Strollerderby : teen

A Safer Space for Kids Online: Hope or Hype?

Kate Tuttle — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:01:00 GMT

Concerned about the dangers of online predators, mom-of-five Mary Kay Hoal launched a social networking site that she hopes will provide a safe space for kids aged 9 to 18 to interact. But can places like Yoursphere -- which charges a monthly access fee and checks to make sure nobody on it is a registered sex offender -- really serve as alternatives to Facebook (or to MySpace, the Sodom and Gomorrah of Hoal's press release, although nobody really uses MySpace anymore)? And is an alternative even needed?

If you read Hoal's site or her press release (or watch the Nancy Grace Show), you are probably pretty worried about your child's Internet safety. You know that there are sex offenders on MySpace (even though that number, widely disputed, is only about half what you would expect, given the general population on MySpace), you know that "sexting" and other technologically-enhanced forms of teenaged sexual expression can get you killed, and you know that you want to protect your kids.

Well, I agree with you about the last one. As for the other two, it's fairly clear that the dangers of sexual predation online are vastly overstated and exagerated, both by shows like Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" segments and by the marketing for alternative sites like Hoal's. And when it comes to teenaged cruelty around issues of sex and reputation, technology hasn't changed things one whit: girls have been harrassed for sexual activity for centuries in our culture, which continues to both demonize and deny teen sexuality. The medium makes very little difference (except that now, if your teen is engaged in thoroughly consensual sexual flirting using cellphone pictures, she could get charged with child pornography).

As a new study out of Harvard's Berkman Center for the Internet and Society points out, worried parents are barking up the wrong tree here. It's not Facebook, MySpace (does anyone still use MySpace, seriously?), or the Internet at large that hurts kids; the dangers kids face online are the same as they face offline -- dating violence, sexual harrasment, social ostracism, bullying, and yes, sometimes (but very rarely) sexual predation by adult strangers. How to protect them? Funny enough, it's not from banning them from the Internet, or stealing their passwords, or spying on them. Just as in the offline world, kids are protected by having caring adults who talk to them, who make it their business to know where their kids are and what they're doing, who know their friends and are involved in their activities, and who let them know every day that their kids can always come and talk to them about anything. Those of us who have babies, toddlers, and preschoolers right now have no way of knowing what kind of technological advances and devices will flavor their world. All we can do is try to keep up, understand what they're up to, and remember that the more things change, the more they stay the same. It turns out that trust and respect -- not spying, forbidding, or trying to scare them (or their parents) to death -- is what really keeps kids safe.

More by this author:

Think Your Baby's Car Seat Is Safe? Think Again

California Daycare Closed; Worker Was Mocking Kids' Genitals

"Angels in Waiting" Apparently Still Waiting

Bad Science: How The Autism Vaccine Scare Snowballed

Mom Buys Guns for Bullied Teenage Boy

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:23:00 GMT

So what do you do if your 14-year-old is being bullied? If you're Michele Cossey of Moron, Pennsylvania, you buy him guns of course!

Cossey pleaded guilty to child endangerment for buying her son a rifle and gun powder in a misguided attempt to build up his self-esteem. The boy was arrested last year after his plot to take out his former school in a Columbine-like attack was foiled by a friend. Well now it turns out the boy's mom helped buy some weapons and gunpowder for grenades.

Authorities say they aren't sure whether the mom knew of her son's plans to wage an attack. But I have to wonder -- why else would she buy him so much ammunition? Child endangement seems like too light a sentence for too crazy a person.

(AP photo)

Best of FameCrawler: Week of August 29th

Whit Honea — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Holy Crap! Is That an Engagement Ring on Jennifer Aniston's Finger?

Jessica Biel Pregnant!!?

Is Michelle Obama Pregnant?

Julia Roberts Goes To Hawaii

The Obama Text: Barack is My Booty Call

Zuma Zuma Zuma Zoom

Matthew McConaughey: Nanny Ain't Alright, Alright or Little Levi and the Longboard

Ashlee Cries At The Doctor's Office?

Is Dolly Parton Dead?

