“Wow – such a trainwreck. Watched hours of this marathon yesterday and, even after sleeping on it, I can’t decide which parent is the biggest loser.” – Poster on Television without Pity

Believe it or not, this comment is not taken from TWoP circa spring 2008 before the “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ forum was (finally) permanently shut down.  This observation comes from from a recent post about the WETV network show “Raising Sextuplets.”   

You may not have heard of the series. It is not to be confused with the other TLC show that follows a family with sextuplets – “Table for Twelve.” Raising Sextuplets follows the Masche family formerly of Arizona, now of Florida.

Why the comparison to Jon & Kate? Well, let’s just say Season 2 of the show has ratcheted up the drama a bit. Father Bryan Masche is not afraid to make a comparison between the two couples:

Bryan compares Jenny to Kate

The only problem is most viewers appear to think that Bryan – not wife Jenny – is the one who needs a lesson in how to treat one’s spouse respectfully. Of course, there are others (like the poster above) who want to slam both parents. Not surprising to those of us who have watched the criticism the entire Gosselin family has endured by hate blogs, not even the Masche sextuplets (adorable 3-year-olds) are spared by some acid-tongued viewers.

Confession time: I have seen many of season one’s episodes and most of season two. I cannot say I am enthralled with Bryan. Yes, I understand that much of the filming took place during stressful periods (such as the family’s move to Florida) and I fully acknowledge that the show’s producers are editing their footage to highlight some of Bryan’s less desirable qualities. That said, he has been difficult to like this season.

That is as far as my opinion extends, however. I am not willing to call Bryan a monster or to publically state that Jenny is an abused wife. I do not think they are “fame whores” for participating in a small reality show that might help them realize their dream of Jenny staying home full-time with the kids. I have no opinion on Jenny’s hair color or her breasts. I see no evidence that either parent favors one particular child.

If I were to begin to have such negative emotions, I think I would start a hate blog to advocate for the Masche children and spew my vitriol at the parents. Or maybe not. Maybe I would pick up a book or call a friend. That’s just me, however.

What about you? Have you seen the show? What do you think of the family? Do you think there are serious issues or is this just manufactured reality show drama?

Earlier today on a Facebook fanpage one person commented – “Kate is in Alaska with the kids! I want to meet her!”  When I looked at her info page, sure enough she was from Alaska. I figured she must be onto something so I did a google search and I found pictures on a twitter account of the Gosselins visiting the Alaskan Ivory Exchange. I find it kind of interesting that no local news websites have done a small story on this.

I also noticed that Jon Gosselin twittered on his account “just spoke with my kids. miss them a lot. dont have custody this week or weekend so just plan to relax with @ellen_ross1.” I am sure he is probably aware his kids are vacationing in our largest state in America. Or not?

Alaska is my second favorite state to visit next to Wisconsin. I wish a very relaxing and fun vacation for the Gosselins.

Rep. Thomas P. Murt (R-Montgomery/Philadelphia) who last month introduced legislation to address perceived deficiencies in Pennsylvania’s laws regarding the participation of minors in television and motion picture productions is continuing his efforts by calling into question the special permits issued to the Gosselin sextuplets to appear in “Kate Plus 8.”

Murt issued a press release today announcing that he has asked Attorney General Tom Corbett to investigate whether the permits were properly issued.

“As I read the law, permits for children under age 7 are available for performing in a movie, but permits are not available for children under age 7 to participate in a television show,” Murt said.  “I have asked the attorney general to examine the law and clarify whether the permit process provides for such performances.”

I guess I am not sure what to think about all this. It is strange how this little loophole wasn’t discovered before, but of course, the permits were just issued for the first time, to my knowledge, for the re-tooled “Kate Plus 8.”

Wouldn’t Murt be better served to focus his energy on gaining passage of his child labor legislation? I’m not sure what this recent move does other than demonstrate that “Kate Plus 8″ is indeed his foremost focus and not all productions in PA involving children. If so, why would he be doing this? Publicity certainly comes to mind. Anyone who associates with Gloria Allred is not looking to stay out of the limelight. 

