The injuries were discovered when Christine Lynn Couture, from Ontario, Canada, took her baby to the doctor because of feeding difficulties back in 2013, and from the start, she owned up to the damage she inflicted on her child during a nursing session. She also said she was heartbroken and has remained remorseful.

The baby has since recovered and has no memory of the abuse, and since then has remained in the care of Couture. The court says they were closely supervised during this time, and the mother-child pair has bonded well. Couture has also taken part in parenting classes and counseling in the years since the incident took place.

She was sentenced to 120 hours of community service, and for the first year of her house arrest, she must remain on her property except for when she goes to school, work, counseling, medical appointments or outings with her child as approved by her sentencing supervisor. After this sentence has been completed, she will be on probation for two additional years.

I am so glad this story has a happy conclusion. Cracking a baby's ribs in 23 places is no small feat — she had to be squeezing this poor baby super hard to cause that amount of damage. I also have to say that I'm surprised the baby was returned to the care of Couture after she admitted she essentially crushed the infant during a nursing session.

The system in Canada gave her the opportunity to set things right, both for herself and her baby, and she did so, passing with flying colors. I'm not sure if her outright regret, admission of guilt and remorse played a part in their decision to allow her to remain with her child while the legal case was sorted out, but it most likely played a part.

While on the surface it sounds like the court took a huge risk in allowing the baby to stay with a mother who cracked its ribs, in doing so, it preserved this small family unit, and it turned out to be the best decision for the pair. Also, there may be more to the story that swayed the court to make that decision in the first place.

The story has a happy ending, though, and hopefully it will remain that way.

More parenting in the news

Bomb tech dad makes it possible for blind daughter to have Easter egg hunt
Woman delivers baby at work, hides deceased baby under desk
April Fools' Day joke about stork parking brings out the best and the worst

Before the zombie takeover

1. Shop wisely

Image: Earthworm/Flickr

You already know to stock up on the usual apocalypse supplies — canned food, bottled water, batteries and flashlights, first-aid kit, a crossbow and lots of arrows — but here's a supplemental list of things you'll need especially for the dogs:

• Bulk dog food and treats
• Dog onesies
• Old shirts and pants from a thrift shop
• Several half-carcasses of meat from the butcher

(You're thinking dog onesies? Seriously? Hang on, we'll get to the why of this soon — it's important.)

2. Teach them to access food

Your dogs need enough food for the early days of the apocalypse. This is why you've bought kibble and treats in bulk: To leave bags and boxes in every room of the house for easy access. You can trust that they'll knock over, pry open and chew through anything to get to their food, as long as you don't have it locked away like it's the Hope Diamond.

Image: S. Carter/Flickr

Maybe you have it locked up if you have a dog that can counter surf...

Image: Kristine ```````````````/Flickr

Or worm its way into cabinets and bins...

Image: dani0010/Flickr

Or even into the fridge.

Image: Red Wolf/Flickr

If so, start intensive training now so you can leave the food accessible for the invasion. Work on a special command for dogs to differentiate between their regular food stealing/kitchen invasion and emergency situations: "Zombies: Open fridge/cabinet/food bin — go!"

Image: The U.S. Army/Flickr

You could also practice counter-surfing encouragement for dogs that don't come by it naturally.

Image: Steven Brown/Flickr

3. Teach them to access water

Most pet parents train their dogs not to drink from the toilet, but your dogs need that source of fresh water. Begin toilet training them now in ways you'd never otherwise consider: lift, drink, flush, repeat. Check out this video for starters.

Image: smartdogish/YouTube

During the zombie-pocalypse

4. Self-defense: no biting

Teach the dogs that under no circumstances should they bite a walker. No one is sure if pets and other animals can be infected with zombie cooties but think: If they could, would you want to see this?

Image: Flickr/garaan

5. Stop, drop and roll (in something disgusting)

This is a super-important lesson, and luckily it comes naturally. We've all seen our dogs do the stop, drop and roll.

Dog brain says:
Stop: I smell something disgusting!
Drop: I must schmooze my face alllll over it!
Roll: I must embrace the full disgustingness of the stankiness with my entire body! Yes! Yessss!

Image: Tony Alter/Flickr

From this we get the perfect zombie disguise.

