The posts we put up will still “live” in the archives of ocregister.com so you can still search for them (in case you want to relive any Octo moments — good times), but we will go back to focusing on writing Morning Reads, which run on the front page of the paper and online in the OC People section. (Bookmark this link!)

Thanks again. And may the force be with you…

Lori (and Tom)

Post from: Offbeat OC

I called a Halloween store, and it doesn’t appear there is an official Octomom costume, but that hasn’t stopped people from sharing tips and pictures on the internet.

Will any of them have the guts to go knocking on Nadya Suleman’s La Habra door? For the kids sake, I hope not.

Post from: Offbeat OC

Michael Kamrava, of West Coast IVF in Beverly Hills, reportedly planted six embryos in Nadya Suleman’s uterus. The ASRM guidelines recommend one or two for a woman her age, 33 at the time. The La Habra mom’s six embyos turned into eight, giving her a grand total of 14 kids created through fertility treatments.

Only state medical boards have the power to revoke a doctor’s license, but some insurances will not cover fertility procedures performed by a doctor unless they are a member of ASRM.

Guess which OC resident has inspired a halloween costume?

What does King Tut and this OC coach have in common?

Post from: Offbeat OC

marty in 2008

And you want to know what he told me the best part of his day is? Going down to the JSerra Catholic High School around 2:30 (after a day of writing) to run with his cross-country team.

Marty has been running since eighth grade when, he writes on his blog, he “raced to win because my dad was in Vietnam and nothing was sweeter than writing a letter telling him I had won.”

He began coaching cross-country at JSerra in 2005. Call it a fluke or fate, but he had always wanted to coach running and on the day he was touring the high school where his oldest son Devin had just transferred to, he mentioned to the athletic director that if the cross-country coach ever needed assistance, to call him. Turns out there was no cross-country coach.

The first day Marty held practice, four kids showed up ready to run. And they all quit before the first mile was finished. Now he has 45 boys and girls. And they are ranked among the best in the state. His girls team went to the state championship in 2007 and 2008. The boys are rated No. 5 in CIF. The girls are rated No. 4. 

On Saturday, the boys and girls teams will compete in the Orange County Cross Country Championships at Irvine Regional Park. Then onward to states in November.

Marty runs with them, about 60 miles a week up and down the hills surrounding JSerra in San Juan Capistrano.  ”We’ve got an abundance of hills and we believe in suffering. I push them. They work hard every day. They know you don’t get anywhere by wishing.”

When Marty signs off on blog posts, it’s with this reminder: “Keep pushing … always.”

I’m going to write a story about Marty and his various adventures, including his latest: writing a movie script about a lacrosse high school love story starring “Twilight” stars Kellan Lutz (Emmett) and Ashley Greene (Alice), due to hit theaters early next year. So stay tuned.

Post from: Offbeat OC

Now that everyone has had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief that the boy is alive, some people are beginning to question whether it was a publicity stunt. The cops want to talk to the parents Saturday, the Washington Post is reporting.

The boy and his family went on CNN Thursday night and when the boy was asked why he didn’t come out of his hiding place in the attic when he heard his mom calling for him, he said to his dad on camera: ”You had said that we did this for a show.”

When Wolf Blitzer asked the dad to ask his son what he meant by that, the dad got hostile.

On Friday morning dad and son went on the Today show to deny it was a hoax. The boy threw up on camera.

Whatever happened, some are now questioning whether the parents, who were previously on the reality TV show “Wife Swap,” should foot the bill for the massive search. CNN is estimating it cost taxpayers as much as $28,000 when you include all the police, fire services and military choppers.

ABC’s Wife Swap website describes the family this way:  ”When the Heene family aren’t chasing storms, they devote their time to scientific experiments that include looking for extraterrestrial. ” Some reports say the parents expressed belief during their reality TV days that believe they are descendants of alients.

The Wife Swap show also apparently highlighted the Heene’s questionable child safety record, a CNN story reports.

Here’s a Wife Swap video for you to watch. Now bookmakers.com has posted odds on what will happen next, if you’re a betting person. 

