The Interesting news thread

[catalina_francisco]

This is very concerning in many aspects, not least civil liberties:


Rights group criticises 'Asbo TV'

CCTV camera Viewers will have access to footage from 400 CCTV cameras
Civil rights campaigners have voiced concern about a new channel allowing households in east London to monitor local CCTV cameras, dubbed "Asbo TV".

The project will enable Shoreditch residents to compare suspicious characters with an on-screen "rogue's gallery" from their living-room.

Viewers can then alert police to anyone in breach of an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) or committing a crime.

Asbo Concern said the scheme was a "gimmick" and would be open to abuse.

Fear of crime

The CCTV channel is part of a £12m online community network project being set up in the area under a 10-year government-funded regeneration programme in one of the country's most deprived areas.


Here, you will have a situation of people spying on each other
Matt Foot, Asbo Concern

About 1,000 residents in the Haberdasher and Charles Square estates will pilot the scheme from March before it is rolled out to more than 20,000 households across Shoreditch, giving viewers access to some 400 cameras.

They will be asked to pay about £3.50 a week for the full service, which includes cheap local calls, a free set-top box providing digital TV, public service channels and high-speed internet access.

Atul Hatwal, strategy director of the Shoreditch Digital Bridge, said while crime in the area has fallen, the community safety channel will address the fear of crime.

"The scheme aims to empower members of the local community to support police in tackling crime and supporting each other in making Shoreditch a safer place," he said.

But Matt Foot, co-ordinator for Asbo Concern, which campaigns against the misuse of the Asbo, said the channel was "a complete waste of money".

"While the rest of the project sounds quite positive, the community safety channel is a gimmick," he said. "There are professionals trained to monitor CCTV and it should be left to them.

"Here, you will have a situation of people spying on each other, which raises concerns about vigilantism and vulnerable people such as children being bullied on CCTV."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4597990.stm

Catalina

 

[greenmands]

Dominatrix Acquitted in Bondage Death


DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) - A dominatrix was acquitted of manslaughter Monday in the death of a man who prosecutors say suffered a heart attack while strapped to a replica of a medieval rack.

Barbara Asher, a 56-year-old woman who called herself Mistress Lauren M, was also cleared of dismemberment.

Prosecutors said that 53-year-old Michael Lord suffered a heart attack in 2000 during a bondage session in a ``dungeon'' in Asher's condominium and that Asher did nothing to help him for five minutes for fear authorities would find out about her business.

Asher had her boyfriend chop up the body of the 275-pound retired telephone company worker, and they dumped it behind a restaurant in Maine, prosecutors said. His remains have never been found.

Prosecutors said Asher confessed to police, but the alleged confession was not taped, and investigators testified they did not save their notes.

Asher's lawyer, Stephanie Page, said there was nothing to prove Lord was even dead - no body, no blood, no DNA.

During his closing argument to the jury, prosecutor Robert Nelson put on a black leather mask with a zippered mouth opening and re-enacted the bondage session. With both hands, he reached back and clutched the top of a blackboard as if strapped to the rack. Then he hung his head as if dead.

Asher's lawyer objected, and the judge agreed.

``That's enough Mr. Nelson,'' Judge Charles Grabau said. ``Thank you for your demonstration.''

 

[catalina_francisco]

Hmmm, not so much a news story, but still interesting and strangely enough, with a twist of M/s!! Was leafing through my first National Geographic I have seen (or more to the point been able to read due to english versions not easily found here) for yonks, and browsed an interview with Edward O Wilson about his lifetime study of ants. One question was: "Do the ants offer any lessons?" His answer was, "At least not any we would care to put in practice. Ant colonies are all female; males tolerated only part of the year. Slavery and cannabalism are commonplace. There is one lesson we have already learned, however: ants keep themselves fanatically clean so epidemics are rare." LOL, obviously he doesn't share the kink some of us here do.

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

Wow, did anyone else see this?!! Men convicted of conspiracy to rape through internet chats without ever meeting. It is a frightening step if you take it a a precedent to anything you discuss online as fantasy being able to be decided it was a real intention and be sent to prison for it without even doing anything beyond talking online. While the chances are these guys might have actually gone through with their plans (and I know we would not wnat that to have happened), it is frightening to think they can be sent to prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to rape (not the possession of child porn they had) based solely on internet chat transcripts. Even more scary and puzzling is that the one who got the heaviest sentence actually was the one who went to police with all the information (which they were unaware of to that point) saying he was a vigilante interested in catching paedophiles and so had taken part in the discussions to gain the evidence needed.

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

Hmm, this is an interesting concept if you don't look at the safety aspects involved with motorcycles and concentrate on the wider message that women should be allowed to go topless in public. Bare breasted women on bikes have always been a part of the Sydney G & L Mardi Gras, but for me, riding seriously on the open road has to involve protective clothing......never needed to be persuaded, but do know some who have suffered lifelong maiming due to thinking less is cool...not pretty. But bare breasted women in the supermarket could make shopping so much more interesting.