Do you think this is a serious blow to the show? I haven’t seen a response from TLC yet, but I am willing to bet they will have a different interpretation of the law to share.

It appears Murt is doing what he can to make the state of PA an unfriendly place for “Kate Plus 8″ to film, but there are, of course, 49 other states out there and I don’t think TLC or Kate plan to cave.

What do you think?

Description: Kate tackles some much needed projects around the house while creating a manual for the many household systems she never had to worry about until recently. Meanwhile, the Gosselin clan gets even bigger when Kate decides to get chickens for the family.

You don’t have to be a Kate Gosselin fan to conclude that the new book by Al Walentis is an embarrassment to the lowest form of journalism – the tabloid. I hesitate to even call it a book (and apparently publishing houses both big and small agree with me). 

It’s so bad that we couldn’t in good conscience place this discussion in Book Nook (a place where actual books are discussed).

Yes, I only read 15% of it (the free part), but the word “amateurish” is too good for it. And my mini-review has nothing to do with what is repeated in the manuscript because Folks  – there is nothing new there. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Wait, Al W. does invent a few conversations that Jon Gosselin supposedly had in his head. I thought the last psychic left the Gosselin blogosphere for good?

Sage’s blog has an excellent recap and hits on many of the points that I would make except that I have already wasted 28 minutes of my summer day on this piece of  dung.

Oh, and the Nosy Neighbor makes a surprise appearance? Who would have guessed? That’s a match made in heaven.

By the way, isn’t this a nice picture of Kate, Jon and Hannah? I thought I would save Al the humiliation of putting a picture up of his “book” cover. Let us just say it basically looks like something a student would attempt on their second day of a junior college graphic design class.

If over two years of following and writing about the Gosselin family has taught me anything, it is that people are not only interested in Jon and Kate, but also their loved ones, friends, business associates and neighbors. Wait – I don’t think anyone is really interested in their neighbors, but their neighbors (well, one or two in particular) seem awfully interested in Jon and Kate!

Curiosity about the Gosselins comes at a price for their families and close acquaintances. Look at the example of poor Gina Neild and how her name has been dragged through the mud by bloggers with an agenda. Most of Kate’s family and all of Jon’s family has said “no thank you” to this unwanted and frequently invasive attention.

The newest target of persistent speculation and attention is Ellen Ross, Jon Gosselin’s girlfriend since this spring. Despite the fact that Ellen has kept a low profile, the media have made it their mission to photograph her and to dig for information about her. Various blogs have weighed in with judgments – some positive and some negative, but mostly based on conjecture and personal opinion.

If you know IW, you know we are not big on hearsay. We have seen firsthand the damage that internet gossip can cause. The tabloids cause additional harm in their quest for juicy stories over the truth. So when Ellen Ross agreed to be interviewed by us, we were grateful for the opportunity to allow her to address what she perceives as the misconceptions and lies that have been spread about Jon and her.

Just as background: we submitted our questions to Ms. Ross and she responded by email. She said she preferred this method as it allowed her to be more thoughtful with her responses. We asked Ms. Ross to comment on several issues that we thought IW readers would be interested in. While she answered the majority of our questions, there were several she did not. Those questions generally involved Jon’s family and children. When she was unwilling to answer a question, she generally indicated the reason was that she did not feel it was her place to do so. Do we wish she had answered a few more questions? Sure. Do we respect her for not doing so? Yes.

Following is our interview with Ellen Ross.

Q: How did you and Jon meet? Were you aware of who he was?
A: Jon and I met through mutual friends. I knew who he was.

Q: Did you watch “Jon and Kate Plus 8?”
A: I only watched a few episodes here and there, but I didn’t really follow it.

Q: Did Jon’s reputation as a ladies man give you pause at first?
A: To me, Jon does not have a reputation as a “ladies man.”  What the media perceives and believes of him, and how he is in real life, to the people that know him on a daily basis, are two totally different things.