Minnie Driver - HUGE Bump TINY Bikini - Photos

Guess Which Celebrity Rebecca Romijn is Naming One of Her Twins After?

Best of FameCrawler: Week of August 22nd

Whit Honea — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Suri & Her Doll - Photos and Girl Talk

Gwen Stefani Gave Birth! It's A Boy!!

Like I Needed Any More Reason To Love Johnny Depp

Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh Get The Gold, Now They Want to Get Pregnant

Ricky Martin is a Daddy!

Teenage Boob Jobs? A Tale of Two Lohans

Bernie Mac's Funeral Attended By Thousands (Pictures)

Peek-A-Boo, Guess Who?

Matt Damon Welcomes Second Baby!

Best of FameCrawler: (Sad) Week of August 15th

Whit Honea — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Bernie Mac Memorial and Donations

Romeo Bending It Like Beckham

Jennifer Aniston & John Mayer - IT'S OVER!!!!

Bernie Mac Was Expected To Recover

Did Lil Wayne's Daughter Die?

Lil Wayne's Daughter Dies? Her Mama Says "No"

Not True? Lil Wayne's Daughter Did Not Die

Bernie Mac's Final Moments -Wife & Daughter By His Side

Brad and Maddox Hit The Track

People Disappointed with Brad and Angelina

Best of FameCrawler: Week of August 8th

Whit Honea — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Is Bernie Mac Dead?

John Edwards - Mistress, Love Child & Hush Money

Barbara Walters Wants Sherri Shepherd Off The View

Helena Bonham Confirms Her Baby's Name-Finally

Angelina and Brad's First Picture of the Twins! Meet Knox and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt!

Pictures of Knox and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt Faked?!

Pamela Anderson: Boob Shots Only Please

Alessandra Ambrosio Gives Birth?

Knox & Vivienne Here!! Photo!!!

First Pictures of Vivienne and Knox Jolie-Pitt Mean Goodbye Brangelina

Best of FameCrawler: Week of August 1st

Whit Honea — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Christina Aguilera On A Bed Of Roses

More Beautiful Jolie-Pitt Family Photos!

Tom Cruise Named In Scientology Lawsuit

Federline is SHOCKED at Britney!

Miley Cyrus: Saying Goodbye To Hannah Montana?

What Actor Was Not Nice in Nice?

Formal McCarthyism

Who's Pregnant But Not Admitting It?

Britney's Bikini Photos Leaked!

Sarah Jessica and Matthew Broderick: EX In The City?

Top Five Celebrity Pregnancy Denials

Kate Hudson and Eric Lindros, Already

Five more FLDSers Arrested

Brett Singer — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

AP (via Jezebel) is reporting that five male members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) have turned themselves in to the police. They were indicted with the crime of having sex with minors, as was FLDS "prophet" Warren Jeffs. One of the men, Merrill Leroy Jessop, was also charged with bigamy. Another, Lloyd Hammon Barlow, was charged "only" with not reporting child abuse, which is a misdemeanor. He is the resident doctor at the ranch.

This is the first we're hearing about the FLDS folks since April, when Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) raided the polygamist compound (which I still think sounds like a wart cream. Hello??? Is this thing on?), except for when the head of CPS resigned, which makes one wonder if Jezebel is right when they imply that the raid was treated as a bigger crime than whatever may be going on inside the walls of the Zion Ranch. I'm kind of surprised that it took this long to charge someone with bigamy, since that's, you know, a major tenet of their religion – polygamy. Poly marriage. Not legal. Just sayin'. Of course, that charge is nothing compared to forcing minors to have sex. But it's all just "alleged" for now.

image: Jezebel

Readin', writin' and Dianetics?

Savage stands by his stupid words

Stay out of my room or I'll pee on your tree

Distilled: Behind The Braid

Condom Maker Offers $1Mil to Miley Cyrus to Sell Rubbers

Crocs Don't Rock

Baptism by Hockey

Best of FameCrawler: Week of July 25th

Whit Honea — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Pregnant Man Shares Baby Photos & Baby Name

Angie and Brad Couldn't Get It Done on Their Own?

Mindy McCready: Miscarriage?

What is Wrong With Katie Holmes?

2008 Emmy Nominations: Five Drama Mamas

Sex Tape: A-Rod and Madonna!

Maggie Gyllenhaal on Letterman- He Wishes

Jennifer Garner's Baby Bump: She's Pregnant Alright

Bob Geldof's Daughter Peaches' Drug Overdose

Brad Pitt Pulls A Britney

Jennifer Aniston, Oh So Gracious

Ashlee Simpson's C-Section

Best of FameCrawler: Week of July 18th

Whit Honea — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Angelina Jolie Twins Photos: SOLD!!!

Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman Wreck One Home Too Many

Exclusive Sketch Of Angelina's Twins!

Pictures Of Nicole Kidman's Sunday Rose-Two Stories

Drea De Matteo Sobbed When She Found Out She Was Pregnant

Jennifer Aniston's Obsession With Baby

Jessica Alba Already Wants Another Baby

Jessica Alba's Honor Marie - Photo!!!

Name Change: The Jolie-Pitt Twins

Miley Cyrus Leaked Shower Pics: Blame Lindsay!

Best of FameCrawler: Week of July 11th

Whit Honea — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Preg-a-licious! Is Fergie Expecting?

Photos Of Maddie Briann, They're Official

Sexy Superhero Parents: The Top 10

Is Michael Jackson Dying?

Nicole Kidman's Dad Reveals Secret of Sunday's Name!!

THESE Two Are The Hottest Celebrity Parents, For Seriously

Photos! Who Is Diana Bianchi?

Wanted: Nanny for the World's Most Famous Family

Angelina's Due Date - Got It!!!!

Angie And Brad's New Baby!

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's Baby Names!

Angelina's Paparazzi Proof Room

Texas CPS head resigns

Brett Singer — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Interesting little twist in the FLDS/Texas CPS case: Carey Cockerell, the head of the agency, announced that he is retiring. The interesting part is that the press release announcing the news makes no mention of the now-infamous seizing of 400+ children from the Polygamy Compound a few months ago, which is the only reason that most news outlets would pick up this story. (I still think Polygamy Compound sounds like a wart cream.) Cockerell is 61 and ran the agency for 3 ½ years, and was not asked to resign, according to Allison Castle, a spokesperson for Texas Governor Rick Perry's office. Patrick Crimmins, spokesperson for Texas CPS, "said Cockerell would have no further comment." Well OK then.

Once the Texas Supreme Court ruled that CPS "over-reached" in removing the kids from the FLDS ranch, it became tougher to defend what they did. There are some positive things to take from the experience: Child Protective Services is now allowed to make unannounced visits to the ranch, which seems like a good idea. So they did overreach, probably by a lot, but the end result is for the best. Not justifying the actions, just looking for a silver lining.

(Source: AP/Google)

image: CNN

They Say: Incest Is Best?

Put your clothes on and step away from the porcupine

Maybe these pit bulls are dangerous

Ohh, Baby - Orgasmic Birth Video

Who is babysitting the Kid-Rods?

Watermelon the same as Viagra – maybe

Best of FameCrawler: Week of July 4th

Whit Honea — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:00:00 GMT

Jennifer Aniston-Mama To Be?

A-Rod's Wife Cynthia Rodriguez Dating Madonna's Ex Lenny Kravitz

Christina Aguilera Keeps Marriage Alive With Cocktails

Remember When Entertainment Tonight Insisted That The Brangelina Twins Were Already Born...?

Nicole Kidman's Heartbreak

Birth for Angelina Jolie? They Say it Happened!

Cindy Brady Gone Wild!

OMG! Britney Has A Boyfriend - You'll Never Guess!

Gwyneth Paltrow, Without Pants

Guy Ritchie's Mother Is Fuming Over Madonna Divorce Talk

Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber Expecting Baby #2

Maggie Gyllenhaal Makes Choices With Ramona In Mind

Best of FameCrawler: Week of June 27th

Whit Honea — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Billie Piper's Topless Role

The Sexualization of Miley Cyrus

Ben And Jen Together For Better Or Worse

Worst-Dressed Bellies? Top 5 Maternity Wear Mistakes Of Spring/Summer 2008

Tim McGraw and the Wife Beaters

Scott Kalitta Killed In Drag Racing Crash

Robert Downey, Jr., and Son: What's Wrong with This Picture?

