Important news of the day thread

[foreversnow 5]

Wow that looks really really bad. You listen to it on the news and feel for those people but once you actually see footage it really brings it home how devastating it was over there.

[pie-eater 207]

Originally Posted By: BagOfCrisps

A utopian planet inhabited by blue aliens is the ideal setting for a bit of cinematic escapism.
But the world of the sci-fi epic Avatar is so perfect the line between fact and fiction has become somewhat blurred.
Movie-goers have admitted being plagued by depression and suicidal thoughts at not being able to visit the planet Pandora.
Set in the future when Earth's resources have been depleted, director James Cameron's film tells the story of a corporation trying to mine a rare mineral.
The humans clash with the natives - a peace-loving race of 7ft tall, blue-skinned creatures called the Na'vi, who exist in perfect harmony with nature.
Fans have flooded the internet with their confused feelings. On the site Avatar Forums, the topic 'Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible' has more than 1,000 posts.
In a similar forum, one user wrote: 'When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed grey. It just seems so meaningless.
'I still don't really see any reason to keep doing things at all. I live in a dying world.'

Bloody. hell.

[thursday 1]

no, really, that is calamitous

[JA2340 16]

There's a lot of them shakeys about around Haiti recently. Take a look at the USGS maps here.

[thursday 1]

Quote:

Weight Watchers clinic floor collapses under dieters



The floor of a Weight Watchers clinic in Sweden collapsed beneath a group of 20 members of the weight loss programme who were gathered for a meeting.

As the dieters queued to see how many pounds they had shed, the floor beneath them in the clinic in Växjö, in south-central Sweden, began to rumble, according to a report in The Local, Sweden's English-language newspaper.

"We suddenly heard a huge thud; we almost thought it was an earthquake and everything flew up in the air.

"The floor collapsed in one corner of the room and along the walls," one Weight Watchers participant told the Smålandsposten newspaper.

Soon, the fault lines spread around the room, and other sections of the floor gave way.

Luckily, all of the dieters escaped uninjured and managed to move the scales to the corridor, which was not damaged in the accident, and were able to complete their weekly weigh in.

The cause of the floor's collapse remains under investigation.

[klingon 10]

[grungy-gonads 54]

What on earht is this doing on the 2nd page.

 

I'll have to find some important news.

[grungy-gonads 54]

Here we go, this is important

 

Quote:

FORGET fluffing your lines - the latest Hollywood craze is to fluff your legs!

 

Precious star Mo'Nique flashed hairy pins any fella would be proud of at the Golden Globes this week.

 

And her fuzz faux-pas is not a one-off - she flaunted the same spidery legs at the NAACP Image Awards last year.

 

But she's not the only Hairy-wood star to decide wax doesn't work.

 

From Cheryl Cole to Drew Barrymore, it's better depilate than never for the other celeb members of the Fuzzy Index.

 

Click on the images above for more of our fave A-list razor dodgers.

 

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2816914/Hollywoods-hairiest-women.html

 

(photos too complete with extrem close-ups of underarms, mouths and bellybuttons.)

 

 

[thursday 1]

that's too much.

[foreversnow 5]

That is totally DISGUSTING EEWWWWW!!! What the hell are they thinking.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Those girls need to discover IPL!

[indosnm 0]

Sad news, feel so bad for the kids who saw it all.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Yeah..it sure is.

Quote:

A 44-year-old woman and her 42-year-old husband from Camden in Sydney's south west died while swimming near a caravan park at South Ballina Beach at about 7:00pm (AEDT). Police are investigating reports that the children - who saw their parents drown - were caught in the same rip just moments before. Their three children, aged 17, 14 and nine are now in the care of relatives.

[JA2340 16]

Far, far more important than who does/doesn't wax their legs, armpits etc!

 

What's the problem with people who cannot accept that the hair is there for a reason (and it ain't to make money for the depilatory industry!). [/rant]

 

As for the kids, the reports I heard were to the effect thatthe kids were caught in the rip, managed to scramble to safety, but not before mum went in to save them and got caught in the same rip. Dad then went in to save his missus. The kids watched, called emergency, but the parents were unable to be saved.

 

Truly sad, and the kids will live with that sight forever!

[HelperElfMissy 42]

...and the eldest daughter (I was initially thinking WOW big responsibility on the 17 yr olds shoulders) is apparently Autistic. That is going to be so so so hard for them to adjust to whatever the new normal is going to be.

 

 

But JA ... the hair might serve some important evolutionary purpose when we are running around in a cave naked - but it is redundant in current times. Nothing wrong with a bit of depilation.

[Jynxx 4]

This getting caught in a rip and drowning - very tragic because if you can swim, you can go with the rip and swim back in somewhere, even if it takes you out quite a bit ... Don't fight the rip. It's like one of the basic Aussie beach knowledge. If you aren't a strong swimmer, by that I mean you can't swim for 20 min , swim in between the flags and don't go in where there's no lifesavers. How difficult is it to understand that. They are teachers themselves!?

So sad and senseless.

[grungy-gonads 54]

Quote:

"I'm a very inventive lover"

The secret of JOHN MAYER'S success with A-list lovelies is his "inventiveness" between the sheets.

And that claim comes hot from the mouth of the cocky rocker himself.

The singer believes his sexual superpowers are what attracted the likes of JENNIFER ANISTON, CAMERON DIAZ and JESSICA SIMPSON to him.

John bragged: "I have great balance and co-ordination.

"Inventiveness. I am a very inventive lover - that's the secret to my success."

Right. Cheers mate.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Originally Posted By: Jynxx

This getting caught in a rip and drowning - very tragic because if you can swim, you can go with the rip and swim back in somewhere, even if it takes you out quite a bit ... Don't fight the rip. It's like one of the basic Aussie beach knowledge. If you aren't a strong swimmer, by that I mean you can't swim for 20 min , swim in between the flags and don't go in where there's no lifesavers. How difficult is it to understand that. They are teachers themselves!?
So sad and senseless.

I got the idea they were country folk Jynxx, having their holiday of a lifetime to the coast. I can imagine what went through that mothers mind...if MY CHILD was struggling in the water I would be in there in a heartbeat. No hesitation. Fortunately for me I am an experienced lifesaver, so my responses would have been automatic and correct for the conditions. Hers would have been automatic and inspired by panic. Very sad.

[indosnm 0]

This has shocked our little community here, I guess it's the kids welfare & how they will survive that everyone is worried about.

Unfortunately, it is always the tourists, both from OZ (country areas) & abroad. They just don't understand the powerful beasts that the rips are.

 

Another father drowned between Xmas & New year whilst swimming with his son at the beach on the opposite side of the river after getting caught in the rip.

 

Now people are calling for more patrols, but the fact is that it occurred outside of patrol hours anyway.

[JA2340 16]

Originally Posted By: Mamabear

I got the idea they were country folk Jynxx, having their holiday of a lifetime to the coast.

Your earlier quote, MB says

Quote:

...from Camden in Sydney's south west

Camden's not the central city, but it isn't hicksville either! But jynxxx has it right, many people from away from the coast have no idea about the strength of rips, nor of the right way to avoid them. Like you MB, I would be there in a heartbeat, and also, with lifesaving experience, would know what to do.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Wouldn't have the first clue where Camden is (thanks for the clarification) but the pictures of their property with flowers on the gate looked pretty close to rural to me (bear in mind I live 10 or 15 minutes drive from the Perth CBD, so anything with a water tank, RMB or sheep is rural to me ).

 

I think what is so tragic about THIS event is that the children lost BOTH their parents at once. Often it is one parent drowns trying to save the kids - and while that is utterly devastating for the family I think for 3 kids to be instantly orphaned (and to watch it happen) is just beyond comprehension.

 

My heart goes out to them.

[Jynxx 4]

At least they are a little older is a consolation. But yeah... very very hard.

 

Camden is a very rich area, lots of millionaires, horses ....

