Things aren't what they used to be....

Birthday gift lands mum in hot water
ASSOCIATED PRESS in Nashville

A mother faces criminal charges after she hired a stripper to dance at her 16-year-old son's birthday party.

Anette Pharris, 34, and four others were indicted by a grand jury on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and involving a minor in obscene acts.

"It's a bunch of bull," Pharris told The Tennessean newspaper. "I tried to do something special for my son. It didn't harm him."

About 30 people were at Landon Pharris' 16th birthday party in September, about 10 of them under the age of 18.

His mother said a stripper was nothing to get upset about in their Nashville neighbourhood, where prostitution and drug use were common.

A Nashville police spokesman said minors not related to the family also attended the party.

"Minors are not permitted in adult establishments," he said. "A person shouldn't be allowed to circumvent that law by hiring a stripper, a lady who took all her clothes off and spent a good amount of time dancing around minors."

Cassandra Joyce Park, 29, danced for a few hours before "the guys" took up a collection and paid her $150 more to fully disrobe, Pharris said.
From today's SCMP


Whatever happened to a balloon twister or a magician?....