Matthew McConaughey Is Ready To Rumble

Guess Who's Moving Across The Pond?

Jamie Lynn's Delivery Room Drama!

Tori Spelling Baby Photos!!

Polygamists as Victims

Brett Singer — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:30:00 GMT

Are the members of the FLDS victims of religious persecution?

That's what some people from the polygamy-practicing sect are saying. A Texas court is holding hearings to determine what will happen to the children who were removed from the ranch last month, and with "463 children, 168 mothers and 69 fathers", that's going to take awhile.

They also don't know which kid belongs to which mother; DNA testing will eventually sort all of that out. Two of the children of self-styled polygamous prophet Warren Jeffs have been found to be from different mothers. (Jeffs, the leader of the polygamy pack, is currently in jail in Utah on "accomplice to rape" charges -- meaning he performed marriages between old men and underage girls -- and "he also faces trial in Arizona on eight charges of sexual conduct with a minor, incest and conspiracy." So he's been busy.)

Meanwhile, Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) has created some guidelines for compound parents must follow if they want their children to be returned to them, mandating "parenting training, family counseling and psychological testing of the parents." A report from CBS 42 in Austin says that one attorney for the FLDS parents was told, "if you ever want to get your kids back – don’t even think of returning to the ranch." Another lawyer for the FLDSers says of CPS, "the Governor of Texas has been praising the job they’re doing and to me that’s a lot like George Bush telling Brownie, ‘heck of a job’ after Katrina." Well, except that in Katrina, it was a natural disaster where people died needlessly, and your clients were breaking the law. But why quibble?

FLDS spokespeople are playing the victim card, crying religious persecution. One of the "elders" of the sect wrote a letter to President Bush calling the ranch raid a "terrorist act." It does sound like CPS and other Texas officials could have done a better job in some ways. But terrorism? And one of the mothers, Nora Jeffs, did not have time to meet with CPS officials to discuss the "family service plan" because she was spending too much time visiting her eight children, all of whom have been placed in different locations. She agreed to follow the plan, "so long as they don't conflict with my religious beliefs." The judge replied that, "You have a right to religious freedom up until the point where it breaks the law."

That's the bottom line here, isn't it? At some point, don't we have to draw a line between religious freedom and the law? If my religion dictates that I jog nude down Main Street on the fourth Tuesday of every month, or smoke marijuana, or perform human sacrifices, I can't do that. Well, guess what? Polygamy is illegal. You may think that's a bad law, but it's still the law. Even though it's possible that the reports of abuse may have come from a woman with a history of making false claims, the practice of polygamy is still against the law. Not to mention the fact that some of the moms were probably under 18. Hopefully no one will be fooled into supporting the "cause" of the FLDS under the guise of religious freedom. This is one case for that just doesn't apply.

image: CNN

MySpace Hoax Mom Indicted

Kelly Mills — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:27:00 GMT

Remember Lori Drew? How about Megan Meier? Megan, a thirteen-year-old, hung herself after her MySpace boyfriend, Josh, cruelly dumped her. This itself would be bad enough, but the real ugly part is that Josh didn't exist. He was the creation of Lori Drew, who was Megan's neighbor and the mother of a girl Megan was once friends with. Drew, with the aid of a nineteen-year-old employee of hers, created Josh, maintained a relationship with Megan, laughed abut it and let her daughter and daughter's friend in on the joke, and then had "Josh" tell Megan the world would be better off without her.

Since being a phenomenally evil creep isn't a crime, investigators didn't charge Drew in the case. But now a federal grand jury has indicted her on one count of conspiracy and three counts of using protected computers without authorization to get information used to harass and torment a teenage girl. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The indictment includes the fact that MySpace users agree to terms forbidding users from promoting information they know to be false, soliciting personal information from anyone under eighteen, and using the site to harass others. Drew of course did all of the above. Too bad there isn't really a punishment that can make up for what she did.

