Strollerderby : Wisconsin

Girl Arrested for Text Messaging in Class

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:00:00 GMT

A 14-year-old girl in a Wisconsin high school paid the price for ignoring her teacher with a court date and $298 in bail. The student was reportedly text messaging throughout math class, despite her teacher’s requests to stop texting and to hand over her cellphone.

She was sent to campus security, where she repeatedly stated that she did not have a phone on her. A female police officer was called to arrest the student for disorderly conduct. Upon frisking the student, the officer found the phone hidden in the girl’s “buttocks area.” (That’s certainly all the detail we need on that point.) The girl was barred from school property for a week and has a court date set to answer to the misdemeanor charge against her.

There’s no question that this girl has serious behavioral problems and needs to understand that there are consequences to her actions. But it seems like the school should have other remedial tools in place before getting the police involved. If we called the cops every time a kid ignored a teacher, we’d have one clogged justice system. For instance, if the school had enacted an outright ban on cellphones on school property (as many school districts have already done), the girl would have to deal with peer shaming for her misbehavior, perhaps the most effective disciplinary action for teenagers.

Then again, without knowing the full story, it’s impossible to judge whether or not the girl was so out of line that school officials felt law enforcement was the only option.

What do you think? Does some classroom misbehavior warrant arrest?

Do Cellphones Belong in the Classroom?

Missing Girl Reunited With Father

Brett Singer — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Here is a bit of mostly good news:

"A 5-year-old Wisconsin girl whose disappearance prompted an Amber Alert has been reunited with her father."

That's good, of course. I particularly like a story where Amber Alert works. Makes you feel good about emergency systems.

And here's the less good part:

"The girl's biological mother, Lori Eberle (EB'-er-lee), is being held on possible charges of interfering with custody of a child after the two were located in Paw Paw, Mich."

Basically, there's a custody dispute, and the mother took the kid. Which is a bummer. But she was found, and hopefully they'll be able to work everything out.

Oh, and "Paw Paw" is a funny name for a town. That doesn't mean anything but maybe it'll make you smile for a second or two.

Source: AP via Chicago Tribune

Image: maine.gov

Woman Swings Crowbar At Trick Or Treaters

Smokers No Longer Allowed Foster Children

Mississippi Students, Postal Worker, Punished For Wearing Obama Shirts

Grown Kids Try Forcing Dad To Divorce Second Wife In Court

Teacher Has Affair With Student, Parents Say Keep The Door Open

Guy Changes Name to Captain Fantastic

Sarah Palin Gets Pranked By Canadian Radio Hosts – Video

Grave Robbers Steal Baby's Remains

Jen Chaney — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:28:00 GMT

The following story sounds like a creepy Halloween-ish tale straight out of an episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." But it actually happened earlier this week at a cemetery in Wisconsin.

According to this article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the remains of an infant buried back in 1925 were dug up and removed from the Bandli Park Cemetery in the middle of the night on Sunday. No other graves were disturbed and nothing else was stolen or damaged. Police are currently investigating the incident and believe it may have been a freaky, random Halloween prank. But I have another theory...

The inscription on the tombstone read simply "Baby Locke." When I saw that, the first thought that popped into my brain was: Whoever dug up this grave is clearly a fan of "Lost." Locke is a crucial character on the ABC series, one who allegedly had special gifts since childhood. And in last season's finale -- spoiler alert ahead for those of you slackers who still haven't gotten around to watching it -- Locke was revealed to be the man in the mysterious coffin shown in the finale of season three.

Of course, even if "Lost" has something to do with this, that doesn't mean this wasn't some sort of crazy prank. But maybe police can start questioning their suspects by asking things like, "Does the term 'Flight Oceanic 815' mean anything to you?" and "Who's hotter, Jack or Sawyer?" If some of the interrogated parties have immediate, passionate answers to those questions, they just might be the ones responsible.

All "Lost" theories aside, I do hope the body is quickly returned to its rightful place so that poor infant can again rest in peace. I feel terrible for any relatives of that baby. The idea of having a loved one's remains disturbed is, well, pretty disturbing.

Dad buys beer for his toddlers

Brett Singer — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:00:00 GMT

The Father of the Year competition continues. The latest entry: a Wisconsin man who allegedly bought his 4-year-old a beer a county fair. As in, "Gimme two beers, lil' lady – one fer me, one fer junior. He's too short to reach the counter so I'll get it fer him." The dad did, however, make his son share that beer with his little brother – a 2-year-old.