Image: Mark Robinson/Flickr

This is the best disguise for your dogs to use against zombies because the dogs will now smell just like walkers. In an early Walking Dead episode, Rick and Glenn covered themselves in killed zombie guts so they could go out among the walkers undetected, and it worked.

For full protection from zombie cooties, here's where the onesies come in. You must train the dogs to roll in the nasty stuff only when they're wearing their special apocalypse gear so that the gunk doesn't get on their fur.

Image: Karen Roe/Flickr

When the dog onesies are soaked in gross, stinky stuff, do not wash them. Simply hang them on low hooks around the house so your dogs can wriggle into them before venturing outside. Dogs can be taught to dress themselves — some even come by it naturally.

Image: tommyhinson294/YouTube

6. Use enthusiasm as a weapon

Dogs can run circles around anything, so confusing walkers should be no problem. A single dog can circle a walker until it gets dizzy and falls over (the walker, not the dog), and two or more dogs can confuse an entire pack of walkers, giving the dogs plenty of time to make an escape. Even a medium-sized dog can knock over a healthy person, so with the right training, it can easily knock walkers over.

Image: Tony Alter/Flickr

7. Teach dogs to barricade themselves

Our larger dog can hurl herself across the living room, land on a sofa weighing half a ton and shove it back toward the windows, creating an effective barricade. With your guidance, dogs can develop ideas on how to surf a sofa or bookcase or — with a little creativity — major appliance to block further walker access.

Image: Emily Orpin/Flickr

Dogs can also be relied on to mess up things they shouldn't...

Image: Kelly Hunter/Flickr

So teaching them to pile furniture or other household objects in front of doors and windows should be easy enough.

Image: Peter Kemmer/Flickr

Once they've set up the house the way they like it, they'll wait faithfully for your return.

Image: Aaron Weinstein/Flickr

After

Congratulations! You made it through the first hours, days or even weeks, and now you're home. Your dogs have defended your abode with bravery and sheer animal desperation.

Along with zombie-proofing the perimeter, you can improve on the dogs' attempt at home defense, reinforce their training and generally try to make sense of the new normal for yourself and your pets. With our pre-apocalypse tips and your guiding hand, you and your dogs can become a lean, mean, zombie-fighting team and survive and thrive until the cure is found.

Tell us: What would you do to help your pets survive the zombie apocalypse?

More in dogs and zombies

14 Insanely adorable foodie pet costumes for Halloween
Dog training tips every dog owner needs to know
18 Signs you're too obsessed with living in a post-apocalyptic world

More: Azealia Banks sparks outrage with her whiteface pic (PHOTO)

Speaking during an interview with Billboard magazine, the rapper gushed about President Barack Obama, and just how fine is he.

"He's so fine," she told the publication, going on to describe just what she finds so attractive about him. "Those big-ass white teeth and ears hanging off his head? I'm like, 'Oh my god, I want to f*** the president.'"

More: Azealia Banks blasts Iggy Azalea for staying silent on black issues

However, it's not just Mr. Obama who makes the "Ice Princess" hit maker go weak at the knees — she's also pretty into "meathead bald white guys."

"I love security guards. They're these big meathead bald white guys with blue eyes," she confessed. But she also has some other less-meaty qualities that she looks for in a man.

"I want a really smart man, who has a lot of silly jokes and stuff," she says. "I have to tone it down if I want to get that."

More: Azealia Banks compares herself to Lorde in raunchy Playboy interview

The Harlem, New York City, rapper also went on to discuss how she'd like to be celebrated for her achievements — and probably not just for making headlines for the controversial things she says.

"Celebrities are celebrated, and I don't think I'm celebrated," Banks says. "But maybe one day. It would be nice. I just don't want to be forgotten about while I'm still alive."

Sweet-and-salty white chocolate Easter bark

Ingredients:

• 1 bag white chocolate baking chips
• 1 bag M&M's® Eggs or robin egg candies
• 1 cup broken pretzel stick pieces
• 8 x 8-inch or 9 x 9-inch baking pan
• Wax paper

Directions:

1. Line the bottom of the baking pan with wax paper.
2. Melt the entire bag of white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl at 50 percent power for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds.
3. Stir until chocolate is smooth. Break the pretzels into small pieces (less than 1 inch each) and stir into the melted white chocolate.
4. Add half of the M&M's® or robin eggs to the mixture and stir until evenly distributed.
5. Pour mixture into a wax paper-lined pan and press to the edges so it covers the entire pan.
6. Top with the remaining M&M's.
7. Refrigerate for at least an hour to set the chocolate.