What does the murder of King Tut and this OC school have in common?

Post from: Offbeat OC

I just watched the show, which aired this morning, and Margie is hilarious. At one point she ditches her flip-flops (the TV zooms in for a closeup of them, sitting footless on the floor), runs to a car she just won (a Scion), jumps in and pretends she’s driving. Click here to see more photos by Mindy Schauer.

She also won a four-night trip to Manhattan (with helicopter limo service) and a six-night trip to Madrid. “I’ve been dying to travel. I was raised in the jungle and have been around Orange County too many years,” she tells Drew before bidding $12,000 for the package, a whopping $14,000 less than the retail price. But a guy named Julius bid $21,000 less than the actual retail price of his showcase.

Looking like she is still doing the math in her head, Margie doesn’t start jumping up and down until host Drew Carey tells her she won. 

I wrote a story in today’s Orange County Register  about Margie’s journey to the holy grail of one of the oldest and campiest game shows.

The show was actually taped July 8 but aired this morning on CBS. You can click here on CBS.com to see the episode later today. “It was so fun to watch!” Margie told me after watching herself on the show (along with a gang of friends and family) for the first time this morning.

It’s not Margie’s first time on TV though. She once talked her husband and daughter into trying out for the reality show “Treasure Hunters.” They were on the first (and last) season in 2006. Team Fogal was eliminated in the sixth episode.

Margie is allowed to go back as a Price is Right contestant in 10 years. Count on it.

You can watch the clip here of Margie’s 1988 attempt at the Price is Right showcase.

Post from: Offbeat OC

Judie Mancuso, president of the Laguna Beach-based Social Compassion in Legislation, which co-sponsored the bill, said in a  phone call Sunday evening that she is despondent.

A dog rescued from a Dana Point puppy mill

“AB 241 did absolutely nothing to hamper raising service and assistance dogs. The behavior in Sacramento right now by the governor is inexcusable. He has crippled our state from progress and has hurt many people and animals in the process.”

 The bill, which passed the assembly 59-17 and the senate 25-9, was poised to become law Jan. 1.

Here is the governor’s response, written to the members of the California State Assembly.

“This measure would make it a crime for any person or entity to own or control more than 50 unsterilized adult dogs or cats for breeding or raising for sale as pets.

“I support measures designed to prevent animal cruelty and that punish persons engaged in the abuse of animals. However, this measures simply goes too far in an attempt to address the serious problem of puppy mills.

“Instead this measure, has the potential to criminalize the lawful activites of reputable breeders, pet stores, kennels and charitable organizations engaged in raising service and assistance dogs.

“For these reasons, I am unable to sign this bill.”

Post from: Offbeat OC

Post from: Offbeat OC

McKay Hatch is now part of a nationwide character development program that some  Orange County Schools are incorporating into their curriculum, courtesy of Angels outfielder Torii Hunter.

As of this week, Heart of a Champion is in South Junior High in Anaheim, McPherson magnet school in Orange, El Modena High in Orange and the entire Savanna School District in Anaheim. Next month Hunter and the Angels Foundation will officially kick off a partnership with the program. Torii is also hosting a celebrity golf classic  on Nov. 10 and 11 to raise funds for it. 

The nine-month-long program focuses on people of character from all walks of life. For the unit on self control, students will read and write about McKay Hatch, the Pasadena high school boy who started the No Cussing Club  and has since taken so much heat, both from fellow students and an organized group of internet trolls, police have had to get involved.

Here’s a blog I wrote about McKay when he went on Jay Leno to talk about the abuse he’s taken and why he won’t back down. McKay’s book “The No Cussing Club. How I fought Peer Pressure and How You Can Too” came out earlier this year.

Post from: Offbeat OC

Say what?

A doctor is quoted saying he didn’t think that was a good idea. Here’s a link to more on the debate. What do you think?

San Juan Capistrano hiring; skinny people need not apply

Lake Forest mom gives son time out — in Third World country

Post from: Offbeat OC