Q: What attracted you to Jon?
A: He is very down to earth, funny, caring, and a very strong person.

Q: What qualities in Jon do you find admirable?
A: He’s very sweet, down to earth, and funny. I was always told that it’s very important to find a guy that can make you laugh. We have the same kind of personality so I think that’s why we get along so well.

Q: What is the one thing you have most in common with Jon?
A: We can make each other laugh.

Q: What have been the challenges of dating someone in the public eye?
A: Once you date someone in the public eye, you are in the public eye yourself.  At first I thought it would be hard to deal with the criticism, but everyone close to me knows the truth and they support Jon and me 100% and that is most important to me. I don’t get caught up with what the magazines and internet say.

Q: How do feel about the paparazzi?  Do they just pop up? Do you have a specific game plan for dealing with them?
A: It is definitely a new thing for me, I just pretend they aren’t there and go about doing my thing.  I don’t speak to them or look directly at them.

Q: What are your career goals and aspirations?
A: I work for the state government and I have been there for 5 years.

Q: Do you have experience dealing with young children (i.e. do you have younger siblings/cousins). What are the fun parts of spending time with the kids? How exhausting is it!?
A: My younger brother and I are very close. Many of my friends have children and I enjoy spending time with kids.

Q: Were you nervous when Jon introduced you to his children?
A: Not at all.

Q: Have you met anyone in Jon’s family besides his children?
A: We attend regular family get togethers such as birthdays and cookouts, but beyond that I prefer not discuss as I don’t consider it my place to do so.

Q: Do you guys have any special plans for the summer?
A: We plan to do regular “couple” things such as cookouts, beach, family parties, day trips, etc.

Q: In what areas do you feel Jon especially excels as a dad?
A: The kids are always ecstatic to see him. He is always interacting with them and they are always smiling and laughing. They ALWAYS have fun with him.

Q: How did you feel about Jon tattooing your name on his back?
A: I have always supported anyone’s wished to get a tattoo as I feel it’s a form of self expression.

Q: Some websites are reporting that the Korean characters spell out Erin instead of Ellen. Any comment?
A: Korean writing is transposed differently into English. The translation is correct. It does read Ellen.

Q: How many days a week do you typically see Jon? How do you stay in touch when you are not together?
A: Jon and I are together as much as our schedules permit. We use our cell phones to keep in touch if we aren’t together.

Q: We have seen pictures of Jon and you walking a dog. Is this your pet? Do you care to share some details (name, breed, how long you have had him/her)?
A: I have 3 Chihuahuas. Pixie is 5 years old, Grace is 3 years old, and Stella is about 8 months old.  Grace is in the picture of me and Jon. I love my dogs and I take them with me almost everywhere I go. I attend a lot of dog/chihuahua events with them and am a part of a few Chihuahua forums on the internet.

Q: US Magazine ran a story recently from unnamed sources stating you “hate kids” and were basically pursuing the relationship with Jon for publicity. Please comment.
A: Anyone can say anything they want and come off as a “reliable source.” Those who know me, know that it’s not true and that’s what is important to me. I have never hated kids or said that I hated them.

Q: What are the largest public misconceptions that you would like to clear up about yourself, Jon or the two of you as a couple?
A: I am not with Jon for the fame. I obviously have to accept the publicity that comes with him and the relationship and embrace it as much as I can.  We do regular things just like a regular couple would. It just so happens that our relationship is a bit more public than others.

Q: Imperfectwomen.com believes in being upfront about the fact that we are works in progress and none of us are perfect. Would you share one of your imperfections?
A: Like a lot of other people, sometimes I let what other people say get to me, but I’ve definitely been working on that and I think I’m doing a pretty good job so far.

Q: Team Edward or Team Jacob
A: Team Jacob!!! I switched over!

“I have planned this tattoo for years now,” Jon told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview. “I wanted something that resembled a rebirth or a change in me. The dragon is all encompassing. It has all parts of the zodiac,” Jon tells RadarOnline.com.”