Tip: Prior to serving, break the bark into pieces using your hands. Each piece will be a different shape and size, which is part of the fun!

Without a doubt some things are best left as a wonderful memory. As much as we want to see our favourite TV show come back, or our favourite pop group reform, the reality often fails to live up to expectations. But the rumours are true and Evans is set to bring TFI back for a special anniversary stint (it would be the 19th anniversary, which isn't one normally celebrated but let's not split hairs) so we have to get on board.

Video credit: Chris Evans/YouTube

Because TFI was a one-off. There hasn't been a chat show since that's been as inventive, rowdy, as natural, as politically-incorrect. It gave us some great musical performances from the Britpop/post-Britpop phase (Manic Street Preachers, Suede, Pulp and Garbage) and loads of unforgettable moments.

Shaun Ryder gets banned from Channel 4

Evans offered Shaun Ryder a pair of his own shoes if he could refrain from swearing during his TFI interview. Ryder managed to keep it clean for about 20 seconds and was subsequently banned from appearing on Channel 4.

Video credit: OnionTerror2007/YouTube

A whole show dedicated to the Spice Girls

Sporty and Scary performing their own unique version of "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" won't go down in history as one of the top TFI performances. But as part of an entire show dedicated to the biggest band in the world (at that time) it's still a treat for those who remember and loved the Spice Girls when they were anarchic, unpredictable and unpolished.

Video credit: Marcelo Morales/YouTube

More: Spitting Image is also making a comeback in 2015

Bananarama are reunited

From Siobhan flirting with Evans (possibly under the influence of one too many green room sherbets) to the band revealing that they broke up over a pizza, Bananarama's TFI interview was gold for lovers of early '90s pop with a side helping of cringe.

Video credit: ohnoitsnathan16/YouTube

A total lack of political correctness

We shouldn't have laughed at "Freak or Unique," "Ugly Bloke" or "Fat Lookalikes" but we probably did.

Video credit: balebonce/YouTube

"Indie Kylie"

Evans had Kylie Minogue in the palm of his hand, persuading her to recite the first verse from her 1987 chart topper "I Should Be So Lucky" Shakespearean style.

Video credit: UKRetroChannel/YouTube

Geri and Kylie kiss

A newly solo Geri Halliwell and Ms. Minogue decided arm-wrestling was boring so they started kissing instead.

Video credit: Jamie Lyrics/YouTube

TFI Friday returns on Friday, June 12 on Channel 4.

More on television

Sparks will fly when Sarah Harding joins Coronation Street
Who could possibly replace Dermot O'Leary on the X Factor?
5 Things we'll always love Downton Abbey for

While this may not be terribly surprising, marriage instills a greater sense of familial responsibility in men, making them feel like they now must provide for more than just themselves. As a result, they work harder, smarter and with a greater focus on making more money than they did when they were single.

Their daily routines also change significantly. While bachelors spend more time with friends and out at bars (likely trying to meet women), married men spend more of their time at home with their families. This is especially true if that family includes children. When a guy's attention switches to such things, he can't help but let that affect his priorities, financially speaking.

Image: Giphy

According to research conducted by The Washington Post, married men work an average of 400 hours more a year than single men with similar work backgrounds. That's a pretty significant difference, especially considering how much sports they're missing during those hours. According to the report, married men between 28 and 30 make on average $15,900 more than single men. That gap jumps to $18,800 for men between the ages of 44 and 46. And yes, these averages are the same across all ethnicities, regions and education levels.

They also work smarter, meaning they plan ahead and try to keep financial loss at a minimum so as to not have it negatively impact their family. According to a Harvard study, married men quit their jobs far less frequently than bachelors, or if they do, they make sure they have another job lined up beforehand. In my opinion, this is why married men are so attractive to women — responsibility is super sexy.

Image: Giphy

There are several reasons for the emotional and behavioral changes that come over men when they get hitched, one of which was mentioned above — married men are inclined to make more money when they feel responsible for a family. According to sociologist Elizabeth Gorman, because of this responsibility pull, married men are more likely to seek higher-paying jobs than single men.

Also, while millennials are viewing marriage more and more as an outdated institution, men who choose to get married still view it as the last "rite of passage" into adulthood. For them, it instills new meaning into their lives and in many cases involves being the provider.

