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S. Koreans Are Shaken by a Celebrity Suicide
Actress Choi Jin Sil was found dead at her home in Seoul on Oct. 2
She was more than South Korea's Julia Roberts or Angelina Jolie. For nearly 20 years, Choi Jin Sil was the country's cinematic sweetheart and as close to being a "national" actress as possible. But since her body was found on Oct. 2, an apparent suicide, she has become a symbol of the difficulties women face in this deeply conservative yet technologically savvy society. Incessant online gossip appears to have been largely to blame for her death. But it's also clear that public life as a single, working, divorced mom — still a pariah status in South Korea — was one role she had a lot of trouble with.
Dubbed the "nation's actress," Choi starred in some 16 movies and more than a dozen TV soap operas throughout the 1990s. But her career took a hit in 2002, when the public learned of her troubled marriage and subsequent divorce from Cho Sung Min, who plays baseball for the big leagues across the sea in Japan. After her divorce in 2004, the mother of two became anathema to producers and broadcasters who, according to industry observers, were and still are reluctant to put single mothers in starring or prominent roles. After four years of struggling, Choi's career had begun to pick up when her body was found in her bathroom in southern Seoul. She apparently hanged herself with a rope made of medical bandages. (Hanging is the most common form of suicide in South Korea, where gun ownership is illegal.) Her suicide has gripped the nation, dominating headlines as authorities, relatives and even the government try to determine what went wrong. Actress Choi Jin Sil was found dead at her home in Seoul on Oct. 2 ... more -
Space Rock to Hit Earth Tomorrow!!!!
Fortunately, it is so small it's not expected to cause any damage, burning up in the atmosphere somewhere above northern Sudan.
But Still! Fortunately, it is so small it's not expected to cause any damage, burning up in the atmosphere somewhere above northern Sudan. ... more -
Biden's Mother-in-law Dies
Joe Biden's spokesman said the Delaware senator would be canceling campaign events Monday and Tuesday in the wake of his mother-in-law's death Sunday.
"Other details will follow, but we appreciate everyone's respect for the family's privacy during this difficult time," wrote Biden spokesman David Wade.
Bonnie Jacobs, Jill Biden's mother, had been sick for a long time and was living in a hospice.
Wade announced Saturday that Sunday and Monday's events were canceled after doctors told the family to stay close by. He said the family is now together at home in Wilmington.
The death comes the same day Biden's son Beau deploys with his National Guard unit to a mobilization station in Texas before a tour in Iraq. Joe Biden's spokesman said the Delaware senator would be canceling campaign events Monday and Tuesday in the wake of his mother-i... more -
Fewer black funeral banners blanket Baghdad
This is the way almost all Iraqi families announce the deaths of relatives. When a loved one dies, hanging the banners is the first order of business.
If it was a violent death, as many here are, a banner is hung at the scene of the attack. Another is nailed up at the victim's house, another along the main road into his neighborhood and perhaps another at his mosque.
They are always made from black cloth, and the names of the dead are always painted in yellow. The other details — a list of relatives left behind and the place and dates of the funeral — are usually painted in white. Most banners are around four feet long and three feet wide.
It is a custom that existed here long before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, but over the last five and a half years, the banners have taken on new meaning. They are an informal measure of security, a way for residents to gauge whether their neighborhood is becoming more or less dangerous.
Between 2005 and 2007, at the height of violence, the banners blanketed Baghdad. They still hang on buildings and blast walls across the capital, but in far fewer numbers.
"There was a time when you could see one almost everywhere you looked," said Mohammed Hussein Abbas, a high school teacher from Baghdad. "The banners were everywhere."
About 350 Iraqi civilians were killed in violence across Iraq last month, half as many as a year ago.
"The walls of the hotel on the corner there used to be covered," said Abbas, pointing. "Of course people are still being killed, but not as many."
As soon as a family receives news of a death, one or two relatives are usually asked to handle the funeral banners, often cousins, nephews or uncles of the deceased.
Most banners are hand-painted by professional sign makers. Each one typically costs about $4; families who bring their own cloth are charged a dollar less.
Banners can be painted and dried while mourners wait, usually in less than half an hour.
"Even though my business has gone down, I am happy," said Ali Kasim Hashim, who earns his living painting funeral banners in a small Baghdad shop he shares with his father, a portrait artist. "Security is the most important thing for Iraq, so I don't mind having fewer customers." This is the way almost all Iraqi families announce the deaths of relatives. When a loved one dies, hanging the banners is the first or... more -
When are we dead?
When do you get to harvest someone else's organs?
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Pick up a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, and you'll see the far edge of this tortured world. In the journal, doctors at Children's Hospital in Denver describe how they removed hearts from infants 75 seconds after they stopped. The infants were declared dead of heart failure, even as their hearts, in new bodies, resumed ticking.
Is this wrong? We like to think that moral lines are fixed and clear: My heart is mine, not yours, and you can't have it till I'm dead. But in medicine, lines move. "Dead" means irreversibly stopped, and stoppages are increasingly reversible. And when life support ends, says one bioethicist, "not using viable organs wastes precious life-saving resources" and "costs the lives of other babies." Failure to take body parts looks like lethal negligence.
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How can we get more organs? By redefining death. First we coined "brain death," which let us take organs from people on ventilators. Then we proposed organ retrieval even if non-conscious brain functions persisted. Now we have "donation after cardiac death," the rule applied in Denver, which permits harvesting based on heart, rather than brain, stoppage.
But stoppage is complicated. There's no "moment" of death. Some transplant surgeons wait five minutes after the last heartbeat; others wait two. The Denver team waited 75 seconds, reasoning that no heart is known to have self-restarted after 60 seconds. Why push the envelope? Because every second counts. Mark Boucek, the doctor who led the Denver team, says that waiting even 75 seconds makes organs less useful.
So how can death be declared based on irreversible heart stoppage when the plan is to restart that heart in a new body? Boucek offers two answers. First, even if the heart resumes pumping in a new body, it couldn't have done so in the old one. (That used to be true, but today, hearts can be restarted by external stimulation well after two or even five minutes.) Second, Boucek says the heart is dead because the baby's parents have decided not to permit resuscitation. In other words, each family decides when its loved one is dead. In a commentary attached to the Denver report, another ethicist proposes extending this idea -- letting each family decide not just whether to resuscitate but also at what point organs can be harvested. Brain death? Cardiac death? Persistent vegetative state? Death is whatever you say it is.
Modern medicine has brought us tremendous power. Boundaries such as death, heart stoppage and ownership of organs have guided our moral thinking because they seemed fixed in nature. Now we've unmoored them.
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you can read more... When do you get to harvest someone else's organs? *********************************************** ... more -
Cheerleaders are risking serious injury and death to support their teams
New research shows that cheerleaders, who once dazzled with their smiles and sequins, are at greater risk of serious injury than American football players.
Instead of just cheering on their team, cheerleaders are now encouraged to compete in high-stress competitions, where dangerous throws and tumbles reminiscent of gymnastics are the norm.
Because the pastime is not regulated like a sport, accidents are common and cheerleaders are swapping their pom poms for crutches, knee braces and ice packs.
Campaign groups, horrified by a growing incidence of "catastrophic injuries" which have left cheerleaders with disabilities, paralysis and even dead, are fighting to clean up the "sport", where many school coaches do not have the necessary safety training.
Figures collated by the National Centre for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research found that between 1982 and last year, 67 young women suffered devastating injuries or death, which accounts for two out of three of all serious sporting injuries among young women.
The incidence of injuries causing paralysis or disability was 2.68 per 100,000 cheerleaders, which eclipses the figure for American football, where there are more fatalities but a lower ratio of injuries to participants.
The number of cheerleaders treated at hospital accident and emergency wards increased from under 5,000 a year in 1980 to nearly 30,000 a year today. New research shows that cheerleaders, who once dazzled with their smiles and sequins, are at greater risk of serious injury than Ameri... more -
Killing cyclists, helping McCain win election
According to one blogger, cyclists are basically a neusence and people could really care less whether they live or die. Which is something cyclists hear a few times a day, but most appaling about this blogger is this excerpt:
"If you are biking to save the environment, keep it up and the law of averages says we'll have a few less Obama voters in November.
If you bike for your health, you'd better have a large life insurance policy as you're risking your life.
If you are biking because you are poor, get a second job and take the bus. Odds are you might just be seriously hurt and then you'll be even poorer."
The jabs taken are quite offensive and funny at the same time, based on the ignorance this "conservative blogger" shows. According to one blogger, cyclists are basically a neusence and people could really care less whether they live or die. Which is some... more -
Haunted Savannah
Looking for a cool place to hang out for Halloween? Try Savannah, Georgia. The ghost tours are awesome, the weather around Halloween is spectacular and the party scene is amazing for young and old alike.
I know I sound like I'm advertising here but I can promise I am not. I'm not a Savannah native so I am thoughourly fascinated with this town, especialy around Halloween. With all of this heavy news and worry as of late, I wanted to spread some holiday "chicken skin"!
Follow the link for pictures and more info. Looking for a cool place to hang out for Halloween? Try Savannah, Georgia. The ghost tours are awesome, the weather around Halloween... more -
Argus Leader newspaper & video series on the Lakota teen suicide crisis in Sou...
For years the majority of the white media in South Dakota has not done in-depth coverage of the shocking teen suicide crisis facing teens and young adults involving the Rosebud Indian Reservation and Lakota peoples.
However, there have been a few exceptions and the crisis has been covered for more than a year by the Native American media.
Now the Argus Leader newspaper in South Dakota has done a series of stories and videos about this problem.
The White Buffalo Calf Woman Society and its executive director Tillie Black Bear have done a herotic job trying to stop the suicide epidemic - but they need your help.
Follow the above link to get to links to all the articles and videos by the Argus Leader Newspaper in South Dakota. For years the majority of the white media in South Dakota has not done in-depth coverage of the shocking teen suicide crisis facing te... more -
Fossett's plane wreckage found
The plane wreckage was located about 10,000 feet (3,200 meters) up the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the vicinity of Mammoth Lakes, California. The plane wreckage was located about 10,000 feet (3,200 meters) up the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the vicinity of Mammoth Lakes, Calif... more
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Cop in Brooklyn Taser Death Commits Suicide
A New York Police Department official says a lieutenant is dead of an apparent suicide, days after he ordered another officer to fire a stun gun at a naked, distraught man who then fell to his death. A New York Police Department official says a lieutenant is dead of an apparent suicide, days after he ordered another officer to fire ... more
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Sex Parlour Fire Kills 15 In Japan
A pre-dawn fire killed at least 15 people and injured 10 at a shop where customers rent videos and watch them in private rooms in the western Japanese city of Osaka, police and news reports said Wednesday. A pre-dawn fire killed at least 15 people and injured 10 at a shop where customers rent videos and watch them in private rooms in the ... more
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Sry 4 ur loss: Madrid mortuary offers condolences-via-text service
Too busy to deal with the loss of a loved one? A Madrid mortuary understands that some people are just too busy to attend funerals and deal with death in general, and so it has set up a service to allow customers to offer condolences... via text message. Nothing says sympathy like "2 bad 4 ur dad xoxo".
photo via flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/janiie-art/856480560/ Too busy to deal with the loss of a loved one? A Madrid mortuary understands that some people are just too busy to attend funerals and... more -
Happy Deathday, Edgar Allan Poe!
We’re coming up on the anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s 1849 death, which is rather fitting since we’re coming up on Halloween. I know; Poe was more than the Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven, but undoubtedly he is best known for his chilling tales. But I thought we’d delve a little deeper into Mr. Poe to celebrate his upcoming deathday. I somehow think he would prefer that people celebrated that instead of his birthday anyway. [More at link above] We’re coming up on the anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s 1849 death, which is rather fitting since we’re coming up on Halloween. I know... more
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India temple stampede kills 110
At least 110 people have been killed in a stampede at a temple in the popular tourist city of Jodhpur in north India, the third such tragedy to hit the country in a matter of months.
The disaster happened early this morning as thousands of devotees gathered to mark the start of the nine-day Navaratr festival at the Chamunda Devi temple at the top of the Mehrangarh fort, in the state of Rajasthan.
Several hundred people were injured after being trampled to the ground.
Television channels showed pilgrims carrying scores of limp bodies down the slope that leads to the temple while others attempted to resuscitate victims.
One child was shown hunched over her father's lifeless body, crying "Daddy, please get up".
Early reports suggested that the stampede was triggered by rumours of a bomb. The temple authorities dismissed that and blamed a steep, slippery slope. One witness said that temple officials had closed part of the route up the slope, creating a crush of people that broke a barricade.
A senior civil servant said: "We have 113 bodies in two government hospitals in Jodhpur," .
It is believed that most of the victims were men as the queue for women was separate.
Temple crushes are common in India. Last month at least 145 people including 40 children were killed in a similar stampede at the Naina Devi temple in the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh.
The tragedy was triggered by the collapse of iron railings along a narrow path leading to the hilltop temple.
Hundreds of people - mostly women and children - fell down a steep slope as the panicking crowd tried to flee to safety, police and local officials said. Most of the victims died from suffocation.
Six people died in July at a popular Hindu festival attended by about a million people in the town of Puri in the eastern state of Orissa. In March, nine people died at a religious gathering in central India when a railing broke at the temple, triggering a stampede among 100,000 devotees.
In 2005, about 265 pilgrims were killed in a stampede near a temple in the western state of Maharashtra.
The latest tragedy is likely to trigger another call to ensure religious festivals are better organised.
Earlier this month, a government report blamed temple officials for the Naina Devi disaster. It suggested that in future pilgrims be split into groups of about 200 at such events and that "special arrangements" be made to manage the rush at weekends and holidays. At least 110 people have been killed in a stampede at a temple in the popular tourist city of Jodhpur in north India, the third such t... more -
'Sumo virus' warning is issued
Two people have died in Japan since a viral skin condition linked to contact sports such as rugby and wrestling has been found. "Herpes gladiatorum" - dubbed "scrumpox" in the UK - is passed through broken skin. Two people have died in Japan since a viral skin condition linked to contact sports such as rugby and wrestling has been found. "... more
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Syrian bombing: A jihadi attack?
This article brings us back to the age old question: How do you best go about fighting terrorism? And if you can find an answer to that one, the next question is to you go after the terrorist organizations when they attack others, or wait till they come to you?
The weekend bombing that killed at least 17 people was the worst of its kind since Syria's battle with the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1970s and 80s.
As the Syrian authorities begin investigating a bomb attack that killed 17 people in Damascus Saturday, initial suspicion points to Islamist militants, either home-grown or foreign.
A car bomb, packed with an estimated 440 pounds of explosives, blew up close to a building reportedly housing the Palestine Branch of Syrian military intelligence. It was the worst of its kind since the violent confrontation between the Syrian regime and Islamist militants of the Muslim Brotherhood in the late 1970s and early 80s.
There was no claim of responsibility, and in Syria, one of the most opaque countries in the Middle East, there are plenty of potential perpetrators.
"As usual in the Middle East, there are three or four credible culprits and this is what is so frustrating. The region is chronically and increasingly violent," says Rami Khouri, director of the Issam Fares Center for Lebanon, a think tank. "Who knows who did it, but in a way it's surprising that no one has tried to do this stuff before because so many people are angry with Syria."
The London-based Ash-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper claimed Sunday that a brigadier general who was a senior Syrian intelligence officer was among the 17 people killed in the explosion. While the Syrian authorities have said only civilians were killed in the attack, the general's death, if true, could indicate that the bombing was a targeted assassination rather than a random mass-casualty attack.
Still, initial speculation suggests that those responsible for the bomb attack were Sunni jihadists reacting to a possible crackdown by the Syrian authorities. This article brings us back to the age old question: How do you best go about fighting terrorism? And if you can find an answer to tha... more -
Paul Newman has died
Actor/philanthropist Paul Newman, his impossibly blue eyes playing off an often-gruff demeanor, had a way of making even his most rakish characters appealing.
Off screen, he was beloved with no strings attached-for the hundreds of millions of charitable dollars generated by his popular food products as well as for the low-key, high-class public life he led with his wife of 50 years, Joanne Woodward.
The winner of two honorary Oscars and one competitive one has died at 83 after battling cancer, a spokesperson for the actor announced Saturday.
"He's one of the giants," said film historian/critic Leonard Maltin. "From the time he established himself as a star in the mid 1950s to this day, he has remained a star. His name has retained its potency in the public eye. That alone is pretty remarkable."
Timeline:
Jan. 26, 1925: Born in Cleveland, Ohio
1949: Marries Jackie Witte, with whom he has three children.
1954: Stars in "The Silver Chalice," his first movie--a bomb.
1958: Marries actress Joanne Woodward, his "The Long Hot Summer" co-star, whom he'd met while acting in "Picnic" on Broadway. They eventually have three children.
1958: Delivers first Oscar-nominated performance, opposite Elizabeth Taylor, in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."
1961: Plays Fast Eddie Felson in "The Hustler," collects second Academy Award nomination.
1963: Earns third Oscar nomination as title character of "Hud."
1967: Another classic role, another Oscar nomination for "Cool Hand Luke."
1968: Directs and produces Oscar best-picture nominee "Rachel, Rachel," which also nets Woodward a best-actress nomination.
1969: Stars in race-car drama "Winning," inspiring a side career--racing--that lasts into the mid-2000s.
1969: Creates an enduring on-screen partnership with Robert Redford in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
1973: Reteams with Redford for the even more popular "The Sting," which wins the best-picture Academy Award.
1981: Earns sixth Oscar nomination for "Absence of Malice."
1982: Founds Newman's Own with writer A.E. Hotchner. The food-product line goes on to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for charity.
1982: Performance as a broken-down lawyer in "The Verdict" makes him a formidable Oscar nominee, but Ben Kingsley wins for "Gandhi."
1986: Is awarded an honorary Oscar, gives acceptance speech from Chicago, where he is filming "The Color of Money," sequel to "The Hustler."
1987: Finally takes home a best-actor Oscar for "The Color of Money."
1994: Receives another honorary Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
1994: Stars in "Nobody's Fool," which nets him his eighth best-actor Oscar nomination.
2002: Plays a toxic mob boss in "Road to Perdition," scoring him his last Oscar nomination, for best supporting actor.
2003: Receives first Tony Award nomination, as lead actor in "Our Town."
2005: Wins first Emmy Award for his supporting performance in the miniseries "Empire Falls."
2006: Voices a retired race car in Pixar's animated "Cars," a fitting feature-film finale.
Jan. 29, 2008: Celebrates 50th wedding anniversary with Woodward.
At the beginning of the 1966 detective movie "Harper," Newman's title character rolls out of bed, discovers an empty coffee can in the kitchen, decides to dig some old grounds out of the garbage can, brews the coffee and, upon tasting the end result, almost gags. In his 1983 memoir "Adventures in the Screen Trade," screenwriter William Goldman recounts seeing this scene play out in a packed New York theater and being amazed by the ever-rising volume of laughter. Actor/philanthropist Paul Newman, his impossibly blue eyes playing off an often-gruff demeanor, had a way of making even his most raki... more -
Cops Violated Guidelines in Naked Tasering Death
The NYPD says two police officers appeared to have violated department guidelines when they used a Taser stun gun on a naked, distraught man standing on a ledge. The man fell to his death. The NYPD says two police officers appeared to have violated department guidelines when they used a Taser stun gun on a naked, distraug... more
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