Flights of Fantasy discussion

My husband sent this and I had to share: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/artic...

A man jumped to his death after a furious row with his girlfriend who insisted they go into another clothes shop.

CCTV shows Tao Hsiao, 38, escorting his girlfriend around a shopping mall in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, east China.

After five hours Tao finally had enough and demanded to go home.

Eyewitnesses say he could be heard saying they already had more bags than they could carry, but she insisted on going into one more shop where the was a special offer on shoes.

An eyewitness said: 'He told her she already had enough shoes, more shoes that she could wear in a lifetime and it was pointless buying any more.

'She started shouting at him accusing him of being a skinflint and of spoiling Christmas, it was a really heated argument.'

The shouting match ended when the man chucked the bags on the floor and jumped over the balcony, smashing into Christmas decorations on his way down before hitting the floor seven stories below causing shocked shoppers to flee in panic.

Emergency services arrived at the scene but Tao was killed immediately from the impact of the fall.

A shopping spokesman said: 'His body was removed fairly quickly.

'He actually landed on one of the stalls below and then fell to the floor so although the store was damaged it meant he didn't hit anybody.

'This is a tragic incident, but this time of year can be very stressful for many people.'

Oh my god!!!

Yeah, I just read that about an hour ago...definitely a WTF story!

I think he's to be commended for not pushing her over. But it is sad that he decided to kill himself rather than just stranding her ass there and going home.

Becky wrote: "I think he's to be commended for not pushing her over. But it is sad that he decided to kill himself rather than just stranding her ass there and going home."


^This


The ironic part is that hubby sent it to me.

Once we were shopping and we walked into J. Crew. By this time he was DONE and he said (loudly), "If you don;t take me home right now I'm going to slit my wrists and bleed out in this store." O_o

A salesperson heard him. O_O

We went home.

MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "Becky wrote: "I think he's to be commended for not pushing her over. But it is sad that he decided to kill himself rather than just stranding her ass there and going home."


^This


The ironic par..."

I got the story from a friend on Facebook, and one of his male friends said that it wasn't as bizarre as it may seem. He said and I quote:

I cant take all the shopping sometimes either, sometimes you just want out!!!! lol I must confess, I've thought about how easy it would be just to kill myself while at the mall lol ... and for those of you who believe there was more to it, TRUST ME, it doesn't have to be. lolol

I am not a shopper. I definitely don't have that gene. And I may have thrown a tantrum or two when I was younger. But... wow. He should've thrown the packages over the balcony (if anything had to go) and left.

I am glad no one else was hurt but could you imagine witnessing something like this???

Nienna wrote: "I am glad no one else was hurt but could you imagine witnessing something like this???"

Or how his girlfriend must feel.

What kinda bothers me more than even the horribleness of the whole thing is how blasé the guy quoted sounds. "Well, you know, the holidays are stressful. This sort of thing is totally normal."

o_O

Colleen wrote: "What kinda bothers me more than even the horribleness of the whole thing is how blasé the guy quoted sounds. "Well, you know, the holidays are stressful. This sort of thing is totally normal."

o_O"

I thought that too!

Jackie wrote: "Nienna wrote: "I am glad no one else was hurt but could you imagine witnessing something like this???"

Or how his girlfriend must feel."

^This

I'm sure she's...all types of fucked up right now. :(

Colleen wrote: "What kinda bothers me more than even the horribleness of the whole thing is how blasé the guy quoted sounds. "Well, you know, the holidays are stressful. This sort of thing is totally normal."

o_O"

Yeah, I thought that was blase, too.

Jackie wrote: "Nienna wrote: "I am glad no one else was hurt but could you imagine witnessing something like this???"

Or how his girlfriend must feel."

I'm actually curious as to how this will affect her socially. I can't imagine what her life will be like for the next few days, weeks, months. This was a very public tragedy.

Nyssa wrote: "I'm actually curious as to how this will affect her socially. I can't imagine what her life will be like for the next few days, weeks, months. This was a very public tragedy. "

One of my friends says that this is a by-product of the one child policy. There is a major shortage of girls in China now and the girls are becoming spoiled. She says that its bad.

MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "One of my friends says that this is a by-product of the one child policy. There is a major shortage of girls in China now and the girls are becoming spoiled. She says that its bad. ."

I don't think I would have ever considered that.

May I quote you (name excluded) to add to the discussion I'm having on FB?

I don't mind but it's totally second hand from a friend who's discussing it with me. Her parents are Chinese and discussed it with her.

MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "I don't mind but it's totally second hand from a friend who's discussing it with me. Her parents are Chinese and discussed it with her."

I'll be sure to include that it is speculation. Its just a very interesting possibility.

Wow! I don't like shopping much either but when I do go I prefer to be alone. I would never bring the boy with me unless the purchase would directly effect him. If you need an opinions that's what girl-friends are for.

This is a classic:

Swedish Teen Sentenced After Incriminating Pre-Robbery Selfie

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12...

Two teenage girls might have gotten away with a robbery last March, if it weren't for an incriminating "selfie" they took moments before the crime.

The two unnamed girls, who are also cousins, used a smartphone to snap a picture of themselves clad in black balaclavas, holding a nearly 12-inch kitchen knife just before the robbery, The Independent reported.

Y'all GOT to go look at the photo. O_o

http://www.dailydot.com/lifestyle/man...

Chinese Man Finally Meets His Internet Crush - She's his Daughter-In-Law

MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "This is a classic:

Swedish Teen Sentenced After Incriminating Pre-Robbery Selfie

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12......"

That could be anyone in Canada these days. :)

Sure, the knife is a little big, but how else are you going to stay warm while preparing supper in the kitchen while the power is out and it is minus three million degrees outside?

lol!!!

Not so much news, as an interesting (and amusing, IMO) tidbit.

In 1913 it was legal to mail children.

Nyssa wrote: "Not so much news, as an interesting (and amusing, IMO) tidbit.

In 1913 it was legal to mail children."

Wow. It was a different world.

Someone posted this in another group I'm in:

Utah man fired after boss complains blog post about homophones made school sound gay

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/30...

A “social media strategist” for a Utah school serving foreign students said he was fired after his school’s owner reprimanded him for the allegedly gay connotations of a blog post concerning homophones, the Salt Lake City Tribune reported.

“People at this level of English may see the ‘homo’ side and think it has something to do with gay sex.” the owner, Clarke Woodger, allegedly told Tim Torkildson while firing him last week.

Torkildson reportedly was hired as a teacher at Nomen Global Language Center in Provo this past April 1 before being re-assigned to handle the school’s social media. Torkildson gave his account of the meeting with Woodger on his personal blog.

“I’m letting you go because I can’t trust you,” Woodger allegedly said. “This blog about homophones was the last straw. Now our school is going to be associated with homosexuality.”

Woodger also allegedly complained that he didn’t know what homophones — words that sound identical while having different meanings and spellings — were, and that it was the kind of “advanced stuff” Nomen did not teach its students. He also accused Torkildson of not being reliable enough to continue working for the school.

Oh man. Homeschooling FTW.

Aren't homophones, like, primary school stuff?

o_O

Becky wrote: "Oh man. Homeschooling FTW."

YOu know??! THIS is a place where someone needs to ask "what about teh children??!"

This actually happened in my area. I'm SO disgusted. So disgusted.



Court: Teacher had sexual encounter with student in classroom on her 1st day
http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/26864245...

A substitute teacher at a D.C. charter school is facing charges after allegedly having a sexual encounter with a student-- and it was only her first day on the job. Court documents say the teen asked her to perform sex acts equal to the number on his football jersey.

D.C. police say 22-year-old Symone Greene of Ft. Washington, Md. is charged with first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. According to D.C. Superior Court documents dated October 21, Greene was in her first day as a substitute teacher at Options Public Charter School, which is located on E Street NE.

The alleged incident took place on Friday, October 17 at the school. Court documents say the victim, a 17-year-old eleventh grade boy, was working as an office assistant in the classroom where Greene was substituting in an English class. The teen told investigators he flirted with Greene, and gave her his cell phone number.

The boy told investigators he got a text message from Greene the same day, and while he didn't recall the entire conversation that they had via text messages because he had erased them, he did report asking Greene if she was "kinky." The boy said her response was, "I dont tell I show." Later that day, the teen told investigators he engaged in oral sex with Greene in a school classroom, and he recorded the act without her knowledge. The teen told investigators he continued texting Greene through the weekend, and that she told him not to tell anyone what had happened because "it is not right for a student and teacher to have a relationship."

Documents say the teen, who is a football player, showed the video to several teammates and sent it to another friend outside the school. Authorities reviewed the video and video taken from school surveillance cameras to identify the classroom where the alleged act happened, and the teen agreed to text message the suspect again at the request of authorities. The teen saved a clothed picture that Greene sent to him of herself and identified her as the teacher who performed oral sex on him to authorities.

Options Public Charter School executive director Shannon Hodge released the following statement about the incident on Wednesday morning:

“The female substitute teacher was at Options Public Charter School for one day to cover a planned staff teacher absence. The substitute teacher was not an employee of Options Public Charter School.”

"When school administrators learned of the incident Monday morning, we immediately contacted the Child and Family Services Agency, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the parent of the student. MPD responded immediately and began an investigation into the incident.”

“We are deeply concerned about what happened to one of our scholars. Our goal is to keep our scholars safe and secure. All staff will remain extremely vigilant in maintaining a safe school environment and will continue to implement procedures to ensure the safety and security of our scholars.”

Florida Couple Accused of Giving Kids Drugs as 'Bargaining Tool'

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/f...

MrsJoseph wrote: "Florida Couple Accused of Giving Kids Drugs as 'Bargaining Tool'

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/f..."

Of course its in Florida, because we have stupidity laced water! Damn people in this damn state!

The desperate book industry and 'tatvertising' are a perfect, tragic match

https://www.theverge.com/2015/7/8/890...

tl;dl version: Hachette is searching for a volunteer to get a LARGE BACK TATTOO and then use the woman's back as the center of their ad campaign for the new release of the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series.

For 3 months or so they get her back - she gets a tattoo but no money.

Well, I'm sure that they will find someone. http://www.jacquelinecarey.com/galler...

Becky wrote: "Well, I'm sure that they will find someone. http://www.jacquelinecarey.com/galler..."

LOL

I've seen those before. I thought about getting one myself (but I would have found an artist and made them redraw it to match the actual description).

But still - those people did that after being touched by reading the book first. And they aren't being used in a country wide advertising campaign with no compensation besides a tattoo.

Well, I'd say that the person who does this will either A) have read the book and want a dragon tattoo of their own, or B) just want a dragon tattoo and not mind the advertising campaign if they get a free tat out of it.

A back piece can be quite expensive... so I'm sure that taking some pictures after it's done will be a fair trade.

I've actually just skimmed that article (just read your summary before), and I don't quite understand why they are taking the line that this is some sort of slavery or degradation scheme.

Hachette is being very upfront about what they would like, and if someone volunteers to do it, then they find that it is an acceptable arrangement. They agree to show their skin off for a couple months, and in return they get free body art.

I don't see how that is a problem at all. A couple of my friends are tattoo artists, and they've often traded people tattoos as payment for things - from other art, to yard work/snow shoveling, to helping them move, etc. It would be one thing if they expected people to pay for their own tattoo, and then set up some sort of "contest" for the best dragon back tattoo, and then the terms of the contest stated that they could use the photos in their campaign... but that's not what they are doing. I don't get the tone of that piece.

I don't think its degradation but I do think that the person being used is getting the short end of the stick. Tattoos are cool and yes very expensive for a good one - but nothing near what a model would make being the center of a national ad campaign. Especially for a series like this with the movies and whatnot.

That's the word that the article writer used: Degrading.

I don't see it. I see a contract which has clear terms of trade: We will provide you with a free 8x12 dragon tattoo, and you will provide your back for the length of a summer so people can look at it and think of our product.

If you ask me, that's a pretty good, straightforward deal, and it will be worth it to someone. Maybe someone who is looking for a break into the truly degrading industry of modeling, perhaps. Models that have to starve themselves to get work, and projecting this mass body-image facade and unreasonable and unattainable "standards" is truly degrading. Sure, some of them make quite a lot of money... but to me I don't think that hating my body and having to starve myself to get a job is worth it. I'd much rather take a free tattoo and then go back to my life in a few months.

I just don't see the problem here. If this article writer wants to talk about something being degrading, I think that they should focus on actually degrading stuff.

...And the award for "Most Horrible Person of the Week" goes to...

*drum roll please*

Chad Kultgen

He Threatened ‘Abortion’ to Sell Books
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles...

tl;dr version: douchebag author creates a fake persona as a man-hating feminist who - upon learning that she's pregnant" creates a website/crowdfunding whatever that says she's preggers and if pro-lifers don't give her $1M within 72 hours she's going to have an abortion.

The reason? He's written a shitty book about the same thing and wanted to drum up PR.

Wow.

Cut from Goodreads book description.

"A surprising story of freedom, choice, and desperate measures, Strange Animals is a fiendishly suspenseful and eye-opening novel from one of our most provocative writers."

One of our most provocative writers...?

I have a feeling this book is going to end up on all kinds of interestingly named shelves on goodreads.

British Teen Dies From Too Much Deodorant Spray
http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medic...


*head desk*

Someone tink of teh children!

Wow... some of those comments on that post are just... amazing.

Nicki wrote: "(They don't work, hippies. Trust me. You smell awful. And stop standing in front of me in queues.)."

lol!

lolol

Poor kid for the abandonment by the mom. Unfortunately, mental health is an afterthought in most countries. Unless someone takes themself in or has people around them to help them get help they are almost always truly lost.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "Poor kid for the abandonment by the mom. Unfortunately, mental health is an afterthought in most countries. Unless someone takes themself in or has people around them to help them get help they are..."

True