Photo: Tom Gannam / AP

Young Polygamy Mom Gives Birth In Custody, FLDS has two websites

Brett Singer — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Here's the latest from the FLDS case.

-    A "polygamist teen" in state custody gave birth to a healthy baby boy at Central Texas Medical Center. Spokespersons for Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) and the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) issued conflicting statements. Patrick Crimmins of CPS says the girl is "younger than 18," while Rod Parker of FLDS says she's 18. Whom to believe? The new mom is part of a group of 53 girls aged 14 to 17 that were taken from the FLDS compound. 31 of them have already given birth or are pregnant. So I'm going to go with the state on this one.
-    The boys at the compound may have been abused as well. According to CPS, "several [children] have multiple fractures," and the agency is investigating how the injuries occurred. Rod Parker, spokesperson for FLDS, continued his attacks on Texas CPS, saying, "They don't have any evidence that there's abuse, and neither do I," and said it was "unethical" for the agency to release information like this to the public " unless they have evidence."
-    FLDS doesn't only have a spokesperson, they have a website, and another site just for this particular incident, captivefldschildren.com. If you really want to get depressed, click on Videos, where you can view a montage of the "Happy Children at the Ranch" set to music, and another one titled "I don't want to go," which I assume shows someone being taken from the compound. It is worth noting that this video doesn't show any police in it, although other videos do, so it's not clear what is being depicted (that is, it could be a kid who doesn't want to go to school that day.)
-    Much like at musical theater tryouts, there are way more girls than boys aged 14 to 17: 17 boys, and 53 girls. And remember, 31 of those 53 girls have given birth or are pregnant.

There were over 400 children taken into custody and it looks like all of them have lawyers. The court is trying to decide whether or not to allow mothers to take their nursing babies (not that I get a vote, but I think they should, just keep them all in custody somewhere). Calling this situation "a mess" doesn't even begin to describe it.

images: cnn.com

World's Shortest Memoir: Miley Cyrus Tell-All?

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:03:00 GMT

I was born in in 1992 (or whenever) in Tennessee. I love horses and makeup and boys and Facebook. My fans are so kickin. I was rocked to sleep each night with Daddy singin' "Achy Breaky Heart." My Daddy used to have a mullet and now it's all grown out so he's hawt. My Mom is trippin and I like to sing and kiss boys and wear cute underwear.

But Dad and Mom or so totally rude. They won't give me MY money or let me and my new boyfriend post pictures of ourselves on the Web.

The End.

Or something. The (very wealthy) Tween Queen is being paid serious dosh to write a tell-all memoir, at the vastly experienced age of 15. Imagine!

By the time the book comes out, the Hannah Montana star will no doubt have left very little to the imagination, if the rumor about Vanity Fair proves true.

Let's talk about sects, baby – Polygamy compound update

Brett Singer — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:24:00 GMT

It was two weeks ago that hundreds of children were extracted from the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado (YFZ stands for "Yearning For Zion," it's not the name of a new rap group. Yet.) The polygamous compound (the phrase sounds like an ointment you would put on a wart) is run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or FLDS. Every article I've read about this case takes great pains to point out that FLDS is an "offshoot" of the Mormon religion, so we'll do the same.

This is one of those stories that gets worse the more you hear about it. For example, there were more than 400 children removed from the ranch on April 4. The court hearing took, "longer than expected because of objections from some of the 350 attorneys representing the children." And, oh yeah -- "130 of the children removed were under the age of 4 and...girls as young as 13 had conceived children at the ranch," according to a supervisor from Texas Child Protective Services. Because of all this, the kids are going to remain in state custody.

Despite the fact that one of the attorneys for some of the children is "a little disappointed" with the ruling, the CPS supervisor also testified that she heard "sister wives" at the compound say that, "no age was too young to be married."

Can you imagine the scene in that courtroom? Apparently each lawyer is raising objections, and the cases are being grouped together by color - pink for girls younger than 4, and so on. Some of the mothers appeared on Larry King, saying that they were unaware of underage girls marrying older men, and asking the court to please give their kids back. It's not easy to out-creepy Larry King at this point, but these ladies hit the ball out of the park. They sound like the women on "Big Love", except weirder and, you know, real.

