Strollerderby : boy

Don’t like Your Baby’s Gender? Sweden Rules 'Gender-Based' Abortion Legal

Cole Gamble — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Now, according to a Swedish medical ruling, if a mother or couple discover the gender of their baby and decide “that’s not what we were hoping for” they can get an abortion on that basis.

Here’s how it broke down. A Swedish mother of two girls requested two abortions in a row after learning the gender of her fetus. It became apparent to doctors her decision to abort was based on the discovery of gender, which obviously was not the one she was aiming for. Doctors at Mälaren Hospital expressed concern and asked Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare to draw up guidelines on how to handle requests in the future in which they "feel pressured to examine the fetus’s gender" without having a medically compelling reason to do so.

The board found such requests cannot be refused, and neither can abortions, thus medical staff cannot refuse to perform an abortion based on gender.

Now the idea of isolating a “gay” gene in fetuses and therefore “eliminating” it has been bandied about by rather tacky political pundits. But before we get to that moral maelstrom, pick-and-choose baby gender is already here. Sure, the day when doctors can fudge your baby’s DNA to increase the probability of a boy or girl is possibly coming sooner than later, but for now, if you don’t like what you got, scrap it and start again.

Does this already happen discreetly in America? I can’t imagine anyone would ever openly admit to their doctor or otherwise that they want to abort the baby because “I really had my heart set on a girl” but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Do you think this is more common that people are admitting?

More Stuff:

Creepy Old Japanese Pregnant Dolls (with Attached Creepy Fetus Dolls!)

8 "PG" Movies Way Too Scary for Kids

6 Reasons Why it Sucks to Be a Kid Today

Disturbing Baby-Swinging PSA

Dumb Kiddy Product Makeovers

Eating Your Baby's Placenta

10 Great Books For (Traumatizing) Children

Boy Calls 911 to Report a Missing Mother

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:30:00 GMT

A six-year-old boy displayed far more common sense than his mother after he woke up in the middle of the night and discovered that his mom was gone. After wandering through the house looking for her, he went out to the garage and saw that her car was missing. That’s when he called 911.

When deputies arrived at around 2 a.m., the scared boy was standing in the garage with his four-year-old sister. Their mother, 23-year-old Megan Rene Hester, returned home soon thereafter, having been away from the house for at least half an hour. She told police that she had simply run to the convenience store to buy gasoline while her kids were sleeping.

Because her house was clean and her children appeared to be healthy, police did not file charges against the woman. They notified the State Attorney’s office and child welfare workers of the situation, leaving it up to these parties to take action if they felt it was necessary to do so.

I’m certainly glad that a traumatic situation for these young kids was not made worse by having to watch their mother get arrested, but I do hope child welfare agents take this case seriously. If the boy hadn’t remained so calm and resourceful, this could have been a far worse situation for everyone involved.

Do you think the mother should have been charged with child endangerment?

Photo: Smart Kids Publishing

Roald Dahl's Widow Recalls His Childlike Sensibility

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:30:00 GMT

Felicity Dahl, the widow of the beloved children’s book author Roald Dahl, rarely gives interviews. 18 years after Dahl’s death, she finds it difficult to speak about her husband without crying. But in an interview with the Sunday Guardian, she spoke candidly about her husband's writing and personal life in order to publicize the inaugural Roald Dahl Funny Prize, which will be awarded to a humorous children’s book author on Thursday.

Felicity (pictured), won now runs the Roald Dahl Foundation, attributes Dahl’s popularity among kids not just to his humor, but to the fact that he treated children as his “equals,” never talking down to them or forgetting his own childlike wonder. He would drink pink milk for breakfast and constantly look for ways to surprise strangers with “treats,” such as buying all the nurses on his hospital floor new clothes in the last months of his life.

Dahl’s life was punctuated by tragedy. His sister and father died of unrelated illnesses within a month of each other when he was young, and his own daughter contracted a fatal illness many years later. But Felicity said he kept positive in large part by keeping his child’s mind alive and well. “He was always looking to help people and just make their day a little more interesting,” Felicity said, “because most people's days were very dull.”

Felicity is certain that Dahl would have been sorely disheartened by the advent of Game Boys and Nintendo Wiis that occupy so much of young people's free time these days. “I think [computer] games are absolutely appalling,” she said. “A child is never left on their own with nothing, so that they have to create their world.”

On the upside, one million of Dahl’s books continue to be sold each year.

Photo: Antonio Olmes/The Guardian

Why Roald Dahl Matters

Kidnapped Boy Saves Self, or Humor Gone Awry

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:04:00 GMT

I'm usually a huge fan of The Onion -- one of those obnoxious chuckleheads who used to sit in his pod all day, snorting about the Area Man who held a news conference to announce his displeasure with Thursday -- but this story really missed its mark, and I have to say: I'm offended and completely unnerved by what I know is a fake news story.

The story has to do with 9-year-old kidnap victim Ethan Davis, who, while locked tightly away, imagines he has been rescued.

"Blocking out the sight and stench of his surroundings, the boy's imagination went on to report that Davis was led by authorities into the arms of his overjoyed parents—a complete fantasy the 9-year-old was somehow able to conjure up despite the fact that he was lying face down on a filthy concrete floor, his arms and legs restrained by rope."

I read and re-read the story and thought I had lost all sense of humor by not finding any in it. Maybe some childless freakshow thinks this is just a riot, or maybe I'm just getting cranky, but man, this story is really fucked up.

Am I alone?

[photo: The Onion]

Eight-Year-Old Charged with Murdering His Father

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:59:00 GMT

An eight-year-old Arizona boy is facing two counts of premeditated murder for the deaths of his father and his father’s friend. Police are investigating whether abuse played a role in the murders, even as they continue with plans to prosecute the child.

Soon after 29-year-old Vincent Romero and 39-year-old Timothy Romans, who was renting a room at the Romero house (pictured), were fatally shot, the boy went to a neighbor’s house and said that he believed his father was dead. Police immediately arrived on the scene, and claim to have gotten a confession from the child. But the boy’s lawyer is charging that officers questioned him too severely without the benefit of a parent or representative at his side. (The boy’s father had full custody, with the mother visiting from out-of-state on the weekends.)

"They became very accusing early on in the interview," attorney Benjamin Brewer said. "Two officers with guns at their side, it's very scary for anybody, for sure an 8-year-old kid."

Although the boy’s home was unknown to Child Protective Services, police had responded to domestic violence calls there in the past. The judge has ordered a psychological evaluation.

Under Arizona law, children as young as eight can be charged with crimes. Even though the town’s police chief understands that an eight-year-old does not “just decide that he’s going to shoot his father and shoot his father’s friend for no reason,” police are pushing to have the boy tried as an adult.

To me, the fact that the boy immediately alerted neighbors of the deaths indicates that he lacked the moral reasoning necessary to understand the emotional complexity and consequences of his acts. No one, no matter how young, should be excused for committing murder, but I will be heartbroken if this boy, well before his mental capacities are fully formed, faces murder charges as an adult.

As a defense attorney uninvolved in the case commented, “[S]ociety has to make a decision as to whether they want to start using the criminal justice system to deal with 8-year-olds. That doesn't mean you don't have a troubled kid."

Photo: AP

Woman leaves toddler in car while she goes to a bar

Brett Singer — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Although that sentence sounds like it's from some demonic Dr. Seuss rhyme, the story isn't particularly amusing.

Authorities say a Largo woman left a 2-year-old boy locked inside a car while she went into a bar.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office reports that customers at the St. Petersburg bar saw the child sleeping in the back seat of a white sedan with the windows rolled up and doors locked early Sunday morning. Security workers at the bar called the sheriff's office.

This next part would be funny if it didn't involve a little kid. When asked by the authorities how long she had been inside the Club 54 bar in St. Petersburg, "She told them she had only been there for about 20 minutes, but other customers claimed the woman had been there for at least an hour." I have to wonder if she somehow thinks that it would be OK to leave the kid locked in the car while she had a drink if it was only for 20 minutes. Does it make her a better or worse person that she didn't come up with a good lie, like, "I just had to use the ladies' room" or something? I guess it doesn't matter. By the way, this happened at 1:00am, in case you were wondering. Also, none of the news reports I read say that this was her son.

The woman, 29-year-old Caroline Kreitz, has been released from jail and the boy was taken by Child Protective Services.

Source: mysuncoast.com

image: metromix

Santa Claus says: Smoke More

Dad buys beer for his toddlers

Lawyer sent twin sister to court when she was busy

Do You Leave Your Kids in "Car Care?"

Mom and son barbecue grandma's remains

A photo that has nothing to do with the news

Is a happy ending massage cheating?

New York State Lies About Infant Sleep Dangers

Best political shirt ever - Everyone Poops

Mom blackmails daughters ex with nude photos

They Say: no cold medicine for kids 4 and under

Breaking News: Cadbury chocolate made in China recalled

7-Year-Old Feeds 13 Zoo Animals to Crocodile

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:29:00 GMT

In disturbing news involving small creatures, a seven-year-old boy from Australia broke into a zoo and went on a killing rampage. He scaled the zoo’s fence at around 8 in the morning, and spent the next half an hour smashing rocks on the heads of reptiles and then tossing them, live, into the crocodile’s enclosure (as shown in this photograph from a surveillance camera). The young boy then climbed over an outer fence around the croc’s cage to survey the gory scene of the 11-foot-long crocodile’s feast.

13 animals were killed in total, including a large turtle, rare lizards, bearded dragons, and the zoo’s most beloved animal, a 20-year-old, meter-long goanna.

Since Australian law prevents children under 10 from being charged with crimes, the boy faces no legal consequences—and it’s a good thing. What he needs is serious help. Security videos showed that he was “expressionless” throughout the killings. It is imperative that he receive psychological treatment and that his family receive visits from social workers. He may have a mental illness that requires medication, or he may be in a difficult family situation. Whatever the reason for his destructive tendencies, he must receive adequate care to prevent harming himself or others even further when he’s older.

So I hope that the reaction of the zoo’s director, Rex Neindorf, is not representative of how adults will treat the boy. According to Neindorf, the boy “will just get worse and worse and worse, by the time he’s 10 he will be a hardened criminal.” If that’s the message this seven-year-old gets from the all of the adults in his life, it may well become true.

Photo: Times Online

British TV journo turns down big bucks for baby pics

Brett Singer — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:34:00 GMT

Natasha Kaplinsky, a British television journalist (is that an oxymoron? The television journalist part, not the British thing) recently turned down an offer of £500,000 from "several celebrity magazines" for photos of her newborn babe, according to Mail Online. At current exchange rates, that's… wait… carry the one… one hundred billion U.S. dollars, right? (It's not, but it's still a lot of money.)

"A source has revealed that the glamorous journalist is hoping to spend some time enjoying being a new mum before revealing the child's face to the world."

My question is, why not tell the "celebrity magazines" that they'll just have to wait? Maybe they wouldn't. Or she just didn't want to deal with them at all, which is fair. She doesn't need the money I suppose – she is probably well paid, and her husband is an investment banker. Wait, in this economy, maybe she should take that offer after all…

Famecrawler has been all over this story; see below for links.

Source/Image: dailymail.co.uk

Read more:

Giant Palin Poster

Lawyer sent twin sister to court when she was busy

Kurt Warner, family quarterback

Sarah Silverman says: make granny vote for Obama

Natasha Kaplinsky is Almost There

Natasha Kaplinsky is There (She Had the Baby)

The Sins of the Mother: Little League edition

Brett Singer — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:57:00 GMT

So what do you think of this: the Freetown Youth Athletic Association in Freetown, Massachusetts has a rule that requires parents to staff the concession stand at Little League baseball games. One mother, Jodie Hooper, didn't show up for her shift. As punishment her seven-year-old son was suspended for two games.

Some Freetown residents cried foul, saying the punishment was excessive and misplaced.

I'm all for parental involvement in children's activities, but when you require participation, there has to be some wiggle room. The article doesn't say what the circumstances were that led to Foster not showing up for her shift in snacky goodness, but maybe give her a chance to explain before punishing the kid? And how do you explain to a seven year old that he can't play baseball because of something his mother did, something that he has no control over?

image: mentalfloss.com, doctored by me

Clay Aiken ain't no fruit

Brett Singer — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Far be it from me to imply that Clay Aiken is anything less than muy macho. But, you know, there have been those nasty rumors, which led to threats of a lawsuit from his devoted fan base, who are known as the Claymates. (Really. They call themselves Claymates, and one of them tried to sue Clay over rumors that he was homosexual. Don't you feel normal now?) So perhaps -- and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this, you know -- Clay's recent actions are fueled by a desire to "butch it up, Mary" as the saying goes.

First: he impregnates a woman. This is a clear sign of masculinity. I mean, try doing that if you're... you know, not manly. Well, it was artificial insemination, which means there was no actual physical contact. But hey, there's nothing wrong with that either. (Even if Aiken isn't the father, he could have been. Hey! Stop laughing!)

Second: when a ~~vulture~~ cameraperson from ~~the fiery pits of Hell~~ TMZ confronted him on the street, he pulled a Sean Penn and whacked the camera. In a very aggressive, manly way. Again, nothing wrong with that. (Video of the incident is below, or click here.)

One thing that I've always found interesting is what constitutes "manliness." Impregnating a woman means that your sperm is, you know, spermy. Strong swimmers, etc. But so what?

And punching someone, even if that someone is ~~being a dick~~ just doing their jobs, is more out of control than it is "macho." To be fair, Clay just kinda pushed the guy; more specifically, he pushed the camera. If he had ripped the dude's arms off and beaten him within an inch of his life, that would have been much more manly. (Not that we advocate such behavior. But it would definitely have been big news.)

So maybe it's possible that all of this "news" just happens to be coming out (no pun intended) around the time that Mr. Aiken has a new album out. Just a thought.

In closing, let me request that the phrase "Claby" (Clay + Baby) never, ever catch on. It's just... there is something wrong with that.

(TMZ.com screenshot)

other image: offoffBway.com

Breaking News: Clay may not be the father

All Aiken, All the Time

American Idol or American Psycho? Clay Aiken Gives Pap a SMACKDOWN!

Fans Show Support For Clay Aiken

Clay Aiken Involved in Pregnancy

Breaking News: Clay Aiken might not be the father

Brett Singer — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:30:00 GMT

Could the whole "Clay Aiken can impregnate a woman without even touching her" news be a big fat stinkin' lie? The Calgary Herald is reporting that "several people close to" babymama Jaymes Foster are denying claims (clayms? Nope, not going there) that Aiken is the daddy.

~~One Of The Signs Of The Apocalypse~~ TMZ first reported that Aiken had artificially inseminated Foster, the sister of record producer David Foster, going on to say that, "Clay is a lot more than sperm -- we're told he will have an active role in raising the child." The story was picked up by roughly 12 million media outlets. BUT one of the so-called sources is denying that he ever said Clay was the daddy-to-be, even asking People.com to retract their story. And B.J. Cook, David Foster's ex-wife and Jaymes Foster's ex-sister-in-law said, "Jaymes is definitely pregnant, that much is true...I can guarantee that it's not Clay Aiken's baby." (emphasis added.)

Of course, no one directly involved is talking to the press, including Clay, who is very busy punching cameras.

It must be pointed out that we have no knowledge of this incident, or alleged incident. Maybe Clay is on his way to fatherhood. Maybe not. Who the hell knows? Clearly this is the most important story of the decade. Well, other than the Sex and the City movie. (Election? What election?)

Aside #1: Foster went from "in her late 40's" to "50" in a matter of days -- I guess it is stressful being in the public eye. Here's a photo of the happy non-couple.

Aside #2: Even if this whole thing turns out to be bull, at least we'll always have the phrase "Clay is a lot more than sperm." Thank you ~~Satan~~ TMZ.

images: thehollywoodgossip.com, offoffBway.com

All Aiken, All the Time

American Idol or American Psycho? Clay Aiken Gives Pap a SMACKDOWN!

Fans Show Support For Clay Aiken

Clay Aiken Involved in Pregnancy

And some other news, in case you're curious:

Immigrant Gay Folks Face New Challenges

Political Nanny: Rules, Schmules, Numbers, Schmumbers

Mom Fights Church on Behalf of Autistic Son

Autistic boy voted out of kindergarten by classmates

Best of FameCrawler: Week of April 4

Whit Honea — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Kate Hudson Is a Strict Mom

Video of Celebrity Babies with Secret Super Nanny: The FameCrawler April Fools

Robin Williams and His New "Nanny"

Katie Holmes' New Haircut: Fug, Or Just Sorta Fug?

Courteney Cox Wants Another Child

Jamie Lynn Spears in Hustler!

Future Mother Of George Clooney's Children Skanks It Up

Piping Hot: Giada De Laurentiis Has a Baby Girl

Suri Sighting! Suri Sighting!

The Bonham-Carter-Burtons Talk a Walk With Baby

When Boys Attack: 12-Year-Old Saves Mom, Kills Attacker

Cole Gamble — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

How does a young man say “I Love You” to his mother? Flowers? Candy? How about fending off her attacker and slaying the man? Yeah, extra points for originality.

When the boy, whose name was not released in this article, heard his mom’s screams, he ran to the kitchen of the boarding house where they live and found a fellow boarder pinning her to the floor and choking her. That’s when the boy picked up a knife…

According to the boy, he kept screaming "stop" at the attacker, all the while swinging the knife. The man would not stop. When police arrived the attacker was still alive and combative, but bleeding heavily. The man later succumbed to his wounds in the hospital.

I remember vividly a story from my childhood about a mother lifting a car off her pinned son. The message seemed to be, “Hey boys, your mama would do anything for you, so stop giving her lip.” Now with this episode of a son’s sacrifice, I think all boys can now say to their moms, “Let’s call it even.”

The story doesn’t end there, though: the boy may still be charged with homicide.

Photo: www.thespoof.com

Does Beer Make a Good Baptism Gift?

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 23:07:00 GMT

I was chosen to be godfather for my youngest cousin, and about five minutes before his baptism I told my aunt, "You know, I'm not really religious in any way whatsoever -- does that matter?" I'm guessing the only reason she didn't slap me was because we were actually inside the church at the time, going over the last-minute details for the ceremony.

Needless to say, I have no idea what to buy for a baptism gift -- and I need to know fast. Dana's best friend is having her boy baptized Sunday, and we've drawn a complete blank on what to buy. A cross? A frame? An Ozzy Osbourne CD?

What makes for an appropriate baptism gift nowadays?

A-Rod to Children: Read My Book!

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 21:36:00 GMT

First there was Terrell Owens' tome about proper Sharpie use. Then came Barry Bonds' how-to guide on syringes. Now, A-Rod is getting into children's books, too.

His story, "Out of the Park," is about a boy who does great things throughout the regular season but ultimately chokes in the playoffs. Wonder where he got that idea? OK, OK, so it's not about that. But the story does mirror his life in some ways. The 32-page hardcover book focuses on a young baseball loving boy named Alex and his underdog upbringing.

I can only imagine the dialogue. Page 2 "excerpt": Alex gave it his all, 110 percent, saying, "I couldn't have conquered my fears without my team. Drink Gatorade!" I don't know why this athlete book-writing thing strikes me as odd. But hey, if the books get kids interested in reading, then I guess it can't be that bad. Unless Mike Tyson picks up a pen.

Witches and Tigers, Oh My! How To Calm Childhood Demons?

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:30:00 GMT

When I was four or five, I was deathly afraid of our family's kitchen witch, a crafty old bag who hovered above our sink. With a burnt prune face, a mottled broom and piercing, evil eyes, it was, somehow, supposed to bring good luck. But I envisioned it flying into my room late at night to size me up for its blazing, doll-sized oven. No amount of comforting could ease my fears and eventually the witch flew off to bake other children.

Of all things, a graphic story about a tiger mauling brought back my fears and left me wondering how I'll calm my own child when she cries out against the demons lurking under her bed or in her closet.

The story goes that a few days before Christmas father Vikram Chari brought his 6-year-old son to the San Francisco Zoo. They watched in horror as a Siberian tiger mauled a zoo keeper, eating her hand and leaving the single mother, well, it ate. her. hand. My thoughts are definitely with her and her family -- but also with the young boy, who was afraid of tigers even before the attack.

"He's always scared that there are tigers under the bed at night, so this confirmed his suspicions, " Chari said. "Now he wants the light on and he wants me to go in there with him."

Chari continued, "(My son) said when we left the zoo, 'The next time, let's see the penguins being fed instead of a tiger eating a woman.' I did not want to scare him by saying that this was unusual."

What's a parent supposed to do when a child's worst fears come true? How can you assuage the fears when your kid has seen them in action? It's one thing to say, "Witches aren't real -- or at least not very good cooks." It's another thing to say, "tigers won't eat you," when your kid has proof to the contrary.

What methods work best for battling childhood demons, Babblers?

Mom Calls Cops on Son for Opening Christmas Present Early

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 15:01:00 GMT

A 12-year-old South Carolina boy thought he was being crafty by finding, unwrapping, and playing with a Game Boy well before Christmas, but what he didn't count on was his mom calling the cops on his punk ass. Booyah!

When his mom discovered that the $85 gift had been tampered with, she called the Rock Hill Sheriff Department and the boy was arrested for petty larceny. Mom describes her son as being "disruptive," and said he's been in trouble for stealing in the past. She hopes that this incident will serve as a wake-up call for her son.

Speaking of wake-up calls, the pair was on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night where Jimmy presented the boy with a boxed set of Oz DVDs.

For Christmas this year, the boy will receive a hefty dose of bitterness as he watches his cousin unwrap and enjoy the present that was intended for him.

[photo credit: steelturman]