When confronted by police, he said that it was, "legal for underage children to drink in Wisconsin, as long as they're with their parents." When the officer had the nerve to suggest that, "the boys weren't old enough to know what they were drinking," Daddy Drinkee "began yelling and swearing and was kicked off the fairgrounds."

I was kind of surprised to read that so many folks have seen people who seem to really really want little ones to drink soda, but beer? Has anyone ever heard of someone who thinks it’s a good idea to give a 4-year-old his very own brewski?

Source: orlandosentinel.com

Image: darlingofourage

Ailing Companies as Bad Children

What was your fake baby name?

UPDATE: Tainted Milk Tally tops 50,000

Enormous baby sculpture

I can tell how much you orgasm because of how you walk

Queens woman pregnant with sextuplets

Mom leaves kids in a Jersey parking lot

Important news stories depicted by five year olds

Austrian incest mom speaks out

YOU say: I got fooled (update to "They USED to say: give babies cola")

Mom finds hairy Goldilocks in 2 year old's bed

8 year old blues guitarist not allowed to play in bars

Brett Singer — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Tallan "T-Man" Latz is a Voodoo Child, emphasis on the latter – he's only 8 years old. Since the age of five, he's been playing blues guitar, and judging by some YouTube videos, he's pretty damn good, especially when you take into account the fact that he's playing a full-size guitar (meaning his "axe" is about as big as he is). Since he gravitated towards playing blues and rock, that means many of the venues for his music are bars. Because of his age, the state of Wisconsin has told his parents, and the clubs that would book him, that child labor laws prohibit him from playing in venues where alcohol is served. The fines, according to AP, are quite high: "the employer can be fined $25 to $1,000 and the parent from $10 to $250." The article also states that Tallan's booking agent received a death-threat, which is just creepy.

T-Man's reply was hilarious and appropriately bluesy: "It's not how many times you get knocked down but it's how many times you get back up and go forward."

There is some good news. T-Man can play festivals such as county fairs and other non-bar events.

Regardless of all this hoo-ha, the kid can play. He's even appeared on stage with Les Paul, which is an honor. Here are a few videos of T-Man trading licks with people three times his age (or ten times his age, in Les Paul's case).

Tallan "T-Man" Latz playing Voodoo Child

Tallan "T-Man" Latz plays the National Anthem

Les Paul and Tallan Latz @ Pabst Theater 6/21/08

Sources: Yahoo!/AP, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (also image)

For a good marriage, women need to stay home

Children opposed to healthcare (Onion Video)

Readin', writin' and Dianetics?

Family Movie Night – Happy Feet

Egyptian woman gives birth to septuplets because she wanted a boy

Bored games

Hunka hunka burnin Barbie

More Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

MySpace, Naked Photos, and a Dumped Teenager: A Cautionary Tale

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:36:00 GMT

The plight of Alex Phillips offers a good lesson in how NOT to respond to a break-up. The 17-year-old Wisconsin teen (pictured) faces up to 16 years in prison for publishing naked photos of his ex-girlfriend on his MySpace page. If this sounds like the doings of a puritanical, punishment-happy society, wait till you learn a bit more about this lovely Alex character.

After Alex “dated” (which is probably a very tame way to put it) a 16-year-old girl for a while, they broke up and she started seeing someone else. Alex decided to teach his ex a little lesson about who she was dealing with—and about being a bit more cautious when she emailed photos in the future. He allegedly pasted on his MySpace page two nude photos that the girl had emailed to him during happier times. Suffice it to say that, according to the police report, one of the photos was a close-up that was not of the girl’s face.

Under this photo, Alex eloquently described his broken heart this way: “Yo tell me this bitch desurves this!!!!!....TF gets my leftovers….” I’ve included the ellipses to indicate references to the girl’s anatomy (or, more specifically, to what Alex did to said anatomy) that are best left to the imagination.

Unfortunately for Al, he took a similarly aggressive stance when police phoned him and asked him to remove the photos. “Fuck that,” he reportedly said. “I’m keeping them up.” Once he was brought in to custody and charged with child porn, defamation, and sexual exploitation of a minor, Alex conceded that he was simply “venting,” but he “probably should not have done this.” The girl told police she was “very upset.”