A great aspect of this cycle is that employers are rewarding married men's tendency to work harder and with more dedication than their single counterparts. According to The New York Times, married men tend to get promoted more often than single men and (sadly) mothers. So this notion that men become more responsible and overall better workers when they get married is perpetuated by this common reward.

Image: Giphy

While the income gap between men and women in general is still ever present, it is thought that married women are somewhat responsible for their husband's success in the workplace, especially if they're well-educated. After all, loving encouragement is better than therapy in most cases.

Image: Giphy

More on marriage

An evolution of marriage on television
The best pet for a newlywed couple
Divorce is becoming a thing of the past (hooray!)

Wild sea otters use their strong paws (and occasionally a rock they keep in their pouch) to break open mussel and clam shells, so cracking open ice eggs is practically second nature to these guys. Here, each one picks their favorite color egg (or toy) and slowly slides it into the water, where they can get a good grip on it. It's pretty amazing how dexterous these guys are, especially with something as slippery as ice, but ice-fielding does run in their genes, so it makes sense. Watch them quickly dismantle their colorful presents.

My favorites are the ones who carry their prize on their stomachs while they happily break and bite it. Good thing kids don't do that — there'd be egg yolk everywhere!

More on cute animals

Watch puppies predict Final Four Championship winner (VIDEO)
Mouse rings doorbell — world rejoices (VIDEO)
Goat poses while wearing pajamas and we can't stop laughing (VIDEO)

In her latest series Boys Will Be Girls, she asked eight men to pose as if they were women being featured in a magazine editorial. The result is a natural and beautiful portrait of a man who looks comfortable in women's clothing, without the camp or irony of a stereotypical "drag queen".

Image: Rebecca Jurgens Videography via Tumblr

Also, these aren't men trying to look like women. Instead these are bearded, manly men who just so happen to be the kind of dudes who like to wear a dress occasionally, no big deal.

Image: Rebecca Jurgens Videography via Tumblr

"My purpose is to bring light to an important message regarding gender identity: Glamour and beauty are not exclusive to any specific gender or sex," Jurgens says about the photos.

Image: Rebecca Jurgens Videography via Tumblr

The series, she says, was inspired by images from the group FCKH8.com. She explains that much of the reason men who dress like women are viewed as taboo can be attributed to society's general view that women are weak and inferior.

Image: Rebecca Jurgens Videography via Tumblr

"In truth, there is nothing wrong with wanting to appear like a woman, because women are powerful and equal to men, despite what others might believe," she adds.

Image: Rebecca Jurgens Videography via Tumblr

Images like these aren't just powerful to look at, but they also help expand the narrow definitions we too often ascribe to gender roles. Being a "man" doesn't necessarily mean dressing like one all the time.

Image: Rebecca Jurgens Videography via Tumblr

This isn't Jurgens' first foray into using her work to break down stereotypes. She also created an incredibly powerful photo series called In a Harlot's Heart, which deals with sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Image: Rebecca Jurgens Videography via Tumblr

Jurgens says about the men who posed for these portraits that she's "happy to know such open-minded, wonderful people."

More on gender identity

Kids weigh in on what it really means to be a man (WATCH)
My child came out as transgender, now what?
Nonconforming gender play

For some of us moms, it's been a while. So April Fools' Day seemed the perfect time to try to get on over on our kids.

We already shared with you some of the most fallen-for pranks from Wednesday.

But our Mommaloguers took it a step further and actually videotaped themselves pranking their kids.

Watch the awesomeness ensue.

More: Check out all of our Mommalogues videos!

What are some of your favorite pranks?

When I was a kid, my parents swore and for a while there, my siblings and I initiated a swear jar where they had to drop in a quarter every time they swore. That lasted about a week before they got tired of paying us. I think my dad just wrote us a big check and said, "Here you f***ing go."

And then swearing just kind of became something we all did. Now that I have a family of my own, a family who shares how we feel, it seems that we also express ourselves with four-letter words. Except it seems that lately our daughter has been expressing her feelings a lot more vibrantly than her brothers have been. Or maybe she’s just been caught by Dad more often.

To be clear, all three of my teenagers are respectful to adults and children, get good grades, do not drink or do drugs, are kind, have volunteered and are well-liked in our community.

So, it appears that my daughter drops the F-bomb when she gets angry. Is that all that bad?

Her father thinks so.

I disagree.

The other morning, she was crabby. Heck, she's almost 16. She's had a really rough year, she’s overcome an eating disorder, depression and anxiety, she's recently been bullied at school and she’s struggling with a lot of other regular teen stuff. She was running late for school and she dropped the F-bomb. It went right over my head, but not her dad's, and he kind of flipped.

If you know my daughter and her temperament, you don’t flip on her when she’s already in a mood. If you know any teenage girl when she's tired, running late for school and crabby, well, Dads, take a freaking lesson already, am-I-right?

My daughter’s explanation is that swearing is her way of expressing her anger, and would we rather have her in her room cutting herself? God no! Say the F-word as loud and as angrily as you need to. Get that anger out.

But, with limitations.

As long as she's not telling someone to f*** off, and as long as she's not using the word in a cruel and destructive manner, I’m totally OK with it. She’s not swearing in a public venue, she’s not swearing at her teachers, at the parents she babysits for, at any authority figures or in front of children. She's using it as a coping tool to express her anger, rather than using another tool, like a razor or knife, to instill physical harm on herself, which she explicitly told us was the other option.

How do you feel about teens and swearing? Do you think I’m crazy to let my daughter, and my other kids for that matter, use this as a tool to show their anger as long as they’re not being cruel or hurtful to others?

More on teens

Understanding your teen's slang
Peer pressure for teenagers during high school
How to fix your teen's bad sleep habits

More: Amy Schumer was grossly insulted by shallow movie critic (PHOTO)

Schumer is all about positive body image and she wasn't afraid to strip down and pose nude for the cover. Well, kinda, because she's not completely nude, she's covered in mini-sized alcohol bottles — a quirky take on the rose petal scene from the 1999 film American Beauty.

Shortly after the shoot, the Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer star took to Twitter to post an unretouched version of the cover photo, and although she took it down shortly afterwards (so we cannot directly compare the two pictures), Schumer is thrilled with just how similar the cover photo and the untouched versions appear to be.

More: Amy Schumer addresses her devotion to feminism in one great quote

"Thank you so much @EW I'm so proud. Much love to @Vilkomerson!!!" she tweeted on Thursday, followed by yet another tweet in which she explained just how proud she was to be a size 6.

More: How Amy Schumer's Trainwreck made me realize being too PC is bad for comedy

With all the Photoshopping scandals that there are out there these days, it's really nice to know that there's still a publication with integrity, one that is not fueling society's unattainable expectations of beauty.

We love Amy, and we love the cover.

If I was lucky, I could get at least two slices of pie, but because I had five brothers, I was grateful if I could get just one slice. This beauty of a pie is ready in just 10 minutes (plus it's no-bake!) and tastes like eating a giant, fluffy Oreo cookie. How perfect is that?

10-Minute no-bake Oreo cream pie recipe

Satisfy your dessert craving in minutes with this fluffy no-bake Oreo cookie pudding pie.

Serves 6-8

Prep time: 10 minutes | Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 (3.65 ounce) boxes instant white chocolate pudding
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 16 crushed Oreo cookies
• 1 (8 inch) prepared Oreo pie shell (found in baking aisle)
• Additional crushed or whole Oreo cookies, for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. To the bowl of an electric mixer, add the pudding mix and whole milk. Blend for 1 minute until fully combined and the mixture has started to thicken.
2. Fold in the thawed whipped topping and crushed Oreo cookies.
3. Add the mixture to the prepared Oreo pie shell.
4. Top with additional crushed or whole Oreo cookies, if desired.
5. Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Get more super-easy dessert ideas:

More no-bake dessert recipes

6 No-bake dessert hacks in under 10 minutes (VIDEO)
The creamiest, dreamiest, no-bake Boston cream pie layer cake
5-Ingredient cookie butter fudge is a delicious spin on a sweet treat

Jimmy Fallon's spin-off series debuted on the Spike channel Thursday night, and we decided to celebrate by collecting all of the most hilarious performances of stars shaking their stuff and pretending to sing in one place. Feast your eyes on the ridiculousness and watch your Friday afternoon wiz by. You're welcome.

1. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson "Shake It Off" vs. Jimmy Fallon "Jump in the Line"

Image: Spike/vidme

The Rock has got hops! Is it just us, or does he have, like, the whitest teeth and best skin in the entire world?

More: Dwayne Johnson's workouts are so erotic, it's uncomfortable (GIFs)

2. Jimmy Fallon "Like a Prayer" vs. Dwayne Johnson "Staying Alive"

Image: Lip Sync Battle on Spike/YouTube

Fallon's ethereal performance of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" is truly something to behold, but Johnson doing the Hustle in a Travolta-esque suit is transcendent.

3. Paul Rudd vs. Jimmy Fallon

Image: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/YouTube

Rudd truly captures Tina Turner's intensity in his rendition of "You Better Be Good to Me," but is it any match for Fallon's performance of "Juke Box Hero" that even brought himself to his knees?

More: 7 Things Paul Rudd's hair from his '80s yearbook looks like (PHOTOS)

4. Emma Stone vs. Jimmy Fallon

Image: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/YouTube

Fallon brought his Iggy Azalea game, but sorry, Jimmy, no one is cuter than Emma Stone. Even Blues Traveler didn't know anyone knew all the worlds to "The Hook."

More: Emma Stone lies to Jimmy Fallon and fails epically (VIDEO)

5. Stephen Merchant vs. Joseph Gordon-Levitt vs. Jimmy Fallon

Image: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/YouTube

The '70s, the '80s, the '90s and the new millennium — these guys rocked 'em all.

6. John Krasinski vs. Jimmy Fallon

Image: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/The Hollywood Gossip

We'd gladly be your "Teenage Dream," Krasinski.

7. Will Ferrell vs. Kevin Hart vs. Jimmy Fallon

Image: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/YouTube

The Super Bowl of lip sync battles, indeed. We don't know what is better, the actual lip-syncing or the fact that Hart and Ferrell love each other so much.

8. Gwen Stefani vs. Jimmy Fallon vs. Blake Shelton

Image: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/Vimeo

Blake Shelton tap dancing in cowboy boots — it doesn't get any better than that. Also, this edition wins the award for most trash talking.

9. Common vs. John Legend

Image: Lip Sync Battle on Spike/You Tube

Whaaaaat? We seriously think Common and Legend missed their calling as Lionel Richie and MC Hammer impersonators, respectively.

Whether you have last-minute guests, got in over your head with the prep for a dinner party (or let's be honest, dinner for two on a Wednesday) or find yourself with a hankering for something sweet at 11 p.m., then this is the cake for you!

The cake, introduced by Reddit user Isai76, is really simple. All you need are ice cream sandwiches, caramel and chocolate sauce and whipped topping.

Image: Imgur

Stack the ice cream sandwiches, alternating their direction. Between each layer, drizzle some of the caramel and chocolate sauces, then coat the entire cake in whipped topping and drizzle the sauces over the top. Voilà!

My favorite thing about this cake is that you can modify it in simple ways to please any palate.

Try layering the sandwiches with fresh, macerated strawberries and then topping it with fresh whipped cream for a springy dessert. Or you could add a layer of Peppermint Patties between each layer of sandwiches and add a drop of peppermint extract to your whipped topping for a refreshing, minty dessert.

The options are endless, and it couldn't be easier to pull together.

More ice cream cake

15 Recipes that prove icebox cakes belong in the spotlight
Neapolitan-style mudslide topped with heavenly chocolate ganache
Super-simple cookies and cream ice cream cake

Mostly because what? And how? And is this half-dog-half-Olympian available to teach me to play? I pay in dog treats, and I tip in high-pitched compliments like "Good dog!" and the beloved rhetorical compliment "Who's a good boy?"

Also, this seems like the appropriate time to ask, do I owe Air Bud an apology? All these years I'd written off those movies as pure fiction, but maybe they were documentaries all along. After all, if this dog can really play pingpong this well, who am I to question if a dog can really slam-dunk a basketball?

Think I'm exaggerating about this dog's skills? Well then, watch the video, and prepare to be wowed.

More amazing dog videos

German shepherd helps owner load the dishwasher (VIDEO)
Poodle walking upright in clothes looks exactly like a kid (VIDEO)
Ambitious beagle attempts to eat carrots off a moving fan (VIDEO)

When CBS Sports posted a link to its article about the new hire on Facebook, the crappy comments started rolling in at a rapid pace.

"But can she cook?" reads the most popular comment as of this writing. Shortly followed by similar sentiments about making sandwiches, "hilarious" domestic violence jokes about women getting hit on the field and how can a woman break up a fight anyway? Memes appeared of female astronauts making sandwiches in space, Cartman jokes about getting back into the kitchen and pictures of scantily clad female ref Halloween costumes.

I'm sure some (or possibly most) of these comments were meant as "jokes," but joking about women sucking isn't funny. Remember that although the NFL and football in general is a man's sport, the female fan base is growing and is a crucial part of viewership and attendance. There is no reason to think a female ref would be any worse than male refs. You don't need to have a Y chromosome to know how the game works, be able to keep up with the speed of the game and ensure the rules are followed.

That doesn't mean the same old, tired arguments against women being able to do things aren't coming out in full force. A quick look at Twitter proves that.

Here, we have a lovely tweet from a person who brings up periods:

And another that just says it's simply not OK:

"Keep that girl away from my team," reads this charmer:

And of course, she won't be able to do the job:

Also, this guy should know that she likely will be aware of the risks of the game, considering she's not new to this type of work:

Sorry, guys who have a problem with this. This is an awesome move, and there is no reason Thomas won't be able to do this job just as well as her male counterparts. Good for her.

More on women

Women leaders share the best business advice they've received (WATCH)
Women and weed: Why women are the future of marijuana legalization
Women do make more than men — at 9 jobs, anyway

Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace was a guest on Mike Gallagher's radio show Friday, and while discussing Little Caesar's bacon-wrapped pizza they decided that their opinion on the "Walk Away" singer's weight was worthy of anyone's consideration.

"Have you seen Kelly Clarkson? You know the singer, Kelly Clarkson?" Gallagher asked Wallace. "Holy cow, did she blow up."

"She could stay off the deep-dish pizza for a little while," Wallace responded.

Since this is far from the first time someone has said something disparaging about Clarkson's looks, she happened to be discussing that very issue with Ellen DeGeneres the same day.

Watch Kelly Clarkson discuss body shaming on Ellen

More: Kelly Clarkson's duet with Jimmy Fallon sparks a body-shaming debate

"I love how people think that's new — like, 'Welcome to the past 13 years,'" Clarkson said. "Yeah, I was the biggest girl on [American Idol], too. And I wasn't big, but people would call me big because I was the biggest one on Idol, and I've kind of always gotten that.

"Well, it hurts your feelings more if it's someone else that you like," she continued. "I think what hurts my feelings for people is that I'll have a meet-and-greet after the show and a girl who's, like, bigger than me will be in the meet-and-greet and be like, 'Wow, if they think you're big, I must be so fat to them.'"

More: Kelly Clarkson shows off baby girl River Rose

"It's like, you're just who you are. We are who we are. Whatever size, and it doesn't meant that we're gonna be that forever," she added. "That's the thing. Sometimes we're more fit. Like especially me, I'm such a creative person that I yo-yo. So sometimes, I'm more fit and I get into kickboxing hardcore. And then sometimes I don't, and I'm like… I'd rather have wine."

Good news, Kelly — it turns out a glass of wine is the equivalent of going to the gym, so you're golden!

The twosome, who have been linked romantically since fall of 2014, were seen out and about this week, hitting up kids' stores for Easter treats, presumably for the children of Jenner's kids, Kim and Kourtney, according to Us Weekly. Perusing the aisles of Toys "R" Us is a far cry from Easter Sunday bong shopping, which was Jenner's activity of choice last year, so it sure looks like Gamble is a positive influence.

Now that we know Gamble is in it to win it, let's review what we know about Jenner's steady BF so far. Judging by the evidence, Gamble kind of seems like a perfect match for the mom of six.

More: Kris Jenner is doing something to distance herself from Bruce Jenner even more

1. He's accepted by the family

Image: FayesVision/WENN

Just because Jenner's kids referred to her new relationship as a fling on a recent episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, it doesn't mean they don't like the guy. Almost all of Jenner's kids have been photographed hanging out with Gamble and some point over the last year.

2. Even Kim

We all know that the middle Kardashian sister can sometimes be the most skeptical when it comes to her mom's coming and goings, but it appears that even Kim and Kanye have welcomed Gamble with open arms at this point. Gamble recently posted a photo to Instagram and the caption thanked "KK and Ye."

