If you're ever in Albuquerque and you see Antonio Diaz Chacon, give that hero a hug. The father of two was walking down his street when he noticed a man grab a little girl and throw her into the back of a van. The man of the hour jumped into his own pickup and followed the van out of town towards the desert, while his wife called 911. The creepy, would-be child abductor crashed the van and took off on foot. Antonio ran to the van, rescued the little girl and told her he'd take her home. The abductor, in addition to being a menace to society, wasn't so bright because he later returned to the van, where police caught him -- and found packing tape and tie-down straps nearby. That is one lucky little girl. If you're not in love with Diaz Chacon already, this last little bit ought to seal the deal -- he later said that he was proud to help and that while he was chasing the van he thought of his own two little girls and how he'd want someone to do the same thing for them.
Sadly, not all child abductions have a happy ending. In July, the horrific story of what happened to eight-year-old Leiby Kletzky in Brooklyn rattled parents everywhere. Unfortunately, the little boy who'd gotten lost, asked the wrong person for help. Now, New York has instituted a "Safe Haven" program, where business owners can undergo voluntary background checks and have their place of business be declared a safe place for kids to go. The businesses receive a decal, which can be put in a window, letting kids know it's somewhere safe to turn in case of an emergency. The program had been in the works for years but was fast-tracked to honor Leiby.
Some are saying that Tide's new commercial, "Hoodies and Cargo Shorts," is stained by an undercurrent of homophobia. The commercial portrays an ultra-feminine mother, bemoaning her daughter's aversion to pink and affinity for a favored camo-hoodie. The mom expresses her disappointment that the laundry detergent got a stain out of her daughter's tomboyish outfit (which she would have preferred to toss). While some worry that the dirty subtext depicts a mom fearing that her daughter is a lesbian, others say the company's squeaky-clean and it's just a funny commercial. What do you think about the ad?
Into every parent's house, a little destruction must fall. Pets will be painted, bookshelf walls dismantled, and hair entangled in Zsu Zsu Pets. If your kids have ever ruined your stuff, you must check out this hilarious slideshow, and you'll soon see you're in good company. However, if you click through and realize your kids have committed most of the offenses documented here, you just might cry.
The party may be over for alcohol companies as some say alcohol ads should be banned on Facebook for fear that they're targeting teens. There are claims that alcohol companies are targeting the under-age crowd with games, competitions and videos of booze-infested parties on social networking sites. It is said that teens themselves are even setting up unofficial websites, featuring the logos of popular brands of alcohol and some say an effort should be made to shut those down as well.
Dana Macario is a TODAY Moms contributor and Seattle mom to two sleep-depriving toddlers. She is currently developing an alarm clock that will start an IV coffee drip 10 minutes prior to wake-up time. Once properly caffeinated, she also blogs at www.18years2life.com.