What's in the news?

[RedEve]

I walked to school in primary school. Sometimes alone.

So did I, from second grade upward. Times have changed, but I feel the parents have overdone it in the other direction.
Kids are now hardly allowed to do anything unsupervised.

[RedRose]

I am actually not sure there are more crazies now... We hear more about it, due to social media and international news, but I think the world is much safer at least in some ways.

[TheGlyphstone]

That, and the crazies get crazier because now they can communicate easily with people who share their flavor of crazy, and thus gain reinforcement.

[RedRose]

True, that's a thing.

[Eye of Horus]

Nowadays there are convoys of cars jammed up around the school every morning. Though the dogs are long gone and the streets are much safer, it seems like literally everyone drives their kids all the way up to the school's entrance.

To be fair, that might just be because cars are convenient, rather than because everyone is paranoid.

[midnightblack]

Fair point. Though it probably won't kill the kid to walk a few blocks on his own, and would make it a bit easier on the lungs and time of pedestrians. With parked cars blocking the sidewalks and having the streets around the school jammed with cars ferrying kids there, it can be quite a nuisance to move around it, if you happen to have business at the wrong hours.

[gaggedLouise]

Fair point. Though it probably won't kill the kid to walk a few blocks on his own, and would make it a bit easier on the lungs and time of pedestrians. With parked cars blocking the sidewalks and having the streets around the school jammed with cars ferrying kids there, it can be quite a nuisance to move around it, if you happen to have business at the wrong hours.

Yep, should all urban primary schools really be *expected* to have a 400-strong (or more) parking lot? 

[midnightblack]

That's neither what was I said nor what I implied. <.<

The city where I live is very poorly managed to begin with, so we do have huge issues with insufficient parking lots and the likes. That is very true. The cars covering the sidewalks aren't ferrying the kids to school, they simply belong to the people living there. Now, given that most children attending urban schools live either in reasonable walking distance or a short, simple route with public transport, it would probably be healthier and less stressful for everyone if they simply walked their butts over to them. Worked just fine 20 years ago, and it was arguably better than having everyone running late and being angry because the traffic sucks.

[RedRose]

I have friends abroad whose evening is like, driving kids to extra curriculars, waiting for them, driving them back... It wouldn't work for me at all. My country isn't big on extras, and those who do them wait for the kid to be able to walk or bike there...

[Lustful Bride]

Moments like these almost make me almost envy the Amish and those who reject technology.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russians-posed-as-is-hackers-threatened-us-military-wives/ar-AAwV5fo?ocid=spartandhp&ffid=gz

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-iran-nuclear-deal/index.html

Trump withdraws US from Iran nuclear deal

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/07/melania-trump-plagiarism-row-be-best-campaign

Melania Trump in new plagiarism row over online safety pamphlet

Booklet on children’s online safety for first lady’s ‘Be Best’ campaign seems almost identical to one first published by FTC four years ago

And surprise, again she seems to be stealing away happily. Is anyone surprised?

[Lustful Bride]

I feel oddly insulted by icons and imagery of my religion being turned into fashion statements. But at the same time, no one is really being hurt by it and I guess it is good to see some of the outfits. Meh, I wont bring up a stink about it, no one is getting hurt and no real insult is meant.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/whats-hot/met-gala-2018-jared-leto-channels-jesus-christ/ar-AAwULQ8?ocid=spartandhp&ffid=gz#image=AAwUzlv|3

[gaggedLouise]

I feel oddly insulted by icons and imagery of my religion being turned into fashion statements. But at the same time, no one is really being hurt by it and I guess it is good to see some of the outfits. Meh, I wont bring up a stink about it, no one is getting hurt and no real insult is meant.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/whats-hot/met-gala-2018-jared-leto-channels-jesus-christ/ar-AAwULQ8?ocid=spartandhp&ffid=gz#image=AAwUzlv|3

Mmm, yeah, saw something about that event and "Pope Rihanna the Great" on the news... :)

Makes me think of the Swedish cult hard rock band Ghost. They've consistently used masks and Christian & Satanist symbols, and for a long time made sure that no one knew the identities of the members, beyond their stage names. When the rumour of the real identity of their singer Papa Emeritus (=the Senior/Retired Pope) broke, the guy was promptly and publicly fired and replaced by Papa Emeritus II (who seems to have been the same man with new masks). Last time I heard, the Pope had sued the rest of the band. :)

[Sara Nilsson]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44045842

An Ebola outbreak has been declared in the north-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

There are two confirmed cases of the virus and 17 deaths, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

:( This is so sad, lets hope it doesn't get too bad this time.

[RedRose]

Oh no, not ebola... I have some friends really offended over the religious fashion thing (didn't really get what it was, a show?).

OT:
I can't. Girl calls French 911, gets mocked and dies without a home visit/transportation to hospital.
https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/french-posters-heard-of-this-tragedy.1580981/

[Lustful Bride]

Roman Polanski calls the #Me Too movement hysteria and that he cant stop laughing. Coming from a disgusting pervert I'm not surprised.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/filmmaker-roman-polanski-calls-supernumbermetoo-collective-hysteria/ar-AAx0fUm?ocid=spartandhp&ffid=gz

[Lustful Bride]

Looks like the three US prisoners held in North Korea might be released.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/3-americans-are-released-from-north-korea-trump-says/ar-AAx07go?ocid=spartandhp&ffid=gz

[Sara Nilsson]

Oh no, not ebola... I have some friends really offended over the religious fashion thing (didn't really get what it was, a show?).

OT:
I can't. Girl calls French 911, gets mocked and dies without a home visit/transportation to hospital.
https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/french-posters-heard-of-this-tragedy.1580981/

WTF?! I don't even have words of how you can be so fucking evil as those people. And blaming it on prank calls? Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. I didn't really understand from the article and I don't speak French so I can't do much googling, but are the dispatchers being investigated?

[Flower]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-44037834

Here's another article. It states an investigation is underway and the operator is suspended.

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-44037834

Here's another article. It states an investigation is underway and the operator is suspended.

Thank you :)

[Tolvo]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/pakistan-passes-landmark-transgender-rights-law-180509095207950.html

Pakistan Parliament passes new law allowing transgender citizens to self identify among other improvements to treatment of transgender citizens. Really happy to see, hope it sticks.

[RedRose]

Apparently new songs from deceased singer Rose Laurens will be released (can't find an article in English)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obGrlisJ-zo

[Blythe]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/pakistan-passes-landmark-transgender-rights-law-180509095207950.html

Pakistan Parliament passes new law allowing transgender citizens to self identify among other improvements to treatment of transgender citizens. Really happy to see, hope it sticks.

This makes me incredibly happy. I also hope it sticks. *nodnod*

[WindFish]

In case you think that racism doesn't exist in Canada, here's a perfect example of it. Incidents like these are sadly becoming all too common these days.

Warning - graphic language in the video.

https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/2018/05/09/video-of-woman-telling-group-of-men-theyre-not-canadian-at-an-alberta-dennys-goes-viral.html