News story of the day

[Stevo985]

 

Thrill seekers, get ready to take a plunge this spring at Schlitterbahn.  A 17-story plunge.

17 **** stories?!  More like Schittermypantsbahn. 

 

I've done "Summit Plummet" at Blilzzard Beach in Florida (Disney Park) 

I think that was the highest and fastest in the world at the time. Pretty scary.

 

However, the scariest one I've ever been on is this one at Wet and Wild (phnar phnar) in Florida.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3kexxDhi6s

 

Especially as, when I went, the park was practically empty so I genuinely didn't realise what was going to happen until I was pretty much inside the "bomb"

Edit: I can't hear the audio in that clip, so apologies if that guy is annoying

Edited December 10, 2013 by Stevo985

[BOF]

Aussies eh?
 

Australia shocked by extreme case of incest, sex abuse and child neglect

Twelve children were removed from a farm in New South Wales after social workers and police found them living in squalid conditions. They soon discovered that 11 of them were born to related parents.

THE COLT FAMILY lived undisturbed on their farm in New South Wales until June 2012 when social workers and police made their first visit.

The checkup was warranted because of reports that there were children living ‘in the hills’ who did not attend school.

What emerged was a depraved case of the most extreme child neglect, abuse and intergenerational incest any of the officials had ever seen. Some have not been able to get over what they had to document.

There were 12 children – all in unwashed states with varying degrees of intellectual disabilities, physical deformities, malnutrition and dental emergencies – living on the property.

Some of the youngsters and teenagers were unable to use a toothbrush, wash their hair, use toilet paper or bathe themselves.

The family of about 40 people existed in two caravans, two sheds and two tents. The caravans were described as “very dirty” and in a “hazardous state”. There was mud, dirt, cigarette butts and rubbish on the floors. The children’s beds were dirty and unmade; cooking facilities were dirty and unsafe and window were broken.

The fridge in the large shed contained rotten vegetables and a young kangaroo was asleep in one of the children’s beds.

Caseworkers observed the children and reported that they wore dirty clothing, were shy and unable to make eye contact.

Their speech was difficult to understand and they appeared to have very poor dental health and hygiene.

The horrific details have emerged this week after the New South Wales Children’s Court took the unusual decision to publish its judgement with the name of the family changed.

Community Services removed the 12 children from the settlement on 18 July 2012. In July, the Court said that they would not be returned to their parents under any circumstances because such a move would pose too much of a risk.

The children

Just one of the 12 children removed from the farm was found to have parents that were not related.

The Colt family’s dark history starts with brother and sister, Timothy and June Colt, who were married in New Zealand in 1966 and had seven children – Rhonda, Betty, Cherry, Frank, Charlie, Paula and Martha.

The family moved to Australia and lived in various properties. They were thought to relocate each time authorities would ask questions or get to close.

Rhonda, Betty and Martha were all mothers involved in the Boorawa neglect case.

Rhonda has six children, the youngest being Cindy who is five years old and is now in the care of the State. Her father is not related to the Colts, genetic testing showed.

Betty has 13 children, five of whom are now in protection. Bobby (15), Bill (14), Brian (12), Dwayne (9) and Carmen (8) were all removed during the 18 July 2012 visit. Their fathers are all related to Betty.

Betty’s daughter Raylene, who is now 30 years old, was the fourth mother involved in this year’s legal proceedings. Her only child, Kimberly, is 13 and was also removed from the Boorawa farm.

Martha has had six children but Donna died when she was just two weeks old. The surviving five are aged between seven and 15. They were all removed by social services. Albert, Jed, Karl, Ruth and Nadia’s parents were all related, genetic testing showed.

According to the evidence heard in court, all 12 children were “neglected in significant ways”.

Most of them were discovered to be far behind age peers in terms of educational development and were functioning well below their chronological age.

Albert, Jed, Kimberly, Karl, Ruth, Carmen and Nadia have particular problems with speaking intelligibly.

There were other physical problems noted, including fungal infections in feet and bed-wetting and soiling.

A number of the Colt children were reported to having hearing and vision impairments, as well as cognitive difficulties.

The world primitive was used by the court on occasion.

Cindy, the only child not born of a incestuous relationship, was described as a “well-spoken polite, bright, intelligent girl whose development was normal for her age”. Her health and hygiene were observed to be good and her clothes clean. Her mother had taken her to hospital in June 2012 to be treated for her ear infection.