In a best case scenario, boys such as Alex Phillips would have some really good therapy for years before they were allowed any more contact with women. And 16-year-old girls would not email photos of their anatomy to boys like Alex. And teenage boys would not call girls bitches, and would know how to spell the word “deserve.” Considering that this is clearly not a “best-case scenario” world, what do you think of Alex Phillips: vicious pervert deserving of criminal prosecution or confused teenager who simply took these things a bit too far?

Photo: The Smoking Gun

Mother and Kids Live With 90-Year-Old Corpse on Toilet

Cole Gamble — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Happy Post Mother's Day. Enough with the happy crap, let's get back to the weird, depraved and creepy.

A mother and her two children lived with the bloating corpse of a 90-year-old woman decaying on the toilet of their only bathroom for two months. It gets better. The mother left the corpse their because a religious “superior” told her it would come back to life...

Remember that story about the couple who let their diabetic daughter die because they prayed instead of seeking medical attention? Well, that was a pretty egregious case of neglect but I was willing to admit, the parents were at least doing what, in their very confused minds, was right. In this case, however, this is just straight up hyper-retarded.

The kids, 15 and 12 years of age, are now in foster care. When questioned by the police, the boy said he had plotted to run away from his mothers home. Smart kid, that one.

Of course, maybe the mom was just up for some madcap hyjinks, Weekend At Bernie's Style.

Photo: AP

Update: Praying Parents Charged With Homicide

Cole Gamble — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:00:00 GMT

The Wisconsin couple whose 11-year-old daughter died of treatable diabetes after said parents eschewed medical attention for prayer were charged Monday with second-degree reckless homicide. The father has stated he thought his daughter's illness was a “test of faith”, and I have no doubt he and his wife prayed until they could pray no more, but I wonder that now they have failed this “test” where their faith stands. Well, I guess you could always ask Job. The mother and father both face 25 years years in prison if convicted.

The main question that will come out of this trial, and the one you'll definitely hear from the attorneys for the defenses is this: is trying this couple a form of religious persecution? After all this couple did seek help in the best way they knew how, spiritually. Does it really count as criminal neglect if modern medicine doesn't factor into their belief system?

You can look at my original article for my stance on belief versus reality and where the two can work together.

What do you think: if a parent does what they believe is right, is that grounds for homicide? Extreme faith certainly isn't illegal, and it seems like we are dealing with a similar case of the state's idea of child welfare versus the tenets of faith in the case of the Texas polygamy sect.

Perhaps you think actively choosing ignorance might be a criminal offense. My question is, why do some religious people find common sense so antithetical to faith?

12 of the 100 Greatest Places to Vacation

Brett Singer — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Life Magazine has just come out with a new tome -- LIFE: Dream Destinations: The World's 100 Greatest Places to Vacation. Twelve spots are chosen for families, and here they are:

London: The wife and I took Thing 1 and his Gramma to London when he was only 2 years old. It was great. There's a lot to do that can appeal to even a young kid (the Globe Theater, changing of the guard, and eating fish and chips in a pub were a few highlights). Depending on where you stay, there can be a lot of walking and/or tube riding, so if you are more Country Mouse than City Mouse, just be prepared for a potentially urban adventure. Highly recommended.

Riviera Maya: I had to look this one up (I don't get out much). This is an area of Mexico designed for tourists. This site has some info on family-friendly vacations in the area.

Orlando: Um, duh. Disney. Other theme parks. Sun. Fun. Go.

Wisconsin Dells: The "Waterpark Capital of the World." 18 indoor and 3 outdoor waterparks, one of which, Noah's Ark, is the largest in the United States. Never been but it sounds pleasant enough, if a tad soggy.

The Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite Valley, California: this sounds a lot like…nature. For those who like that kind of thing, you can't go wrong. If not, go to London, or Orlando.

New York City: I live here and we hate tourists. OK, we don't hate you. But we wish you wouldn't stand in the middle of Times Square and not move. (I kid. Well, not about the standing in the street part.) Obviously, there are millions of things to do for those with families and without. The notion of New York as scary place is gone, although personally I would stay away from Bushwick. Bonus: we have a new Governor!

The Bahamas: Why not? Can I go now?