I have to admit that when one of the weird sister wives starts talking about her "handicapped son," I got a little choked up. A young child being taken away from the only life they've known, however bizarre that life may be, is a sad thing. That said, when you're talking about possible sexual abuse, you can't take any chances. Methinks this will get worse before it gets better.

image: CNN.com

159 Children Removed From Polygamous Cult Ranch

Kelly Mills — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:29:00 GMT

Authorities have moved in on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints compound in Texas and removed 159 children and 60 adults since Thursday. They were alerted by a call from a 16-year-old girl, who said she had been married to 50-year-old Dale Evans Barlow. The girl reported sexual and physical abuse in the cult (including arranged marriages for young girls) and that Barlow had fathered her child. Ugh. Eighteen girls are in state custody, and were reported to have been abused or at immediate risk of future abuse.

It gets scarier: The girl who made the call has not been confirmed as located (she's still missing and maybe was picked up in the raid under another name,) and Barlow has not been found. The cult was founded by Warren Jeffs, who was convicted in Utah on two counts of being accomplice to rape, and is facing trial in Arizona for sex with a minor, incest, and conspiracy. The compund is called the YFZ Ranch, which stands for "Yearning for Zion". I'm sincerely hoping the girl who blew the whistle on the abuse turns up quickly.

Cigarettes in Kids Movies, In Life, at Grandma's

Madeline Holler — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:34:00 GMT

I can kind of sympathize with Eric Alterman's rage in this post on Media Matters. He's pissed because he took his two 9-year-olds to see "Definitely, Maybe" which, according to him, wound up being cigarette porn instead of a nice father-daughter family flick.

He says the movie glamorized smoking, especially for young females, and also made it appear to be easy to kick the habit.

Also:

It was a two hour cancer commercial. It was morally indefensible and disgusting, since the movie is being marketed to teens and tweens. I wonder if the cigarette companies paid for this kind of loving attention, and I wonder how many people will die of lung cancer to put money in the pockets of the Hollywood moguls who made it.

Strong language, but I get his point. Incidentally, the fact that smoking would be part of the movie was no secret.

Still, here's my question. How DO we bring up smoking with the kids. I live in a part of the country where smoking is banned practically everywhere. You barely even see butts on the ground and it's not terribly common to smell second-hand smoke. (But of course I make a big deal out of gagging when I do.) Would such a movie have been an opportunity to talk about smoking, point it out, say "see, they made smoking look great, didn't they?"

The main smoker in our lives, my mother-in-law, keeps it a big ol' secret from the kids and there are all these euphemisms (lies?) everybody uses to explain why she has to go to the garage but, no, you can't go with her. Isn't that kind of making it interesting by making it secretive and worth lying about too?

So what is it with smoking: should kids see it or not? What do you tell your kids about smoking -- especially if you're a smoker?

Kid Tattooed In Class, School Admin Not Happy

Kelly Mills — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:36:00 GMT

Back in my day, if a high school kid wanted a tattoo, you had to go to some dirty, scary hole-in-the-wall and say "yes" when asked if you were over 18 and then some shaky-handed speed freak would do that little rose on your ankle or whatever. That's why kids today are lucky. Tattooes are so acceptable you can even get them in your classroom. Yep, feel free to have that that old-school apple with the banner that says, "Hot for Teacher" inked right at your desk, as long as you have permission from your parents.

Okay, maybe it didn't go down exactly like that, but a high school student recently got tattooed during class and the school administrators are not happy. A cosmetology teacher invited a tattoo artist to speak to the students, and during the lecture one kid got permanent eyebrows tatted on. Of course, a classroom is not exactly a sterile, clean environment, so this isn't recommended. The school did not have advance knowledge of the tattoo plans, and my favorite quote is from the spokesperson: "It's not part of the curriculum for that class. That class is focused on hair and nails." Aw yeah. Teasing and spraying is okay, but not ink.