News Stories

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

SUPER RATS!

We're all gonna die! Aieeeeeeeeeee!

Can we panic already?

Newsflash: Rat traps sold out. Retailers short on rat poison. People flood the hospitals to check themselves for the bubonic plague.

Dude, it's something already known, esp in London for a long while. -.-
There is an issue with the rat population in the drains below and more than often they pop out to feed off rubbish left from drunkards on weekend nights in the city.
(Is gonna be prejudiced and say that central [EC postcode]/East London has it bad) >.>

They are also mf huge and fast too. O.o
But no surprise they're building up resistance.
Simply means we've been trying to deal with them for ages and since they breed like rabbits more often than not, so in time seeing as they're already used to the dirt, their bodies will develop some kinda resistance...
No one's really throwing panic about, it just feels more like an update, but your post doesn't help much sarcasm or not....
(then again TRL, the big ass rat picture didn't help either, horrid thing to look at first thing in the morning)

In this case, the pest lot want the UK to use two chemicals to fight this, however we're the only country in Europe who doesn't have them cause it damages other wildlife.
So it'll be brought to the table and consideration is gonna be needed to see if they can find some kinda balance without causing too much harm to other living creatures or even us. (If they dispense this stuff in water below that is...)

[WanderingKnight]

No one's really throwing panic about, it just feels more like an update, but your post doesn't help much sarcasm or not....

I was just kidding about the part of not having to worry about swine flu anymore. Of course I wasn't making fun of people who actually have to deal with rats.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by Mystique

No one's really throwing panic about, it just feels more like an update, but your post doesn't help much sarcasm or not....

Indeed, but that's what the media does.

Originally Posted by Mystique

(then again TRL, the big ass rat picture didn't help either, horrid thing to look at first thing in the morning)

Aww...I actually find it quite cute. Rats are like bigger versions of mice, which I also find cute. If they're kept clean, rats could even be fairly good pets, it seems. Anyways, since balance is apparently required, I present:

New project to save Scottish wildcats


(Photo: Ryan Ladbrook)

Edinburg (May 4): A new project is being launched with the aim of giving the endangered Scottish wildcat greater protection.

The Cairngorms Wildcat Project, which will be launched by Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham, has the backing of various agencies. It was launched at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig, which has captive wildcats.

Separately, the Scottish Wildcat Association led by Mr Steve Piper has achieved charitable status.

Mr Piper described previous government agency attempts to survey and protect the wildcat as "half-hearted". He said the animal was a unique predator that had been resident in Britain for at least two million years, sharing space with everything from woolly mammoths to cave lions and surviving entire ice ages.

But he said more recently it had "fallen foul" of persecution, urban development and, increasingly, hybridisation with domestic feral cats. The film-maker appealed to farmers and owners of shooting estates to help protect the species.

About 400 purebred wildcats are thought to be left, with their survival threatened by cross-breeding with domestic cats. The project involves raising awareness, neutering feral domestic cats and "wildcat-friendly" predator control.

Scottish wildcats can be very difficult to tell apart from domestic and feral cats. Larger than pet cats, they have grey-brown striped fur and a short bushy tail. They are shy and mostly nocturnal and prey on small mammals. A female can have up to eight kittens in her den.

Wildcats were once widespread throughout Britain, but by the 19th Century were thought to be extinct.

- BBC NEWS

[aohige]

Originally Posted by Mystique

Dude, it's something already known, esp in London for a long while. -.-
There is an issue with the rat population in the drains below and more than often they pop out to feed off rubbish left from drunkards on weekend nights in the city.
(Is gonna be prejudiced and say that central [EC postcode]/East London has it bad) >.>

They are also mf huge and fast too. O.o
But no surprise they're building up resistance.
Simply means we've been trying to deal with them for ages and since they breed like rabbits more often than not, so in time seeing as they're already used to the dirt, their bodies will develop some kinda resistance...
No one's really throwing panic about, it just feels more like an update, but your post doesn't help much sarcasm or not....
(then again TRL, the big ass rat picture didn't help either, horrid thing to look at first thing in the morning)

In this case, the pest lot want the UK to use two chemicals to fight this, however we're the only country in Europe who doesn't have them cause it damages other wildlife.
So it'll be brought to the table and consideration is gonna be needed to see if they can find some kinda balance without causing too much harm to other living creatures or even us. (If they dispense this stuff in water below that is...)