Snowmass, Aspen, Colorado: Aspen is incredibly beautiful. Also kind of expensive. Snowmass, a ski resort, just opened the Treehouse Kids' Adventure Center, which sounds fun. If you don't ski, this probably isn't for you. But if you do, have at it.

Memphis: Even if you aren't an Elvis fanatic (and if you are, it's OK, you can admit it. There now, wasn't that easy?), there's plenty to do in Memphis, including a Children's Museum, Zoo, and the Mud Island River Park (Mississippi Mud, of course).

Cuzco, Peru: these pictures look intriguing. I like Peruvian food. Need to practice my Spanish though. (De donde esta el... hey, give me a break, it's been awhile.)

Montana’s Dude Ranches: Dude! Who doesn't want to be a cowboy/girl? Unless the kids are allergic to horses, this sounds like a blast.

The Impossible Dream: Space: Now that's just silly. Isn't it? Until Richard Branson re-opens reservations on Virgin Galactic, and maybe lowers the price a bit ($200,000 a person is a tad high), this option will indeed remain the impossible dream.

Anyone been to any of these places, especially the less well-known spots? What are your favorite vacation destinations?

Should Child Support Slackers Be Shamed Online?

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:27:00 GMT

Wisconsin State Rep. Steve Wieckert, R-Appleton, wants to put child support slackers online in an attempt to shame parents into paying up with a little interwebs intimidation. Before you go cheering on the Republican from the Fox Valley, take note that a mother who claims she's owed $37,000 in child support and interest by her daughter's father is the brains behind the legislation, which will be proposed this month.

After many attempts to recover the child supported owed to her, custodial parent Julie Jentz read an article about how successful a state website worked in recovering delinquent tax funds. She thought the idea would convert well in pressuring child support non-payers into settling their debts. According to the fired up state rep who turned Jentz's idea into proposed legislation, $3 billion is owed in child support in Wisconsin alone.

My thought on this is Hey, whatever it takes. Sure, complicated situations surround every split parenting relationship, but at some point -- as Jentz seems to know all too well -- the pressure needs to be increased. Hopefully, measures like this site won't be too late to get Jentz what she's owed to fairly care for her child.

Lay Midwives Win Right To Practice In Wisconsin

Patti — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:27:00 GMT

Wisconsin has just become the 25th state in the US to legalize the practice of lay midwives. The first license has already been issued by the state, and in addition, the new law allows midwives to practice without being involved in a formal health care practice.

Lay midwives are often as experienced as their degree-holding counterparts, but they have had to fight for recognition and the right to practice their vocation openly. Nurse midwives are praising the legislature's decision as a validation of the midwifery model of care for women's health. Approximately 1100 babies were born outside of hospitals in Wisconsin last year, and those numbers are expected to rise with the new regulations.

25 states down, 25 to go!

Woman Delivers Baby at 100 mph

Karen Murphy — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 13:15:00 GMT

I think every woman who has borne a child without drugs can relate to this: imagine that you are so ready to push that baby out, you know it's time, I mean baby IT'S TIME, when some ever-so-helpful medical-type person says, "Don't push." Don't what?? Are you freaking kidding me?? There is no.way.in.hell that a woman bent on pushing that %$#*& baby out is going to be able to stop when someone says, "Oh, by the way? Don't." This happened to me when my older daughter was born and they felt they needed to get me in the delivery room (it was a medieval hospital that had never heard of the term "birthing suite") and were loathe to the idea of me pushing along the way. Screw that.

So I totally can relate to poor Lisa Tauer, being driven to the hospital by her husband Jerome, when goldarnit she just couldn't help but have that baby right there in the car on the way to the hospital. So what's new with that? you ask. That's been done before. Zillions of times. Nope, not at 100 mph it hasn't. Apparently dad-to-be Jerome was so freaking scared to maybe have to deal with this messy baby thing himself that all he could do was speed to the hospital. Uh, hello, Jerome? Ever stop to think that you were risking the lives of your wife and that baby there? By driving 90 and 100 mph through the farmlands of Wisconsin while yelling "Don't push!" to your wife? Not cool, Jerome. You should have stopped and at least offered Lisa a granola bar or something. Anything. Anything would have been better than being so gripped by your fears of a teeny widdle baby that you had to speed like that. Get a grip, Jerome; you're a daddy now. It's time to grow up.