Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Walmart Steps Up The Evil

From a MySpace Page.....


A
Walmart security guard demanded a woman hand over her baby
at checkout,
thinking it might have been a baby that was reported missing in the store,
according to a Myspace post by the mother, Stacy Arrington of Parkville, MD
(pictured):
"They are trying to tell me that Ava is not my child. She started
fussing so I began taking her out of the seat. The whole time this security
guard is asking me to "give him the baby". F*** YOU! There was no way I was
handing her over! I tried to walk away, leaving her car seat, the diaper bag,
even my wallet...they blocked me! I am screaming for them to get the f*** away
from me. I start crying, sobbing, just holding Ava near me. Everytime the
security guard put his hands near her I shifted away. Ava is screaming at the
top of her lungs by this time. I am screaming to get a manager. I started
telling them everything I could think of to prove she is mine. Her birthmark,
hospital card in the diaper bag, my ID in my wallet...pictures of her in my
wallet. I am screaming that I am going to sue the F*** out of them and God help
them when my husband and father hear about this!
Finally the manager realizes
they have the wrong person..... he gives me everything for free... he puts the
bags in my card and I basically run out of the store, still holding Ava. I
couldnt get out of that parking lot fast enough."

I understand their need to check if this was the baby missing in the store, but I would have FREAKED out myself if a security guard had tried to take the Princess out of my arms saying "give me your baby". I would also be sitting in a lawyers office this morning as well. I hope she sues the hell out of them. That's just awful, WTF were they thinking? You ASK the woman to come with you to an office nicely, not ask her to give you the baby and reach for it! I would have thought some psycho was after my baby!!

Toronto Star Article With Karen....WAY TO GO!!!





JIMMY JEONG FOR THE TORONTO STAR
Karen Speed, with Jezek, almost two, says Facebook closed her account when she asked why photos were deleted.
More than 10,000 so-called `lactivists' have signed an online petition protesting the website's policy

Sep 12, 2007 04:30 AM
Andrea Gordon Family issues reporter
Facebook is getting an online scolding after the social networking site deleted pictures of nursing babies it considered "obscene content" and closed the account of at least one Canadian mom.
Breastfeeding activists are emailing, posting and instant messaging their outrage. A new Facebook group set up to petition for a change in site policy – called "Hey Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!" – has swelled from 7,000 members to more than 10,200 in the past few days.
"I was really ticked off," said Karen Speed, 33, an Edmonton mother of three boys, ages 9, 4 and 20 months, after five of her photos were deleted last month and her account shut down.
But she added in a phone interview the reaction from the online community has been gratifying.
"People seem to be coming out of the woodwork in support of this. I had no idea there was so much support for breastfeeding and I'm really encouraged by that."
Earlier this year, MySpace also came under fire for deleting photos of a Tacoma, Wa., woman breastfeeding her baby. But the latest incident on Facebook has sparked a much broader groundswell, from as far away as Australia.
It is being voiced in Toronto by mothers like Sarah Kaplan, owner of the new Evymama breastfeeding and maternity wear shop in the Bloor West neighbourhood. A self-described "lactivist," Kaplan founded her store "to glamorize breastfeeding." She has been spreading the word and encouraging moms in her online mothers' groups to join the chorus of objections.
"The fact is, breastfeeding is supposed to be anywhere, anytime," she said, while nursing her son, 7-month-old Remy, in her shop yesterday. Kaplan says with Canadian physicians and the World Health Organization recommending breastfeeding to 2 years of age, mothers need encouragement, not to be treated as if nursing is offensive.
Speed, who runs breastfeeding support groups for new mothers, decided last April to start an online version on Facebook, inviting women to ask questions, discuss breastfeeding problems and make contact with other moms. Soon afterward, she decided to post photos that had been on the website of her other breastfeeding support group, BLISS. "I always think seeing moms breastfeeding, and especially older kids, is important," she said in a phone interview yesterday. It's not uncommon for new moms to encounter difficulties and give up in frustration without extra support or tips, she said.
This summer, she was one of several mothers who received a standard notice from Facebook that a picture had been deleted because it was considered "obscene." She wasn't told which one, but later realized a photo of her "tandem breastfeeding" her two youngest sons was gone, even though her breasts were not visible.
Within days, she received messages that four more images had been removed.
After responding in an email and asking for clarification of what Facebook considered obscene, Speed says, she could no longer log on to her account.
All discussion threads, details of an upcoming Breastfeeding Challenge event in Edmonton, questions from mothers seeking help and contacts were gone.
"After reviewing your situation, we have determined you violated our Terms of Use," a Facebook customer support representative named Anthony wrote Speed in an email on Aug. 27.
"Please note, nudity, drug use, or other obscene content is not allowed on the website." He informed Speed that "We will not be able to reactivate your account for any reason."
In the meantime, there are still many pictures of breastfeeding mothers throughout Facebook in groups like La Leche League, Canadian Breastfeeding Mommies and particularly the "Hey Facebook" petition site set up since Speed was shut down.
Facebook spokesperson Meredith Chin has reportedly said Facebook did not prevent mothers from uploading photos of themselves breastfeeding their babies, but removed content that was reported as violating Facebook's terms of use.
"Photos containing an exposed breast do violate our terms and are removed," Chin said, according to a recent report in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Kelli Roman, a 22-year-old mother of two from Fallbrook, Calif., started the petition group in the summer after Facebook deleted several of the breastfeeding photos on her personal profile.
"It offended me," she said over the phone from California. "I can't see how anything about breastfeeding could be considered obscene, especially with the other things you see on Facebook ... like scantily clad women and so much sexualized stuff."
In fact, one of the top discussion threads in the "Hey Facebook" group is one that contains links to ``offensive" material on Facebook.
In Toronto, the issue of rights of breastfeeding mothers has had a high profile over the past couple of years, following incidents in which mothers were told to cover up or leave public places while nursing.
In June, the city approved a policy introduced by Toronto Public Health that allows mothers to breastfeed in any public place controlled by the city, including its agencies, boards and commissions.
(once again, Karen's link to her website is in my favorite links on the right. Good job Karen!)

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Give Where You Live!!





Give where you live on September 29

One day each year the entire TELUS team gets together to give where we live and work. On September 29th, we’re inviting you to help make a difference in our communities by taking part in the annual TELUS Day of Service.

For every text message you send from your TELUS mobile phone, we’ll make a donation to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

So send a message that shows you care. In fact, send lots of them.

For more information, visit telus.com/community.

I am a little disappointed that I am missing out on this while being part of the company, part of the reason I will be going back when its time. They put their money where their mouths are. Throughout the year as well, Telus pays its employees $5 an hour for their work at their charity(s) up to a max I think 50 hours. I was really impressed with that, so my charity gets not only my volunteer time (which was priceless) but also gets paid $5 for every hour I work. Best of both worlds.I liked this better than companies who match employees contributions, not that it isn't great as well, but volunteer hours are a charity's most precious resource, (and a dwindling one) and I liked that employees had to give time, not money.

This is the first time I have missed work LOL!