3. He's pals with Justin Bieber

The two are so close, he affectionately refers to the Biebs as his nephew and Bieber calls him "Uncle Corey." Gamble often posts pictures of himself with the singer, like the one below, which boasts an epic Scooter Braun photobomb.

4. He's a beach man

Seems that Gamble fancies himself a photographer of sorts, and one of his favorite subjects is the surf and sand.

5. He gets around

Like the Kardashians, Gamble has been bitten by the travel bug.

6. He is 26 years Kris Jenner's junior

But age ain't nothing but a number, right?

7. He's tight with Martha Stewart

OK, we don't know how close Gamble really is with Stewart, but this Facebook pic that dates back to 2010 is pretty cool.

Anyone who has ever lived with a teenaged girl knows that it is pretty much the worst, and Ripa is no different. The Live! With Michael and Kelly star explained the misery to Letterman last night and broke out her best impression of her 13-year-old daughter to boot.

More: Hugh Jackman strips for Kelly Ripa (VIDEO)

More: Kelly Ripa schools her in-laws on the art of the belfie

Ripa does bring up a generations-old mystery: How does every teen female talk like a valley girl despite the vast majority never having ever set foot in the actual San Fernando Valley, from whence the dialect originated?

And in case you didn't get her "Moon Beam" reference (actually Moon Unit Zappa), this is what she was talking about.

More: Makeup-free Kelly Ripa flaunts fresh face after losing Super Bowl bet

Moon Unit Zappa performs "Valley Girl"

Tell us: So, like, did Kelly Ripa literally ruin Lola's life for real or what?

Twitter stats show the Scottish National Party (SNP) leader was mentioned more than 113,000 times on the site during the live debate, with the vast majority of tweets being extremely positive.

Sturgeon appeared alongside six other party leaders last night: Tory leader and current Prime Minister David Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband, Liberal Democrats' Nick Clegg, UKIP's Nigel Farage, the Greens' Natalie Bennett and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood.

While the results of viewers' polls following the debate vary a YouGov poll crowned Sturgeon as the clear winner, with 28 percent of the vote, and a ComRes poll for ITV made it a four-way tie between Sturgeon, Cameron, Miliband and Farage.

In fact if we could depend on the reaction polls as a good indication of voter intention — which we can't — the SNP party would expect 20 percent of the national vote, only a single point behind UKIP and two points behind joint leaders Labour and the Conservatives.

This is pretty incredible considering it's impossible for anyone living outside Scotland to vote for the SNP and Scottish First Minister Sturgeon cannot become Prime Minister, as the system currently stands, because an SNP presence in the House of Commons will simply never equal that feasible by UK-wide parties.

And in any case, if the situation were to change, it's highly unlikely the leader of a party campaigning for Scottish independence would want to be the political leader of the U.K. as a whole.

More: 25 Women that have inspired others to do great things

As expected it was a lively debate with many standout moments. Here are a few reasons Sturgeon may be performing so well in the polls today.

On education

Sturgeon vowed to "fight, work, vote, do whatever it takes" for free university education in what was one of the most inspiring moments of the entire debate.

Video credit: Sky News/YouTube

On immigration

Highlighting the "intolerance of Nigel Farage," Sturgeon brought the immigration debate back to reality with some indisputable facts, while advocating a more positive, welcoming approach to migrants.

Video credit: Channel 4 News/YouTube

On Farage

It's no news that UKIP leader Nigel Farage can turn any subject, from the NHS and house prices to the U.K. economy, into an argument about immigration. Sturgeon didn't hesitate in challenging him; in fact all three female leaders stood up to Farage in a way Cameron, Clegg and Miliband failed to do.

Video credit: nighty@hot/YouTube

On more progressive politics

Sturgeon's case for voting SNP in order to end the "austerity" politics of the main Westminster parties was clear, controlled and confident. The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said the SNP leader had "managed to project herself as a distinctive, articulate voice of anti-austerity in a way which we've not really had on the national stage."

Video credit: Abraham/YouTube

On bringing about change

While the SNP continues to campaign for Scottish independence, Sturgeon assured voters throughout the U.K. that, as long as Scotland remained a part of the Westminster system, her party would fight for the reform needed to make Westminster more responsive to what the ordinary person needs and wants.

Video credit: ZY News/YouTube

More in the news

Why do some parents think it's OK to bully teachers on social media?
Will you sign Jamie Oliver's petition for food education?
What should Britain's national bird be?