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I'm sure we're all heard about it and probably seen some footage of it; people, quite often teens in school uniforms, gang up and assault one person while more than a few people capture it all on their phones. Generation Y- best known for sadism. Blood sports were big in Roman times, but I thought we'd done some evolving since then. You know, become more civilised. Guess not.

Of all the forms of entertainment we have, and all the good things in life, there are still those among us that decide to get their kicks from the suffering of others. The fact that they now document this, presumably to pass around and watch repeatedly, makes me wonder how far civilisation has come.


I don’t actually have any stats on how many such incidents take place, so I don't know how wide-spread it is or how frequently it occurs, but I think it reflects on our lack of upbringing.

People don't just wake up one day and decide that from that moment forward, they'll be thrilled by the suffering of others. This is something that is fostered, encouraged. This is something that is sanctioned and presented as acceptable, and it is from here that Gen Y has gotten the idea that cruelty can equal fun.

Take s:10d:-1:ind:1:ff:8A" target="_blank">this story, for instance. A mother films her daughter and friend assaulting another girl while she instructs her daughter to "Break her nose, break it. Kill her".


My, how far we've come.

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Why is Twitter so hot?

May 8th 2009 09:25
I don't get Twitter- it's like the status bar on myspace... and that's it. I guess social networking sites, they let you put entire profiles up and join groups and so forth, but Twitter is like a leaner version of them, and it's massively popular. Is less really more?

Okay, after giving it a thought for a few seconds I guess it's cool to follow something you like in real time, but not everything- like I don't get tracking concerts on Twitter. Por ejemplo

This song was played, the crowed was awesome.

Gonna wrap it up with the old favourite

That, to me, is no way neeear as awesome as the live experience and would probably make me green with envy because I'd have to imagine what some lucky ticket holders are actually experiencing.

And as for ordinary people, I get updating to say you're out of the country for a few days or that your going to X location if anyone's interested in joining you, but I don't know that too many people will be interested in you having your lunch or being on your way to pick up the dry cleaning.

I don't know, maybe I'm getting old or something, but Twitter just doesn't float my boat.

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Looking for something different to do this weekend? How about you local vintage fashion expo?

The mother of all vintage fashion expos takes place in various parts of California several times a year. And according to it's event calendar, it's the oldest expo of its kind. Oooh, and apparently it's the US's largest as well.

If you happen to be in the Brisbane vicinity during the month of May, you might be interested in Brisbane's Vintage Fashion Fair. For a $10 entry fee, you can gawk at- and possible buy -a variety of items such as buttons, gloves and fashion magazines from anywhere in the last hundred years.

For those of you who live in the Sydney area, and are looking for an excuse to get out of the house this weekend, may I suggest the Vintage Clothing, Textiles and Jewellery Expo? This is a biannual event that brings together over 60 different exhibitors selling merchandise of the vintage variety. Also, there are prizes for best vintage costume, so be sure to dress up!

Finally, if you're a vintage sort of person, but the idea of braving expo crowds is a bit much for you (and you can get to Melbourne) you might want to head to a little boutique called Circa. Circa sells "good quality men's and women's clothing from the Victorian era to the late 1970's" according to its website. Sounds like quite the place to have a rummage through.

Prices for the items are as varied as the items themselves, with virtually the same item being available at just one expo all across the price spectrum. Even if you don't pick up anything, it doesn’t cost anything to look (minus the entry fee), and there where some very pretty items in the fashions of generations gone by.
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In a German study entitled "Generation Barometer 2009" coming out this Wednesday, over 50% of those surveyed say today's youth are rude and should be brought up according to stricter rules.

Returning to good old family values may be desirable, but it is not easily acquirable, apparently


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Do you remember when letters used to start with 'Dear Sir/Madam'? Well it turns out this is too formal for Gen Yers, and we will be addressing you all as 'Hi John/Jane' regardless of your rank or experience. Oh, and expect swearing to become a fixture of regular communication; I've witnessed the word 'cunt' make its way into a formal discussion on a company intranet (not at Orble I should point out). But the point is, manners aren't what they used to be, and they're deteriorating rapidly.

Why are we lacking in politeness? Well it seems that we don't think we are, we seem to be under the impression that the world has relaxed generally and every situation has taken a more casual feel. "how's it goin'" is considered by us to be polite and friendly whenever and wherever it's used, and something along the lines of 'good evening' is viewed as being too stiff and may get you labelled a 'tosser


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Indian women are three times more likely to die in fires than Indian men, a study published in the Lancet medical journal has found. Specifically, 106 000 women died by fire in 2001. The women most at risk are between the ages of 15 and 34, and the reasons for these fires are mainly kitchen accidents, self-immolation (setting oneself of fire), and domestic violence which is often made to look like a kitchen accident, often because of a dispute over a women's dowry. Source.

India Jaising, director of the Women's Rights Initiative of the Lawyers Collective in New Delhi, says when women approach the authorities over dowry disputes, the authorities do not take them seriously. She accuses authorities of only 'paying lip service' to the issue of disguising such murders as kitchen accidents. Source.
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There is an independent film currently playing called The Combination. It is about Lebanese gang violence and it's set during or around the time of the Cronulla Riots. Greater Union cinemas have just banned the film altogether after a wave of violence at screenings of it in Sydney's Parramatta and Liverpool districts.

One incident occurred during a sold out screening at Parramatta's Greater Union cinema when a lady asked a group of men in front of her to stop talking- they responded by punching her in the face


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German news webzine The Local reports that 88% of Germans over 18 speak at least one foreign language, placing them well above the world average of 58% of over 18s speaking at least one foreign language. Predictably, English is the foreign language of choice for 77% of said Germans who are bilingual, with travel and career reasons being cited as the most popular reasons for such learning endeavours. Source.

While Germans have shown a keen interest in the Mother tongue of other nations, it seems most nations do not reciprocate this


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A report out of Canberra says half of all diseases in young people are mental ones. Source. How does this make us fat? Well, what do you do when you feel depressed, anxious or like you have no control over your life? You eat. And do you exercise when you feel so low? Of course not. You don't have the motivation to get out of bed, let alone go out into the crisp morning air and pump your scrummy chicken legs. Therefore, being sick in the head (pardon my crudeness), can weigh you down- literally.

A harsh reality, too harsh perhaps. And when things get to hard to handle how does the mind protect itself? Why it blanks out the cause of the pain, naturally


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The terrorists are among us

February 16th 2009 13:11
When we think of terrorists, we generally think of them as being born and bred in another country- certainly not living among their intended victims and most definitely not being born in a nation they despise. This however, is no longer the case.

Jamal Zougam was one of the men who allegedly planted 10 bombs on Madrid trains on March 11, 2004. He immigrated to Spain from Morocco as a boy and seemed well integrated into Spanish culture. He spoke the language, had a social life and contributed to the economy. We may not think this is the profile of a terrorist, but a groundbreaking study into terror cells by the New York Police Department says he is a prime candidate. Link
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