What I do know about country areas is that since the 80's people have swimming pools in their backyard and therefore to prevent drowning accidents the RLS (Royal LifeSaving) does courses in swimming and such.

They do a good job, similar to SLSA on the coastal areas. My take is most Aussies can swim or otherwise they won't be in the water in the first place and unlike tourist they know about the rip.

 

Even if you had the Bronze cert. it's a tough call when you have 3 kids being pulled out by the rip, where's that floating aid? Can I get them all? Swimming out pulling the kids in panic ...

[foreversnow 5]

Way to much saddness on the news at the moment. I was so devastated for those children, that would have been their worst nightmare coming to life right in front of them.

 

Then you have all the tragic lives lost in Haiti with more aftershocks.

 

And then today that poor little baby koala that was shot with a slug gun died, his mum is doing okay. I will like to hang those bastards up by their testicles.

 

I am not watching the news anymore until it only has happy things to report. We have donated to the Haiti appeal and to those children.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

hmmm...just got back from a family birthday and discovered that my Mum and my brother (and his wife) have made inquiries about Foster Care - Mum was spurred on by the Haitian Orphans....maybe time for a new thread...

[thursday 1]

My my, some people don't deserve kids.

 

Quote:

A ''sadistic'' mother who met royalty and a host of celebrities after pretending her healthy son was severely ill has been jailed.

 

Lisa Hayden-Johnson ''revelled'' in the national attention she achieved by claiming her young son was sick - including meetings with the Duchess of Cornwall and with former prime minister Tony Blair.

 

A court heard that she subjected her son to ''24 hour-a-day torture'' by pretending he was ill to gain publicity and financial rewards.

 

The mother of two, from Brixham, Devon, amassed cash donations and charity gifts, including two cruises, and successfully lobbied for her son to receive a Child of Courage Award.

 

The 35-year-old was sentenced to three years and three months in prison at Exeter Crown Court today after previously admitting charges of child cruelty and perverting the course of justice.

 

Opening the case, prosecutor Andrew Macfarlane said the cruelty she subjected her child to was ''lengthy and enduring''.

 

He said: ''The defendant organised, orchestrated and ensured a regime of medical, physiological and psychological mistreatment amounting to 24 hour-a-day torture that touched on every aspect of his young vulnerable life.

 

''As a result of her sadistic fabrication of non-existent symptoms, the defendant achieved much publicity and national attention, including an encounter with royalty and the then prime minister.''

 

Mr Macfarlane said Hayden-Johnson frequently described her son ''as the most ill child in Britain''.

 

The boy was taken into care in October 2007, the court heard.

 

Hayden-Johnson subjected him to a total of 325 medical encounters, Mr Macfarlane said. Hayden-Johnson claimed her son suffered from a long list of illnesses including diabetes, food allergies, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis and dysphagia.

 

Mr Macfarlane said the boy ''never suffered from any of these disorders or handicaps and the symptoms reported by the defendant were fictitious, either invented by her or created by her''.

 

The child was consequently subjected to a series of ''physical intrusions and interventions'' during his medical treatment.

 

These included blood tests, intravenous treatments and a gastrostomy, and he was fed through a tube and confined to a wheelchair.

 

Mr Macfarlane said his medical treatment meant he was ''socially stigmatised''.

 

In the boy's room, police discovered a hospital bed, a feed pump, oxygen mask and medical supplies.

 

Mr Macfarlane said the defendant ''revelled in the publicity she was able to generate by using (her son)''.

 

He said ''the pinnacle of the defendant's achievements'' came in 2005 when she successfully and ''vigorously lobbied'' for her son to receive a Child of Courage Award.

 

Photographs were submitted to the court showing the defendant and her son meeting Tony and Cherie Blair, actress June Whitfield, Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen, Simon Cowell, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the casts of Casualty and EastEnders.

 

She also secured free tickets for The X Factor after contacting Simon Cowell.

 

Mr Macfarlane said the boy ''was convinced that he was chronically and seriously ill''.

 

He added: ''The effect of all this on his long-term psyche is unclear.''