Human Barbie Injects Daughter With Botox • Gov. Paterson Hoped To "Downplay" Domestic Violence

• Last year, Hannah Burge, then 15, became Britain’s youngest Botox user when her mother, the “Human Barbie” and record-holder for most surgically altered, injected her with the toxin. “Appearance is important to me,” Burge said. She continued:

“I don’t want to look haggard and ugly by the time I’m 25. Some of my friends told me that the earlier you start to have B, the fewer wrinkles you’ll have as an adult.” Sensible! • Contraception rates are increasing in Afghanistan, thanks to the efforts of mullahs and health workers alike. This may help reduce Afghanistan’s maternal mortality rate — at one in eight women, it’s the second highest in the world. • Dr. Vera Rigolin of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago warns that women entering menopause are at an increased risk for heart disease, which can often present differently in women than in men. While men generally report chest pain as their primary symptom, women often feel the more subtle signs of a heart attack, including fatigue, nausea and abdominal and jaw pain. • A new study from Virginia Tech reveals that air pollution may slow down female runners. Researchers examined smog levels in various cities over several decades, along with the winning times for marathon runners. Interestingly, male runners were unaffected by the level of pollution. • Unless she can come up with a better reason for drowning her two sons in 1994, Susan Smith is going to lose her most recent appeal, says a circuit judge. Smith is currently arguing that she was suffering from battered women’s syndrome, but prosecutors aren’t convinced. She is representing herself, and according to the Associated Press she “sometimes dots her ‘i’s’ with little circles.” • According to an annual report from the journal Pediatrics, birth rates in the U.S. reached a record high in 2007. The birth rate rose among all age groups, including teenagers and the number of unmarried moms reached the highest level ever measured. • A 7-month-old girl survived for three days with a bullet in her chest after her parents committed suicide. The Argentinian parents were upset over global warming, and made the decision to end their own lives, and the lives of their 2-year-old son and infant daughter to escape their fears. • A “shocking” video of a teen girl giving birth on a football field has been pulled from YouTube. The video is obviously fake, incredibly dramatic and over-the-top, but a health services group from the UK thought it would be a good way to scare kids out of having unprotected sex. • We’ve wondered before about why the Olympics committee seems so out of touch with the needs of female athletes and viewers, and Ann Killion has the answer: the IOC is a “male-centric” organization with just one woman on the executive board. Killion argues that the IOC should not give up on women’s hockey, especially following Canada’s triumphant win and the obvious support for the women’s teams. • A woman from Ohio had a busy day when her water broke during her wedding. Jamie Phillips says she felt contractions as she walked down the aisle, but it wasn’t until the reception that she realized her baby was really on the way. • Since 2007, Indian policewomen have been working to stop rape in Liberia through peacekeeping efforts. The policewomen have become mentors and role models for many victims of violent crime, their ultimate message being: You can trust us. Last year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke to the UN about their work. “They have set an example that must be repeated in U.N. peacekeeping missions all over the world,” she said. • Both sides of the gay marriage debate in DC have been targeting black voters, a group that is generally believed to be opposed to same-sex unions. Supporters drew parallels between gay marriage and Martin Luther King Jr.’s advocacy for equal rights, while opponents ran ads on the radio station at Howard University. • Are we naturally disposed to monogamy, or are humans more suited for polygamy? This is the question researchers from the University of Montreal set out to answer, through a study of breeding sex ratio. They found that our ancestors would be generally monogamous, but tend toward polygamy over the course of history. • The New York chapter of the National Organization for Women has called for the resignation of governor David Paterson. Although Paterson had previously won praise for his work on violence against women, his involvement with a recent case has caused the president of NOW to change their position. • In a disturbing new development, it appears Paterson asked state employees to call the woman pursuing a domestic violence case against his aide, with the goal of getting her to “downplay” the violence involved. • Brittany Hamilton, 17, recently beat five male competitors to place first in the Skills U.S.A. District competition in Collision Repair Technology. Hamilton completed tests in dent removal, plastic repair and suspension identification. She will advance to the Pennsylvania state competition later this month and has already won $10,000 in scholarships. •