In news that has nothing whatsoever to do with the monarchy, British Prime Minister David Cameron is a man with a mission. He plans to rid the internet of "porn filth" to protect the nation's young eyes.
According to an article in the UK Sun, within two years every family will have a choice: opt in or out of online porn. In short, every household can prevent their devices from accessing "extreme porn," i.e., acts that simulate rape. Such pornography is currently illegal in Scotland, but not in England and Wales.
Family man Cameron is intent that internet companies will face news laws forcing them to block such images from the web.
"I have a very clear message for Google, Bing, Yahoo and the rest," said the PM. "You have a duty to act on this—and it is a moral duty. If there are technical obstacles to acting on [search engines], don't just stand by and say nothing can be done; use your great brains to help overcome them."
The crackdown comes following a meeting Cameron held with parents of murdered girls April Jones and Tia Sharp. In the days before they committed their crimes, killers Mark Bridger and Stuart Hazell had accessed indecent images of children and violent adult porn.
In a separate move, Twitter has announced plans to introduce a tagging system that would block such pornographic images from being posted on its site.
It remains to be seen whether 19 million UK households will choose to switch on family-friendly filters... Personally I don't consider banning violent porn (or anything involving animals and children for that matter) as an infringement of freedom but an ethical necessity.
Should we adopt a similar policy on this side of the Atlantic?
Are you doing all you can to keep your kids safe online?
So much for pranks and false alarms. News breaking like a Duchess' waters. Kate is in labour at this very moment, and through forces of sheer abracadabra she and Prince William managed to arrive unescorted and undetected through the hospital's rear entrance.
According to an article in the Daily Mail, the 31-year-old Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital (where both Prince Harry and William were born to the late Lady Diana) at around 5.30am. So far sources say she went into labour naturally and is progressing well.
The royal couple apparently is still none the wiser about the baby's sex, but arrival of the third in line to the throne will be announced via an easel "displayed by the gates of Buckingham Palace."
Royal grandfather Prince Charles is in Yorkshire on a two-day visit. The Queen herself is currently awaiting news at Windsor Castle, but will travel back to Buckingham Palace, where the Changing of the Guard is already pumping up the masses with a rendition of Walking on Sunshine.
Following changes in the law, the baby will be known as Prince or Princess of Cambridge, with the title of HRH (His or Her Royal Highness).
As the future King or Queen of England, he or she will be supreme governor of the Church of England and will head up the armed forces as well as the Commonwealth, which includes 54 nations across the world. Yeah, no pressure, little one. Try to enjoy the royal treatment for as long as you can.
Update: Duchess Kate has just given birth to a baby boy! Congrats to the proud parents. Royal or not, they are embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. Let's hope the new mama has a smoother ride than she did in early pregnancy...
With stories of public breastfeeding shame being so ubiquitous, it's refreshing to hear of a mom actually being congratulated on feeding her baby while out and about. Enter Jackie Johnson-Smith who, in exchange for getting her bits out at an Iowa pizza joint, got a free pizza.
According to an article in the Huffington Post, Johnson-Smith posted the surprise receipt, which has since gone viral:
"I have breastfed [my three children] in countless of places both pleasant and unpleasant, discreetly and out in the open," she wrote on her Facebook page.
"I have gotten many looks and stares, but tonight erases any negativity I have ever received. I ate at Fongs for the first time tonight. Having a fussy baby I nursed him for awhile in the booth and eventually left the table early as to not disrupt the restaurant."
The waitress, Bodi Kinney, took it all in and decided to present a token of appreciation to Johnson-Smith's hubby. She explained her motive: to support other women when it comes to breastfeeding, instead of shaming them into hiding out in vile bathrooms.
Although the mom insists she doesn't need a "pat on the back" when it comes to feeding her babies, this incident made a nice change from the norm.
If only more of us lavished praise instead of heaping on the judgment and overt criticism, the mommy wars might enjoy a ceasefire and who knows, maybe even lasting peace.
Have you ever complimented or confronted a woman you've seen nursing her baby in a public place?
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