world who are more than willing to fulfill that sentiment.

That the Killeen Furtney Group didn't see this coming isn't all that surprising. Most multiple births get little to no backlash. Even in the case of the McCaughey septuplets, where the mother used a fertility drug that carried a 20% risk of multiple births, the overwhelming reaction was positive. Both cases have striking similarities--the risk of multiples and knowing in advance the number of children and declining selective reduction. The similarities pretty much end there, though. The McCaughey's received a free house, van and college education for their kids. What does Suleman get? Death threats. Why? Maybe we can glean some insight frim the brain trust over at Free Republic.

What has not gone mentioned is that with a name like ‘Suleman’, she is of no doubt Muslim extraction.--by keithtoo

We might be onto something here.

She’s Iraqi.--by ViLaLuz

Yes, there seems to be a theme developing.

Of Palestinian descent.--by FreepShop1

Yes! When white, Middle Americans have more babies than they can really afford, it's a good thing. When brown people of Middle Eastern descent have more babies than they can really afford, it's a bad thing.

If only some mega-dumbass could really overreach on this one, my day would be complete.

Nadya Suleman to me is the embodiment of the ObamaNation. She is the Cleopatra of Welfare Queens, yet sneers at anyone who has a problem with her $2 million taxpayer bill. Is there a better symbol of the Obama Era of arrogant entitlement than this sick freak?

And she is Palestinian to boot--perfect...a welfare queen from a tribe of welfare cases. Like Fatah and Hamas--on the U.S. dime.--by FreepShop1

Thank you, FreeShop1. I suspect you speak for many Freeprs. Of course, since they never leave mom's basement, and the closest they ever get to procreation is rubbing one out on a pic of Ann Coulter, they are unaware of the concept of gestation. In this case the IVF procedure was preformed just over seven months before the birth, and it had to be in the planning stage long before then. Was Obama president way back then? I don't think so. Bush was.

In many ways this pregnancy, a conception during, and ending just one week after Bush's term, is a fitting symbol of his era. Go for it. Don't think about why, or worry about the consequences or who is going to pay for it. Just do it.

Maybe she will name all eight babies George.

Sign of the Times

The BBC has a wonderful piece on this poster from the British Ministry of Information. Printed in 1939, for distribution in case of national catastrophe, until recently it never saw the light of day.

Consider, this was right before the Blitzkrieg (that's German for Shock and Awe) of 1940. Fifty-seven straight nights of aerial bombardment. Over forty thousand dead. Over a million homes damaged or destroyed.

Yet, the poster was never distributed. It makes one wonder, if not the Blitz, what would qualify as a national catastrophe? In part, the answer to that question is in the message of the poster--it's not only the circumstance that defines catastrophe, but the reaction to it. Hitler hoped the Blitz would demoralize the Brits into surrender. Of course, it didn't work. The resilience, the stiff upper lip of the English is legendary. They didn't need to be reminded to stay calm and carry on, it's what they do.

These days, it is easy to feel as if we are on the brink of global and personal financial catastrophe. This is particularly troubling for Americans, who do not have the tradition of the stiff upper lip. We are given to loud, brash reactions. Nor are we patient--for us, right now isn't soon enough. That is unfortunate, as there is no easy or fast way out of our financial mess. If we panic and act without careful thought, or demand a quick solution, we risk turning this into a real catastrophe.

Right now, we could use that poster. Having an aversion to monarchies (and any reminder of leaders named George), the crown would have to go. The overall design and layout is wonderful, but might be a bit subtle for many. Perhaps we could do something with that as well.

How about something like this?