Jon has had two sessions so far at the Never Say Die Tattoo parlor in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for a total of 14 hours under the ink. Apparently the tattoo is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

Gosselin has also revealed that he has hired a new manager, Canaan Rubin and is now working with a life coach, Sylvia Lafair, to change his life.

I am a little confused by Jon’s statements. Jon states that he has “planned this tattoo for years” and that it “resembles a rebirth”. His new manager states that “This tattoo for Jon marks this turning point in his life, and symbolizes his time of change, and improvement.” Good for you Jon if this is true but have you been planning this tattoo for years or is it signifying a recent intent to improve and change your life for the better?

Perhaps I am feeling unusually wistful right now.  The beginning of summer means we are almost half-way through the year. Add to that all the graduations that are occurring and it is hard not to reflect on the passage of time.

Does it seem so long ago that we were discussing the Gosselin divorce papers being filed, Jon’s infamous trip to St. Tropez or the biggest non-story of the year: Kate swatting at Leah’s behind? It doesn’t to me, but these events all happened one year ago. Sigh. 

So what is happening in June 2010 in the Gosselin universe? Thankfully, it appears things are a bit more mellow, although the family continues to be a topic of intense interest.

Jon Spends Father’s Day with the Kids in the Poconos

Jon and his girlfriend, Ellen, took all eight kids to the Poconos for a day of fun on Sunday. I don’t know much about the Poconos, but it looks beautiful. Has anyone been there?

Concentrating on the positive, I think it is wonderful that Jon is once again living close to the kids. His new girlfriend, while young, seems a bit more mature than some of his previous flings. There have been rumors in the tabloids that Kate is still concerned about Jon’s behavior and might be pursuing full custody, however, ETonline.com, one of the more reliable gossip sources out there, claims to have spoken to sources that dispute this.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that Kate and Jon put aside their differences and continue working on co-parenting as effectively as possible.

Kate’s New Dating Show?

It’s not the first time, but new rumors started flying anew last week that Kate might be in line to appear in a celebrity dating show. It’s not clear whether this would involve Kate appearing on ABC’s “The Bachelorette” or perhaps a new show would be created for her. It appears ABC is completely on board. ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson says that he would “absolutely” be interested in casting Kate Gosselin as the next ‘Bachelorette.’

While Gosselin is still under contract with TLC, they were more than willing to lend her out to appear on ‘Dancing with the Stars.” The Gosselin camp was supposedly shooting down the show rumors last week, but Kate doesn’t outright deny anything in the clip below.

Do you think it’s possible to do a tasteful dating show? I think there is definitely a big difference between ABC’s Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise and what is put out by the likes of VH1. I find the premise of these shows a bit absurd, but I also think this could be an interesting vehicle for Kate. I have an open mind at this point – what do you think?

VIDEO: Kate Gosselin Says She Is Lonely | RadarOnline.com.

Punctuality issues, in my opinion, are a sign of being an overachiever. I become distracted trying to perfect everything in my path, attempting to do that one last thing and ultimately lose focus and … leave late for my destination thus arriving late!

So, the next time someone comes running into the waiting room or the meeting room late … instead of assuming they are a slacker, just smile because they’ve probably accomplished more than you would think possible today!

(Side note: I still strive to be punctual because it is most proper and respectful… And teach my children to do the same!)

What is your take on Kate’s take? Do you think punctuality issues are signs of being an overachiever or is that just a weak excuse for being late?

We also wanted to bring to your attention an article that was in the Reading Eagle yesterday-  Local connections make ‘Dancing With the Stars’ trip special.

Kate Gosselin donated four VIP tickets to a Lancaster Country Day School for the final taping of DWTS. You can click on the link above to read the full article but Carol Wells, one of the ladies that was lucky enough to go on the trip had this to say about Kate:

“Kate Gosselin was so warm,” Carol said. “She was very nice and went out of her way to introduce us to everyone.”