Now, excuse my ignorance on the topic, but I have a question.
It seems to me that London has always been portrayed with stereotype of having sewer rats everywhere. Like, every other cartoon that shows London shows sewer rats.

US, Japan, other EU countries, and many many other nations have sewers and sewer rats also. But then, why is it that London seems to be target of this stereotype more so than others? Are there any truth to the stereotype, or is there actually something unique to London that causes rat population problems? Or is there no such stereotype, it's just in my head?

Enlighten me on this issue.

[james0246]

^I imagine it has something to do with Charles Dicken's and other Victorian Writers writing about rats stealing food from poor children during the industrial revolution...then again, it could also be a carry-over stereotype from the time of the Black Plague (I have forgotten by now, but weren't rats thrown into closed off villages in order to spread the plague?).

[Claies]

Originally Posted by aohige

Now, excuse my ignorance on the topic, but I have a question.
It seems to me that London has always been portrayed with stereotype of having sewer rats everywhere. Like, every other cartoon that shows London shows sewer rats.

US, Japan, other EU countries, and many many other nations have sewers and sewer rats also. But then, why is it that London seems to be target of this stereotype more so than others? Are there any truth to the stereotype, or is there actually something unique to London that causes rat population problems? Or is there no such stereotype, it's just in my head?

Enlighten me on this issue.

You're going to have to tell me a few examples of this perceived stereotype, for I don't really remember them.

If there is any such thing, I feel like the Black Death had to do with it, but that seems farfetched in modern discourse.

EDIT: Dude above beat me to it. Yeah, the industrial revolution isn't the cleanest thing either, though this reason should have carried over to the United States, right?

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by aohige

Now, excuse my ignorance on the topic, but I have a question.
It seems to me that London has always been portrayed with stereotype of having sewer rats everywhere. Like, every other cartoon that shows London shows sewer rats.

US, Japan, other EU countries, and many many other nations have sewers and sewer rats also. But then, why is it that London seems to be target of this stereotype more so than others? Are there any truth to the stereotype, or is there actually something unique to London that causes rat population problems? Or is there no such stereotype, it's just in my head?

Enlighten me on this issue.

As some people already mentioned, it's a stereotype from back in the middle ages sadly x.x
1666 = Great Fire of London.
That fire wiped out a good deal of the city and old architectural buildings but it also killed the Black plague that stalked the city (Great Plague of London) for centuries.
This was mainly spread by the rats in the city (also known to be the source of spreading it across Europe too apparently) and so they never quite left. xD

Then fast forward to Victorian era where some of the famous literary writers penned tales.
As a backdrop for poverty in London, many kids and families lived in cellar like homes beneath shops or next to shops or above.
Sewage hadn't quite been considered as a top priority so the streets (slums to be honest) were filthy, people threw rubbish outside of their windows, kids played in the streets regardless, so the city has that general ambience of dirt, poverty, grime and death that hasn't quite left the image of London.
What with the London Tower, (where they used to behead criminals), the London Dungeon (If u get a chance to visit that place, do so, its fun ^^), and a few other famous places that still exist, it still kinda carries that ambience to the present day. A lot of the terraced homes that people live in today are over 60 years old, there's still parts of London that you pass by and you can step back a few hundred years in time.
(rats and all) >.>

You know the song "ring-a-ring-a-roses"?
We learnt that at school, sing and dance to it in the playgrounds without realising what it was typically associated to.

Many have associated the poem with the Great Plague of London in 1665, or with earlier outbreaks of bubonic plague in England. Interpreters of the rhyme before World War II make no mention of this;[15] by 1951, however, it seems to have become well established as an explanation for the form of the rhyme that had become standard in Britain.

So it's part of a 700 year old stereotype I guess.
Also what London or UK has, is a very very bloody history in the last thousand years, so it's a country that holds onto the past as an "attraction" for tourists as you can see from the London dungeon link above.

London still has this image of being 'dirty' as a city which I won't contest to, but other cities to me I've noted aren't much "cleaner" - at least not within really crowded areas.
It's more the mentality of the natives in other countries are "cleaner" and much more respectful to the environment than Brits in my opinion anyways.

If you want more info or I didn't quite answer everything that you're pondering about, bug me and I'll continue to your profile wall but that should kinda be enough there, hopefully. ^^

PS: If you check out the dunegon link, pay attention to the top and tell me what skitters across the page?
(that reminds me, i need to check out 'sweeny todd' movie someday...)

[KimmyChan]

This is terrible, just terrible:

Many die in Turkey wedding attack -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8032970.stm

[MrTerrorist]

I read an article about America's most hated family, The Phelps family of the Westboro Baptist Church. It's rather interesting about their family life... when it's involving picketing American Soldiers funerals.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6507971.stm

[KimmyChan]

EU ban looms over seal products -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8033498.stm

[Claies]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

I read an article about America's most hated family, The Phelps family of the Westboro Baptist Church. It's rather interesting about their family life... when it's involving picketing American Soldiers funerals.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6507971.stm

Feel free to follow up with this:
http://atheistnexus.org/page/nate-phelps-2009-aa-speech

4 members of the family have successfully escaped Fred Phelps' abuse and now live estranged outside. Nate Phelps made this really good speech to a conference about his life, especially after his escape.

[Vexx]

For a slight change of pace and a bit of sad nostalgia, Dom DeLuise has passed away. You might not know his name until you see all of his acting credits and who he acted with.
Another of my childhood faves checks out

Here's a nice writeup of his career:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/0..._n_196793.html

[TinyRedLeaf]

Ack. The timing is almost too incredible to be true... I had just finished catching up with The Secret of Nimh on YouTube (he played Jeremy the crow) — and now he's dead?!

Rest in peace. *sniff*

[Shadow Kira01]

Prof: Right to collective self-defense valid

Too bad he isn't my professor, our views are exactly the same.

It wouldn't make any sense for Japan to train the SDF to protect the country, yet at the same time. They aren't allowed to protect vessels from Somalian sea pirates. Although it is obvious that the pirates are the authorities and soldiers of Somalia themselves but that particular country has adopted a clear stance in the world that their government have no ties with the pirates and are also in need of global support to attack sea piracy which means that the right to collective self-defense by the SDF is perfectly justified.

Even if the Somalian authorities and soldiers are the pirates, it doesn't matter because their government has officially denied it and it is also a fact that there isn't a country whose government plans on associating themselves with these problematic bunch in the sea. In other words, if the SDF attack these sea pirates, it would not be an act against foreign nations.

[TooPurePureBoy]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...sm-dictionary/

Good to know that it's now considered domestic extremism to be against abortion....

Wasn't this supposed to be the administration that would unify the country?

Some of the people on this list that are labeled as noteworthy adversaries of domestic safety may be wack-jobs ...but until they commit an actual crime then they should not be labeled as dangers to society. Some of the people on the list though are people that should be watched I admit. But most of them are just criminal, they are not domestic terrorists!

"They are highly critical of the U.S. government's response to illegal immigration and oppose government programs that are designed to extend 'rights' to illegal aliens, such as issuing driver's licenses or national identification cards and providing in-state tuition, medical benefits, or public education."

Look, I don't have all the answers with the illegal immigration debate, in fact I don't have any answers, but that is just wrong. How can you label people that are concerned with upholding the law as domestic threats to the U.S. that just doesn't make sense.

I honestly think that some of these groups are being labeled domestic threats simply because their ideologies don't align with the current administration. I've always been a firm proponent of "Occam's Razor Rule" but I can't help but feel a little worried by these actions. Am I over reacting ....probably, I just hope it's not a prelude to further actions to stifle ideological debate.

[vedicardi]

"This Administration" has only been there for barely over 100 days. Give it all time.

If you are an extremest against abortion, you just have to look back at the last few years to see why you would be labeled as a potential terrorist (clinic bombings is the main issue here obviously).

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by TooPurePureBoy

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...sm-dictionary/

Good to know that it's now considered domestic extremism to be against abortion....

Wasn't this supposed to be the administration that would unify the country?

Some of the people on this list that are labeled as noteworthy adversaries of domestic safety may be wack-jobs ...but until they commit an actual crime then they should not be labeled as dangers to society. Some of the people on the list though are people that should be watched I admit. But most of them are just criminal, they are not domestic terrorists!



Look, I don't have all the answers with the illegal immigration debate, in fact I don't have any answers, but that is just wrong. How can you label people that are concerned with upholding the law as domestic threats to the U.S. that just doesn't make sense.

I honestly think that some of these groups are being labeled domestic threats simply because their ideologies don't align with the current administration. I've always been a firm proponent of "Occam's Razor Rule" but I can't help but feel a little worried by these actions. Am I over reacting ....probably, I just hope it's not a prelude to further actions to stifle ideological debate.

So a government agency that gets paid to be paranoid is being paranoid? At least they're being open about it though. I'd be surprised to hear that the same types of reports weren't issued under the Bushy adminstration. Just more evidence the Department of Homeland Security is an Orwellian nightmare waiting to happen. It was bad under Bushy and it's no better under Obama, even if it does seem slightly more open.

[Nosauz]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

Ack. The timing is almost too incredible to be true... I had just finished catching up with The Secret of Nimh on YouTube (he played Jeremy the crow) — and now he's dead?!

Rest in peace. *sniff*

Shit the Secret of Nimh was awesome... they need to make animated movies like this more... another piece of my childhood seems to fall by the way side, Rest in piece you fine thespian.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Kamui4356

So a government agency that gets paid to be paranoid is being paranoid? At least they're being open about it though. I'd be surprised to hear that the same types of reports weren't issued under the Bushy adminstration. Just more evidence the Department of Homeland Security is an Orwellian nightmare waiting to happen. It was bad under Bushy and it's no better under Obama, even if it does seem slightly more open.

When you think about it that way, it does seem rather extraordinary. A government agency actually doing what it's paid to do.

In semi-related news, a guy here was held in a police station for receiving a stupid email, asking if he knew a way to derail a train. (So was the sender of the email, but I feel somewhat less sorry for him.)

[TooPurePureBoy]

So a government agency that gets paid to be paranoid is being paranoid? At least they're being open about it though. I'd be surprised to hear that the same types of reports weren't issued under the Bushy adminstration. Just more evidence the Department of Homeland Security is an Orwellian nightmare waiting to happen. It was bad under Bushy and it's no better under Obama, even if it does seem slightly more open.

Ya but it's not just an issue of being paranoid. Janet Napolitano had recently scent out memo's to law enforcement all around the country telling them to be more aware of certain ideological groups, labeling them as domestic threats. Some of the people she mentioned as being noteworthy were, people protesting taxes, and veterans returning from Iraq. That's not just something they talked about in the offices, they actually told police chiefs around the country that these people needed to be watched. At least that's the impression I got. Now they are sending out a lexicon for what groups to watch out for, euphemisms all used to simply cover a wide range of people that fall under the same label, people with strong opinions that whatever current administration arbitrarily disagree with. I don't think that's a good thing.