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

For those who do not realise real slavery still exists and thrives in 2007.

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

Now this is definately something I have never heard of before...marrying a corpse!!

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

This is plain wrong IMHO. Home video yanked off YouTube for copyright infringement .

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

Hmm, what can happen when you upset your sex slaves...

Concubines Strike Back

Catalina

 

[@}-}rebecca----]

Hmm, what can happen when you upset your sex slaves...

Concubines Strike Back

Catalina

: chuckles : Think someone better raise the red lantern ?

Cool story thank you Cat

For those that may miss the reference link

 

[catalina_francisco]

: chuckles : Think someone better raise the red lantern ?

Cool story thank you Cat

For those that may miss the reference link

LOL, does show how stupid some men can be when they let their egos and dicks rule their brains.

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

Hmmmm, not sure this works for me...if you can't commit, why get married in the first place? IMHO living together is a much more honest approach if you go into marriage with the idea it may not last...it may not last, but isn't it supposed to be when you make the commitment you intend to do all you can to live up to it authentically, not prepare ahead of time for possible failure? I actually had someone once want to get married but said he could only guarantee 7 years as he usually changed his friends etc., every 7 years...I declined the offer as I saw it as a way to waste 7 years of my life while he stood to benefit quite a lot from thqat sacrifice on my part (not to mention I didn't see a wife/husband as a friend but more so part of family which he didn't change every 7 years...thankfully I wasn't that gullible and starry eyed as to go through with it to make his dreams come true amd mine disintegrate.

Catalina

 

[bholderman]

I got the impression (and I only skimmed it) was a very bitter person trying to alter the country's law to fit her broken life.

 

[catalina_francisco]

Oh boy, doesn't this story just verify what we advice unhappy spouses to do, communicate, comunicate, communicate? How ironic they were complaining to each other instead of the online stranger they believed each other to be, and still decided to meet believing they were in love...lol, and how defeatist and yet all too common their basis for that love lay in the fact they both thought each other to be in an unhappy marriage. What a basis for a new relationship to escape the already failed one.

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

Hmmmm, weird is more like it!!

Catalina

 

[Sir_Winston54]

Hmmmm, weird is more like it!!

Catalina

I'm going to try to not spoil the story, but

"sexual breach of the peace in Ayr Sheriff Court, where depute fiscal Gail Davidson described how he had been found by the hostel workers.

She said: "They knocked on the door several times and there was no reply.

"They used a master key to unlock the door and they then observed the accused"​

How was he breaching the peace if he was behind a locked door???

 

[catalina_francisco]

I'm going to try to not spoil the story, but

"sexual breach of the peace in Ayr Sheriff Court, where depute fiscal Gail Davidson described how he had been found by the hostel workers.

She said: "They knocked on the door several times and there was no reply.

"They used a master key to unlock the door and they then observed the accused"​

How was he breaching the peace if he was behind a locked door???

One can only wonder.

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

This is so freaky. I feel sorry for the guy...wonder what it is and why he has had this reaction.

Catalina

 

[Essene]

This is so freaky. I feel sorry for the guy...wonder what it is and why he has had this reaction.

Catalina

Well I guess part of it said that it's caused by HPV which causes regular old warts, and that they can treat it. I wonder what the long-term affects of the warts will be once they fall off, IE damage to muscles and bones.

 

[catalina_francisco]

Well I guess part of it said that it's caused by HPV which causes regular old warts, and that they can treat it.

Yep, but why is he the only known person affected this way?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2321/2038285476_4d5ef327d4_t.jpg Catalina

 

[Essene]

Yep, but why is he the only known person affected this way?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2321/2038285476_4d5ef327d4_t.jpg Catalina

*Speculating*
Sorry. LOL I was having a difficult time wrapping my brain around this one. All I can think of is some sort of mutation in the virus. It seems incredible that all he needs is some synthetic Vit.A!

Maybe it has something to do with how it was introduced into his system. Other warts you catch (like plantar) are introduced topically to areas like your hands and feet. Right? Maybe having it introduced directly into his blood stream by that cut he got as a teen has something major to do with it.

Maybe a mutation while being introduced into the blood stream...

 

[Yang4yin]

Saudi Arabia defended on Tuesday a controversial verdict sentencing a 19-year-old gang rape victim to six months in jail and 200 lashes.

 

[@}-}rebecca----]

Kind of reeling from the news that Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated. Consideration also for the estimated 20 people that died in close proximity.

SMH News Link

 

[Netzach]

Ugh. Yeah. Reeling, no, surprised no. She knew it was coming I think. Brave woman.

 

[catalina_francisco]

It is sad....

Catalina