Sexualised behaviour

The court judgement on the children’s experiences of sex abuse makes for extremely disturbing reading.

Evidence submitted revealed how the Colt children made concerning disclosures to psychologists during sessions and, they themselves, exhibited sexualised behaviour.

Kimberley revealed that she had “sucked Dwayne” while Carmen watched. Her mother knew about it, she said.

Other disclosures outlined in the court included incidences some of the brothers and uncles having sex with the girls, touching their breasts, licking their vaginas and placing sticks in their anuses.

There were incidences of the girls being tied up to trees by the boys and other times when they watched other members of their family have sex with each other.

Placement reports from carers indicated that Cindy, who is just five years old, was found masturbating on a toilet and in the shower. She said Dwayne (9) showed her how to do that.

She also tried to kiss the male carer on the lips and was defiant when told this was inappropriate.

Five of the boys also told their carers about how they used to torture animals on the farm, including puppies and cats. They reported mutilating the genitals of animals.

Separately, Ruth told a psychologist that she lived with “two mums and two dads” but her “number one mum died because she was sick”.

Tammy Colt’s Evidence

Some of the most harrowing evidence was given by Betty’s second daughter, Tammy, who revealed what had happened to her as she grew up.

She told her Victorian caseworker that she had been in a relationship with her younger brother Derek for three years and that he had fathered her three children – one of whom died from a “universally lethal” condition, Zellweger Syndrome. She says she did not know they were related until recently.

He has since threatened to kill her if “he couldn’t have her”.

Tammy disclosed that she had been abused within the Colt family from the age of 12, when other family members began having sex with her, including Colin, Timothy, Derek and Matthew.

She said that the same happened to her sisters, Raylene, Tracy, Jane and Penny.

Her mother encouraged this activity. Tammy used to hide from her brothers when she could so they couldn’t have sex with her, and she secretly went on the pill at age 16, without her mother’s knowledge.

She and her sisters were not allowed to see a doctor when pregnant in case someone found out what was happening.

The now-27-year-old says she is aware of a number of miscarriages on the Boorowa farm.

The judge’s ruling

Judge Peter Johnstone said the jigsaw pieces given to him created a “very clear picture” of life on the farm. He accepted the genetic evidence, as well as Tammy Colt’s submission, stating it had probative value, and that the Children’s Court works differently to other courts in terms of strict proof and best evidence.

He repeated a note from the caseworker which said Tammy’s outpourings at the courthouse were “spontaneous and voluntary”. He said he took into account the general, inconsistent and contradictory nature of her account but made allowances for her own emotional and psychological deficiencies.

“Overall, however, she presented connected and credible threads that assist in completing the full picture of the Colt family and life on the farm”, he said.

Judge Johnstone ruled that Betty Colt – who had disputed the court’s findings – is not willing to disentangle herself from her family and is incapable of addressing her own traumatic history.

He said there is no pathway for the restoration of the children to the care of their mothers and agreed they would be wards of the State until they are 18 years old.

All 12 are currently in foster care or other placements. They have some contact with each other and their parents.

[mjmooney]

 

 

a young kangaroo was asleep in one of the children’s beds

 

[Eames]

 

Aussies eh?

 

Australia shocked by extreme case of incest, sex abuse and child neglect

Twelve children were removed from a farm in New South Wales after social workers and police found them living in squalid conditions. They soon discovered that 11 of them were born to related parents.

THE COLT FAMILY lived undisturbed on their farm in New South Wales until June 2012 when social workers and police made their first visit.

The checkup was warranted because of reports that there were children living ‘in the hills’ who did not attend school.

What emerged was a depraved case of the most extreme child neglect, abuse and intergenerational incest any of the officials had ever seen. Some have not been able to get over what they had to document.

There were 12 children – all in unwashed states with varying degrees of intellectual disabilities, physical deformities, malnutrition and dental emergencies – living on the property.

Some of the youngsters and teenagers were unable to use a toothbrush, wash their hair, use toilet paper or bathe themselves.

The family of about 40 people existed in two caravans, two sheds and two tents. The caravans were described as “very dirty” and in a “hazardous state”. There was mud, dirt, cigarette butts and rubbish on the floors. The children’s beds were dirty and unmade; cooking facilities were dirty and unsafe and window were broken.

The fridge in the large shed contained rotten vegetables and a young kangaroo was asleep in one of the children’s beds.

Caseworkers observed the children and reported that they wore dirty clothing, were shy and unable to make eye contact.

Their speech was difficult to understand and they appeared to have very poor dental health and hygiene.

The horrific details have emerged this week after the New South Wales Children’s Court took the unusual decision to publish its judgement with the name of the family changed.

Community Services removed the 12 children from the settlement on 18 July 2012. In July, the Court said that they would not be returned to their parents under any circumstances because such a move would pose too much of a risk.

The children

Just one of the 12 children removed from the farm was found to have parents that were not related.

The Colt family’s dark history starts with brother and sister, Timothy and June Colt, who were married in New Zealand in 1966 and had seven children – Rhonda, Betty, Cherry, Frank, Charlie, Paula and Martha.

The family moved to Australia and lived in various properties. They were thought to relocate each time authorities would ask questions or get to close.

Rhonda, Betty and Martha were all mothers involved in the Boorawa neglect case.

Rhonda has six children, the youngest being Cindy who is five years old and is now in the care of the State. Her father is not related to the Colts, genetic testing showed.

Betty has 13 children, five of whom are now in protection. Bobby (15), Bill (14), Brian (12), Dwayne (9) and Carmen (8) were all removed during the 18 July 2012 visit. Their fathers are all related to Betty.

Betty’s daughter Raylene, who is now 30 years old, was the fourth mother involved in this year’s legal proceedings. Her only child, Kimberly, is 13 and was also removed from the Boorawa farm.

Martha has had six children but Donna died when she was just two weeks old. The surviving five are aged between seven and 15. They were all removed by social services. Albert, Jed, Karl, Ruth and Nadia’s parents were all related, genetic testing showed.

According to the evidence heard in court, all 12 children were “neglected in significant ways”.

Most of them were discovered to be far behind age peers in terms of educational development and were functioning well below their chronological age.

Albert, Jed, Kimberly, Karl, Ruth, Carmen and Nadia have particular problems with speaking intelligibly.

There were other physical problems noted, including fungal infections in feet and bed-wetting and soiling.

A number of the Colt children were reported to having hearing and vision impairments, as well as cognitive difficulties.

The world primitive was used by the court on occasion.

Cindy, the only child not born of a incestuous relationship, was described as a “well-spoken polite, bright, intelligent girl whose development was normal for her age”. Her health and hygiene were observed to be good and her clothes clean. Her mother had taken her to hospital in June 2012 to be treated for her ear infection.

Sexualised behaviour

The court judgement on the children’s experiences of sex abuse makes for extremely disturbing reading.

Evidence submitted revealed how the Colt children made concerning disclosures to psychologists during sessions and, they themselves, exhibited sexualised behaviour.

Kimberley revealed that she had “sucked Dwayne” while Carmen watched. Her mother knew about it, she said.

Other disclosures outlined in the court included incidences some of the brothers and uncles having sex with the girls, touching their breasts, licking their vaginas and placing sticks in their anuses.

There were incidences of the girls being tied up to trees by the boys and other times when they watched other members of their family have sex with each other.

Placement reports from carers indicated that Cindy, who is just five years old, was found masturbating on a toilet and in the shower. She said Dwayne (9) showed her how to do that.

She also tried to kiss the male carer on the lips and was defiant when told this was inappropriate.

Five of the boys also told their carers about how they used to torture animals on the farm, including puppies and cats. They reported mutilating the genitals of animals.

Separately, Ruth told a psychologist that she lived with “two mums and two dads” but her “number one mum died because she was sick”.

Tammy Colt’s Evidence

Some of the most harrowing evidence was given by Betty’s second daughter, Tammy, who revealed what had happened to her as she grew up.

She told her Victorian caseworker that she had been in a relationship with her younger brother Derek for three years and that he had fathered her three children – one of whom died from a “universally lethal” condition, Zellweger Syndrome. She says she did not know they were related until recently.

He has since threatened to kill her if “he couldn’t have her”.

Tammy disclosed that she had been abused within the Colt family from the age of 12, when other family members began having sex with her, including Colin, Timothy, Derek and Matthew.

She said that the same happened to her sisters, Raylene, Tracy, Jane and Penny.

Her mother encouraged this activity. Tammy used to hide from her brothers when she could so they couldn’t have sex with her, and she secretly went on the pill at age 16, without her mother’s knowledge.

She and her sisters were not allowed to see a doctor when pregnant in case someone found out what was happening.

The now-27-year-old says she is aware of a number of miscarriages on the Boorowa farm.

