Living in the White House has to be the coolest childhood ever, right? You've got the Secret Service at your beck and call, and if you are Sasha and Malia Obama, your dad is the PRESIDENT of the United States! But don't let the title deceive you. Barack and Michelle Obama are still parents first.

And that means laying down rules for their kids that might surprise you. If you think the kids in the White House have access to all the TV and computers they want, you have another thing coming. As Mrs. O. told The Stir's own Tracy Odell (who got to take her adorable son to the White House for take your child to work day ... seriously, you have to check out his grin!), they run a tight ship when it comes to technology.

If you're like me, your first reaction to the concept of a blind man riding in a self-driving car (to Taco Bell) was probably ... bemused alarm, let's say. Like: "Whoa, cool! Hey, wait a minute ... a blind guy going on a taco run in a self-driving car? This can't possibly end well."

But that's the thing -- it does end well. Really! Because believe it or not, we actually have the technology to make this kind of thing happen now ... it's just really, really expensive. Which is sad, because I bet there are lots of other white-haired, legally-blind guys like Steven Mahan who could go for a taco right about now.

Google's driverless car (a Prius) relies on a laser-range finder, which it uses to map out surroundings and respond to GPS signals. The laser-range finder alone runs about $70K -- that's without the cost of the actual vehicle. Dang.

Does it frustrate the daylights out of anyone else that such life-changing technology is available -- but most people can't afford it?

Apparently, there truly is an app for everything these days. Landon Crabtree, an 8-year-old boy from Tennessee, used an app to locate his stolen iPad, after the family home was robbed.

Now that’s a kid who really wanted to play Angry Birds.

We love our commenters in many ways. Each and every day, they come here and make us laugh or get angry or think about our ideas in a new way. Commenters are the ones who bring us the numbers and start the fights that get us all to think.

Our commenters sometimes make us laugh, especially our regular ones. But, of course, we are a public website, so there are many times we get comments from outside, too. Some of our more anonymous comments can be mighty entertaining, indeed.

So, in the spirit of good fun and amusement and in honor of The Stir's second birthday, we give you the "Stuff Our Commenters Say" post. Take them lightly, please! We are always appreciative of anyone who takes the time to comment. Here are 8 of our favorites from the past year:

I love that kids believe anything is possible. And I'm not just talking about a bunny who brings jelly beans on Easter or a fairy who pays for lost teeth, I'm talking about how the average kid can have a random idea to, say, put on a circus in the backyard or build a spaceship out of cardboard boxes and assume it can be done. Sure, why not?

Like 8-year-old Eve Hobsbawm of London. She knew she wanted to start her own business -- just like her dad, who owns a tech start-up. And instead of spending months or years making false starts or getting stuck in self-doubt or waiting out the dismal economic climate like an adult, as soon as she figured out what kind of business she wanted to run, she just went ahead and did it.

The result?

EveProblemSolver.com, the girl's online "problem-solving consultancy," which is basically exactly what it sounds like:

Nothing seems to be private anymore. Google street view, red light cameras, cell phones with built in video cameras … You better watch your behavior, because it’s very possible that someone is watching. 

Thanks to the PATRIOT Act, the government can secretly spy on us, without a warrant. They can check our records, spy on us, find out what library books we’ve checked out, and peruse our browser history, in order to find information on possible terrorist attacks.

While most kids are focused on what apps they can convince their parents to let them download, a 10-year-old from Denver was determined to create one of his own. Fifth grader Daniel Chao wasn't quite sure what kind of app he wanted to make, but after brainstorming with his parents he zeroed in on one of the biggest challenges fifth graders face -- homework.

His parents helped a little with contracts and such, but almost all of the work was his, he told CBS Denver. He did have to submit his proposal to Apple under his dad's name because the company only accepts them from those 18 and above, but based on the passion and intelligence of Daniel, here, Apple might want to rethink that policy.

Congratulations to our winner, SevysMomma!

With Valentine's Day on the horizon, now is the perfect time to show your kiddo your love and give them the gift of gaming. 

That's why we're giving one lucky Stir reader a Pearl Pink Nintendo 3DS system and a copy of Nintendogs + Cats. We love the fun color and the Nintendo's 3D touch screen, and have no doubt that your child will go gaga over the chance to raise their own virtual pet on the device (without all the real-life mess!).

To enter to win, simply tell me: