3-Year-Old Shot and Killed While 'Playing Gun Game' With Mom's Boyfriend

dinsdag 17 september 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Nicole Fabian-Weber 1 hour ago

Three-year-old Lance Wilson was shot and killed after "playing a game" with his mother's boyfriend. The toddler was reportedly sitting on 24-year-old Zachariah Grisham's lap when a gun Grisham "forgot was loaded" went off, killing Wilson immediately.

While I'm against guns in any capacity, I get that certain people feel that guns should be legal, if used responsibly. But can we all agree that holding a gun -- whether you "think" it's loaded or not -- while you have a toddler in your lap is 110 percent the opposite of responsible?

On Monday, Grisham was charged with neglect and reckless homicide of a child, and according to the prosecutor, "[Wilson and Grisham] were playing a game. The child pointed his finger at the defendant like he was shooting a gun playing a game, and he pointed a gun out and shot the boy."

I can't, for the life of me, figure out what would possess someone to do this. Even if you thought the gun wasn't loaded. Even if you checked it earlier on in the day. Even if you were basically 100 percent positive there were no bullets in that gun. You don't point it at a child, or anyone, and shoot. I would never, in a million years, point a gun at a kid and pull the trigger, even if jest. But if for some insane reason I was that type of person, you best believe I'd check to see if it were loaded right before doing so.

Hopefully, Grisham spends the rest of his life in jail for allegedly killing this kid whose entire life was ahead of him. That won't bring Lance back. But it'll at least be nice to know that there's one more irresponsible gun owner off the street. Thoughts and prayers to Lance's family.

What do you think of this?

Image via Michigan City Police

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Firefighters Robbed of Precious Possessions While Out Risking Their Lives in a Fire (VIDEO)

woensdag 11 september 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Maressa Brown 3 hours ago Maybe it's silly to think that thieves actually have a conscience, but you would think there are certain places and people just about anyone would want to avoid robbing. Guess not considering a fire station in the Bay area, California was burglarized earlier this week while fire crews were out battling a raging fire near Mount Diablo. Ughh! 

The thief made their way into the station and took iPads, watches, cash, and even two wedding rings while crews were spending 24 hours protecting at least 100 structures threatened by the fire, which had grown to 3,200 acres and was 70 percent contained as of Wednesday, said Contra Costa County Fire Protection District spokesman Steve Aubert. So crazy!

As you can imagine, the firefighters who returned to find their valuables missing were shocked and dismayed ... But they were also angry. And geeze, who could blame 'em?! I'm angry! There's no excuse for burglary in any case, but come on -- to target firefighters, who are serving their communities and trying to protect and save lives? That's just plain twisted.

As firefighter Judon Cherry, who has been married for 20 years and returned to the firehouse to find his wedding ring missing, said:

Are you serious? Somebody actually came into the fire station and stole from us after we helped people? It's devastating.

No kidding! I mean ... stealing money, sure, that's obvious. An iPad -- okay, understandable, and even so much more replaceable than a wedding ring, an item with likely far more sentimental than cash value!

Thankfully, police vow that they're investigating the incident and will track down whoever did this. In the meantime, though, Cherry notes that the fire station is going to have to step up their security like never before. It's disheartening and galling to say the least ... 

Here's the local news report:

What do you think about what happened here? Shocked, appalled, or unsurprised?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

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3-Year-Old Girl Weighing Just 11 Pounds Dies of Starvation While in Parents' Care

dinsdag 10 september 2013

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AppId is over the quota

A 3-year-old girl with special needs is dead and the city of Philadelphia is facing one horrific child abuse investigation. Doctors say when Nathalyz Rivera was rushed to the hospital, she was just 11 pounds and covered in bites. She didn't make it. She'd been starved ... to death.

Now all four of Nathalyz' siblings, including her 3-year-old twin, have been taken from their parents, and those parents -- 30-year-old Carlos Rivera and Carmen Rameriz, 27, have been taken into police custody. There are no charges yet, but considering doctors say the little girl's starvation was akin to the treatment of prisoners in concentration camps, it's safe to say there will be a raft coming down the pike.

The confusing thing: who to charge. And with what.

According to police, Carlos Rivera found little Nathalyz unresponsive and he called Carmen, who showed up with her boyfriend and rushed the 3-year-old, who was born blind and with Down syndrome, to the hospital. She was pronounced dead there.

At the risk of sounding reasonable, what did they expect would happen?

A child abuse specialist familiar with the case told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the girl’s condition “doesn’t happen to a child in a couple of weeks. Generally, it is a process that takes months and months, or even years of neglect.”

Add to that the fact that this poor little girl's body was reportedly covered in insect and rodent bites (as were the bodies of her siblings, who were otherwise relatively OK), and I ask again: what did these parents EXPECT?

For their daughter to be right as rain? For a miracle?

This poor innocent child had been starved. For months or even a year. She was put through unspeakable torture.

A child.

A child with special needs no less.

A 3-year-old who needed her Mommy and Daddy.

She should have been taken to a doctor before all this, not at the end. She should have been protected all along; not suddenly at the end, when it looked like she might be dead.

Cops say Carmen "came and went" from Carlos' home, from the home where Nathalyz lived, and she'd seen the little girl recently, so it looks likely that both parents will be facing some sort of charges -- regardless of Mom's last ditch attempt to seek some sort of medical treatment for the little girl.

What do you make of their decisions at the end? Do you have any sympathy for these parents?

Image via Philadelphia Police Department

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Anesthesiologist Accused of Horrendous Prank on Patient While She's Unconscious (PHOTO)

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AppId is over the quota
by Nicole Fabian-Weber 2 hours ago

A woman in Torrance, California, was horrified to find out that when she was completely knocked out from anesthesia during surgery, the anesthesiologist and a nurse reportedly affixed a fake mustache above her lip and yellow tear drops coming down her cheeks, and snapped photos of the unconscious patient in this state. Adding insult to injury, the woman found out about the tasteless prank after she returned to her job as a surgical supply purchaser at the very hospital she received surgery. She claims that she was either approached by coworkers who had seen the photos or ignored by people she formerly had communication with. 

And now she's suing. And if I were a betting woman, I'd say she's going to win. Big.

Torrance Memorial Hospital has acknowledged the fact that the photo "demonstrated poor judgment" but claims it was "intended to be humorous in nature." The woman, on the other hand, claims in her lawsuit that she was fully anesthetized rather than sedated "for the sole purpose of humiliating and embarrassing the patient." The lawsuit also says, "Perhaps the most vulnerable position any human being will ever endure in their life is a time when they are placed under full anesthesia." And I can't say I disagree. I would be pretty mortified to find out people were "defacing" me while I was having surgery as if I had passed out at a party from drinking too much.

Whether this was merely meant as a light-hearted joke or not, the fact these medical professionals completely abused their power and responsibility for fodder is unacceptable. When patients go under anesthesia, they're entrusting doctors and nurses with their body. They're entrusting them to not do anything they didn't consent to -- and this woman clearly didn't consent to this. And let's not even get into how this is violating all sorts of HIPPA laws.

Like I said, I'd be shocked if this woman didn't wind up walking away with a serious chunk of change after this lawsuit is over. And I wouldn't be surprised if the anesthesiologist and nurse wind up losing their jobs.

Was the "joke" really worth it, guys?

What do you think of this?

Image via LA County Superior Court

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Disabled Daughter Left Handcuffed to Bed While Mom Attends a Wedding

maandag 5 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Jeanne Sager 4 hours ago

A mother in Maryland could be facing some serious jail time after her mentally disabled daughter was found wandering around a North Carolina hotel this weekend. Tiffany Davis was at a wedding at the time, and it seems she didn't want her teenager, who has the mental capacity of a 3- or 4-year-old, along. Cops say she'd handcuffed her daughter to the hotel bed!

Kind of makes you wonder why she brought her along for the trip to North Carolina at all, doesn't it? But thank goodness she did.

Imagine, for just a second, if Davis' 19-year-old daughter had been left back home in Maryland.

Not only would a mentally handicapped girl have been left alone -- as she was at the hotel -- but who would have found her?

It's sad when this is the bright side of a story, but the fact is, there is some good here. The girl managed to get loose of her shackles, cops say, and she left the room. She was found, taken good care of, and mom was arrested.

Davis was jailed in Gaston County Jail on a $100,000 secured bond. Cops say they found handcuffs and a dog leash in the hotel room, and they have the witnesses from the hotel who shared enough info to substantiate a neglect charge against the 37-year-old Maryland mother.

A perfect ending?

No. Not even a happy one, necessarily, but this is life, not a fairy tale.

The fact is, if this poor girl hadn't been left in that hotel room, who knows what would have happened to her with a mother like that. This was, in essence, her ticket out of there, her chance to be rescued.

And from the sounds of the charges against her mom, it was about darn time.

What do you make of this horror story?

Image via police

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jeanne Sager

writes articles for The Stir by day, slays closet monsters and bounds through bedtime stories with her elementary schooler by night. The Phineas and Ferb soundtrack reverberates through her brain.

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Jennifer Aniston Goes Braless Again -- Which She Should While She Still Can (PHOTO)

donderdag 25 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Mary Fischer 16 hours ago

Surprise, surprise. Jennifer Aniston forgot to wear a bra on the set of her new movie that's being filmed in New York City, putting her "girls" on display for the world to see just in case we didn't get a good look at them the first 100 times.

Seriously, I don't know what exactly she has against bras, but she really seems to prefer letting it all hang out -- considering how many times she's gone without one in the past.

And whether or not her braless look this time around was for a movie role is beside the point. Because in all honestly, she should probably go ahead and rock this look while she still has the luxury of doing so.

Let me explain.

Back in the day, meaning before my body went through pregnancy and a very brief round of breastfeeding -- I had no problem forgoing a bra either. At all.

More from The Stir: Jennifer Aniston's Nipples Steal the Show on 'Chelsea Lately' (VIDEO)

I'm a smaller-boobed gal, and since they were so perky before a tiny human took over my body, it never bothered me in the least to wear things that showed them off a bit more.

But now that I'm almost 36 and have done the whole kid thing? My bra is my security blanket. The minute I remove it, I instantly feel uncomfortable and embarrassed -- because apparently my boobs have a hidden magnet inside of them that is directly attracted to the floor.

And that's why I only take off my bra when I'm about to go to bed, and even then, most of the pajamas I wear have some sort of padding going on so I'm not totally hanging out there.

Jen may or may not ever have a baby, but now that she's marrying Justin Theroux and settling down again, getting pregnant is a definite possibility. But once that happens, she's going to have to rekindle her friendship with her bra, so now is the perfect time to give her girls one last hoorah in the fresh air while she still has the chance.

Go for it, Jen. I would too if only my boobs didn't resemble those of a 90-year-old woman.

Do you ever go braless?

Image via Splash

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Fischer

is the writer behind The Mommyologist, and the mom of a future famous comedian. Her current loves include cosmopolitans, reality TV, and shoes that don't pinch her feet.

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Kate Middleton Baby Watch on Hold While the Queen Changes England Forever

donderdag 18 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Maressa Brown 10 hours ago

Just when we thought the big news out of the U.K. this week would be the birth of Kate Middleton and Prince William's little Prince or Princess, the Queen Elizabeth II had to go and upstage the royal baby watch by making her own history! Her Royal Highness signed a bill making gay marriage legal throughout England and Wales. Whoohoo!

The signing was a formality, after the bill cleared its final hurdle in the lower house of the country's parliament yesterday. Scotland and Ireland still aren't all caught up -- Scotland may make gay marriage legal by 2015, but Protestant parties defeated a marriage equality law in Northern Ireland earlier this year -- but still, what an awesome, BOLD move for England and Wales! So bold that the Telegraph calls it "one of the most radical pieces of social legislation of her reign." 

Radical, perhaps, but also so progressive and so about-damn-time! 

England and Wales clearly have a lot to celebrate today, but this is also a lesson for those of us on this side of the pond. That despite our recent victories -- doing away with DOMA and legalizing same-sex marriage in various states -- we should be a little bit ashamed of ourselves that we can't get a sweeping measure passed at the federal level.

If sweeping measures like DOMA and Don't Ask, Don't Tell that stood in the way of equality could be passed 20 years ago, we can figure out a way to pass legislation that does the opposite today. After all, we pride ourselves on being pretty forward-thinking, cutting-edge, right? But today, looking at what the British government has done, we're not nearly as progressive as we fancy ourselves.

What do you think of the legalization of same-sex marriage in England? What do you think it will take to accomplish the same here?

Image via Wikimedia

Click "Like" for more on issues that are important to moms. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

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Daycare Owner Let Her Boyfriend Cook Meth While Kids Played in a Nearby Room

dinsdag 16 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Ericka Sóuter 1 hour ago

Ready for another story sure to give you anxiety the next time you drop you kids off at daycare? Here ya go! A woman in Davenport, Iowa was caught operating a licensed daycare in the same house where her boyfriend ran a meth lab. A METH LAB! Though some people feel that the sentence she received for this crime is way too harsh. 

Amanda Taylor was given 10 years in prison, which is surprising for a first-time offender. It's even more shocking when you learn that her boyfriend, who pleaded guilty to four felonies, got a 25-year suspended sentence and was released on probation. After all, the lab didn't blow up and no one was hurt, right? Well, they could have been. And there is no telling what damage inhaling those meth fumes have done to those children. Chronic exposure could cause cancer and damage to the brain, liver, kidney, spleen, and immune system. During the trial, one mom tearfully described the headaches and sleepless nights her son, who tested positive for meth exposure, was already suffering from. They have no idea what other problems the kids may develop.

It's not as though Taylor didn't know what was going on in that house. Court documents say she provided her boyfriend with meth-making substances. She was essentially putting the health of all those children at risk -- which deserves a serious penalty, as far as I am concerned. A daycare should be a safe haven for kids. Parents certainly expect it to be. Those families deserve justice for what has happened to them.

As hard as that decade-long stint behind bars will be on Taylor, it serves a greater purpose than just punishing her. This is a perfect warning for all those negligent daycare workers who haven’t been caught yet. The sentence is harsh for a first-time offender, but the lesson is no matter who you are, you can’t put kids in jeopardy that way.

Do you think this sentence was fair?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ericka Sóuter

is a veteran pop culture and celeb news writer. That experience boils down to two things: she knows way too much about the Kardashians and she dominates on Trivial Pursuit's arts and entertainment questions.

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6 Things Moms Will NEVER Do While Their Kids Are Still Babies

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AppId is over the quota
by Nicole Fabian-Weber 2 hours ago

While there really is nothing better than having a baby, let's get real here: It can be kind of restricting. You hear it a million times when you're pregnant, how different things are going to be after having a child, but you really can't grasp it until you actually, physically, have a baby. They're so, so cute, but life as you knew it is over.

Well, at least for a while.

Here are 6 things moms of babies can kiss goodbye. Don't worry, it won't always be this hard.

1. Sleep in. Obvious? Yes. But I can't write a list like this and not include it. You will never sleep in again! Okay, there will be times when your partner takes care of the babe while you catch up on sleep, but if you think you're in for a leisurely cup of coffee and the paper when you wake up, you're sorely mistaken, friend. Sowwy.

2. Relax on a vacation. I want you to get a nice picture in your head of the last childless vacation you took -- because that, for a long time, will be the last relaxing vacation you took.

3. Take a vacation. Hell, depending on who you are and your baby's temperament, you might not even be taking vacations. Again, sowwy.

4. Be able to spend time "getting ready". "Getting ready" now means throwing on whatever's clean and putting your hair in a bun. May I suggest showering and picking out clothes at night, for those of you who "care what you look like"?

5. Having an uninterrupted adult conversation (when baby's awake). When your baby is asleep, talk away! But when she's up, it isn't quite that simple. When you have a baby or a young toddler, you have to be ready for a fall or a spill at all times. You know the moms at the park who sit on the bench and chat while their kids play? Yeah, you're not quite there yet.

6. Care about any of the above. The sleep thing can be a bit unnerving, but you have a baby! What's better than that?!

What things do you no longer do now that you have a baby?

Image via Nicole Fabian-Weber

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Jenelle Evans Gives a Hysterical Excuse for Living With Another Dude While Still Married

zaterdag 13 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Nicole Fabian-Weber Yesterday at 3:45 PM

One thing you've gotta give Teen Mom Jenelle Evans credit for: The woman does not run out of excuses. Ever. Jenelle recently said that, although she's currently living with new boyfriend Nathan Griffith while technically still married to Courtland Rogers, she's not committing adultery because Courtland cheated first.

Now, don't get me wrong, I was just as happy as the next guy to see Jenelle and Courtland part ways -- they're one of history's worst couples. And if she wants to be with someone else right now, that's fine. She and Rogers are estranged. But is she really using the ol' "he did it first" excuse. What is this, second grade?

Jenelle need not paint herself as the "scorned woman" here. Because she's not. Yeah, Courtland may have cheated first, but if Jenelle actually gave a rat's ass, she would have "mourned" their relationship first, as opposed to diving head-first into a new relationship. In fact, I'm guessing Jenelle was thrilled Courtland cheated, because that way, she was off the hook for anything she did afterwards.

I couldn't help but let out the most audible of sighs when I read Jenelle's tweet on the whole sitch. She wrote: "It's not a sin if one spouse has been unfaithful. CR was unfaithful and we r separated." First of all, easy there with the Bible talk, killer. And second of all, stop making excuses. Yes, what Courtland did was really, really wrong -- and he's one of the world's biggest trashballs -- but don't get it twisted, Jenelle. His wrong doesn't make you right.

What do you think of this?

Image via Jenelle Evans/Instagram

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