The judge’s ruling

Judge Peter Johnstone said the jigsaw pieces given to him created a “very clear picture” of life on the farm. He accepted the genetic evidence, as well as Tammy Colt’s submission, stating it had probative value, and that the Children’s Court works differently to other courts in terms of strict proof and best evidence.

He repeated a note from the caseworker which said Tammy’s outpourings at the courthouse were “spontaneous and voluntary”. He said he took into account the general, inconsistent and contradictory nature of her account but made allowances for her own emotional and psychological deficiencies.

“Overall, however, she presented connected and credible threads that assist in completing the full picture of the Colt family and life on the farm”, he said.

Judge Johnstone ruled that Betty Colt – who had disputed the court’s findings – is not willing to disentangle herself from her family and is incapable of addressing her own traumatic history.

He said there is no pathway for the restoration of the children to the care of their mothers and agreed they would be wards of the State until they are 18 years old.

All 12 are currently in foster care or other placements. They have some contact with each other and their parents.

 

           

 

Im really not sure if that level of detail was needed in the press reporting. I have no idea where the article comes from or the level of journalistic integrity of its creator, but there are details in there purely designed to titilate the readership.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Eames

[packoman]

That is horrible, sounds like The Hills Have Eyes.

[BOF]

Also sounds like Austria & Australia have more in common than just the letters 'austria'

[The_Rev]

 

Oh Exeter. 

Edited December 14, 2013 by The_Rev

[mjmooney]

 

31 December 2013 Last updated at 13:36

 

Giant rubber duck bursts in Taiwan

A giant yellow rubber duck on display in a Taiwanese port has burst in unexplained circumstances.

 

The 18 metre (50 foot) inflatable duck suddenly collapsed on Tuesday, only 11 days after it had been put on display in the port at Keelung.

 

Organisers are unsure as to the cause of its demise, but one theory is that it was attacked by eagles.

 

The duck was designed by the Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman to be a giant version of a popular bath toy.

 

Last month a similar duck was damaged elsewhere in Taiwan, when an earthquake triggered a power outage that caused it to deflate.

 

A third Taiwanese duck was brought ashore in September because of an approaching typhoon.

 

New Year deflated?

A large crowd had been anticipated in Keelung Port for New Year celebrations, and the rubber duck was due to be an important part of the festivities.

 

But video footage showed the giant inflatable suddenly bursting in front of scores of people gathered on a quayside.

 

"We want to apologise to the fans of the yellow rubber duck," organiser Huang Jing-tai told reporters. "We will carefully examine the duck to determine the cause."

 

The original duck designed by Hofman has been transported around the globe since 2007, visiting cities including Sydney, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong and Amsterdam.

 

The artist hopes the works will bring people together and encourage a connection with public art.

 

Despite the ducks' misfortunes, they have been a big hit among the Taiwanese.

 

The duck at Kaohsiung, which had to be deflated during Typhoon Usagi, attracted four million visitors during its one-month display,

BBC

Edited January 1, 2014 by mjmooney

[AVFCforever1991]

[villaajax]

Haven't seen this posted...

 

 

 

Did Kim Jong Un feed his uncle to dogs?

 

Who benefits from rumours of Kim Jong Un's barbarism?

 

It sounds like something out of a Quentin Tarantino movie. Rumours are flying that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, and five aides executed by being stripped naked and placed in a cage with 120 attack dogs.

 

This is all according to Singapore's Straits Times, which quotes a 12 December story in the Chinese government-controlled paper Wen Wei Po.

"The horrifying report vividly depicted the brutality of the young North Korean leader," Ching Cheong writes in the Times. "The fact that it appeared in a Beijing-controlled newspaper showed that China no longer cares about its relations with the Kim regime."

 

The Guardian's Tim Stanley cautions that this story is "tempting" - probably too tempting to be true.

"The thing about North Korea is that it's so mad, so gruesome that it's difficult not to believe whatever tall story you hear about it," he writes. "Kim Jong Un ate a baby? The army uses kittens for target practice? Kim Jong Il's reanimated corpse stalks the countryside scaring children? It all seems possible."

 

He warns that it's important to look at the agendas of the people who are spreading this story:

The Straits Times is a respectable and widely read publication, but it's often been accused of being the mouthpiece of Singapore's ruling party and is staunchly anti-communist - so political bias is possible. Finally, we can't dismiss the possibility that China itself has fabricated or at least encouraged the story to send a message to Pyongyang. