Bits and Bites from around the world > Mom invites 487 people to child's 1st birthday

 

California mom accidentally invites

487 people to child’s 1st birthday

By Michelle Butterfield  Global News

Posted April 26, 2024 2:06 pm

 3 min read

There are some mistakes so mortifying and painful, it’s guaranteed you’ll only make them once.

A California mom will likely exercise a lot more caution in the future, after she accidentally invited all 487 contacts saved in her phone to her daughter’s first birthday party.

Emily King, 30, was planning a small get-together at a San Jose park to mark the first year of her daughter’s life, when something went horribly, embarrassingly wrong.

“I just made an Evite for my daughter’s first birthday party and on Evite it says, ‘Import contacts’ and I thought it meant import to select through (the names),” Emily King said in a viral TikTok video, which has amassed tens of millions of views.

“No — it imported all 487 of my contacts and invited them to this birthday party,” continued King, a teacher. “Not only did it invite my boss, all of my coworkers (and) all of the people that have ever been stored in my phone but it sent invitations based (on) how they are stored in my phone.”

King explained that some contacts are saved in her phone under dubious monikers, including “Derek Eye Roll” and “Jess Hit Her Car In Parking Lot.”

“I want you to just take a second and think about everyone stored in your phone and how they’re stored in your phone,” King added. “And then imagine someone receiving an invitation (under that name.)”

“Anyways, I have to quit or get a new identity,” she joked. “I don’t even know.”

King told Today.com that she got a head start on planning her daughter’s birthday because she’s currently pregnant with another baby.

“I was really excited — because I am 20 weeks pregnant, I wanted the day to be all about my daughter,” she said.

Her plan was to send out about 50 invitations, knowing not everyone would attend.

But, instead, she sent out an email blast to almost everyone she’s known in her adult life.

"All the blood drained from my body,” she said of the moment she realized her mistake, telling Today.com that romantic connections from her past, including “Justin Delta Sky Lounge” and “Cute guy from bar,” also received invitations.

She said she had to uninvite some of her colleagues, too, including “New science teacher I think?” and “David parking lot attendant.”

King’s story clearly resonated with people, judging by the more than 24,000 comments on her video where people shared the wonderful and wacky ways they, too, label their contacts.

“I wonder if ‘Blocked & Dead to me’ would make it?” wrote one person.

“I would die if ‘Mark STILL OWES ME $100’ came to my son’s birthday,” joked another.

For her troubles, King said Evite gave her a US$250 gift certificate to DoorDash to help cover the cost of food for the party. Evite also confirmed to Today.com that they’ve added a fix to their platform in response to King’s video.

“Emily’s journey inspired something we call the ‘Emily Hotfix’ that removes the ‘Select All’ function on iOS apps,” a spokesperson said.

“We’re always learning from our users, and hope this update is a help for other users too.”

28 Years for Racist Confederate Couple's Act of Astounding Stupidity

White couple jailed for total of 28 years for storming black child’s eighth birthday party while screaming the N-word and waving confederate flags

Jose Ismael Torres and Kayla Rae Norton yelled racial slurs & threatened to kill partygoers – including the kids

BY YASMIN JEFFERY, The Sun

A YOUNG white couple wept openly as they were handed lengthy prison terms for crashing a black child’s birthday party with confederate flags, racial slurs and armed threats.

Jose Ismael Torres, 26, was slapped with a 13-year sentence, while his partner Kayla Rae Norton, 25, will spend six years behind bars for the hate crime.

Kayla Rae Norton, 25, and her partner Jose Ismael Torres, 26, crashed a child’s birthday party to issue armed threats, wave confederate flags and yell racial slurs racists.

The young white couple wept openly at court as they were sentenced for hate crime at

eight-year-old’s birthday party

Torres, left, was handed a 20-year sentence with 13 years behind bars, while Norton, right,

was given 15 with six to serve in jail

The pair antagonized a family celebrating their son’s eighth birthday party by driving with a caravan of trucks waving confederate flags in Douglasville, Georgia, in 2015.

The couple, who were members of a group called “Respect the Flag”, shouted at adults and children at the party that they would “kill y’all n*****s” while brandishing the flags.

After interrupting the party, they went on to terrorise a nearby Wal-Mart and off licence.

Upon their release from jail, the pair have been barred from Douglas County.

Jose Ismael Torres only cried when members of his family described him as a devoted father in court

racist

Kayla Rae Norton took the stand to apologise for her actions in 2015

Speaking to the court, Judge William McClain said: "Their actions were motivated by racial hatred.”

Torres and Norton were the last of 15 people charged in the confrontation, which took place in July 2015.

The couple were found guilty of yelling racial slurs and threatening to kill partygoers – including the kids.

Prosecutors said Torres even pointed a shotgun at the party.

Douglas County District Attorney Brian Fortner said in a statement: "This is behaviour that even supporters of the confederate battle flag can agree is criminal and shouldn't be allowed.”

You sure about that?

Norton was sentenced on one count of violating Georgia’s street gang act, and one count of making threats of a terrorist nature.

Speaking through her tears, Norton told the court: “I do accept responsibility for what I’ve done.”

Addressing her victims, she added: “What happened to you is absolutely awful."

Might have been more convincing if she had said something like, "What I did to you..." Saying, 'what happened to you' is not taking personal responsibility. It makes it sound like an accident, or something someone else did.

How is the confederate flag a symbol of racism?

While the confederate flag may have started out as a symbol of succession, it was also the brand to display white power. It was first sewn for an army that fought to preserve the legally sanctioned slavery of African Americans in the US. 

Many activists, politicians and citizens want to get rid of it, citing it as a symbol of racism and hate. According to a poll conducted in 2015, around half of all Americans view the flag as a quintessentially racist symbol.

That percentage has probably increased because of these people's idiocy.

“From mother to mother, I cannot imagine having to explain what that word means."

“The worst decision I’ve ever made in my life was to not walk away when I had the chance.”

Norton and Torres have three children together.

Torres only burst into tears when three of his family members described him as a devoted father, hard worker and volunteer in court.

Forgiveness ... partygoer Hyesha Bryant told the court she has forgiven the couple for hate crime

He was sentenced on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of making threats of a terrorist nature, and one of violating the street gang act.

Speaking to the court, partygoer Hyesha Bryant told the couple she forgave them for the hate crime.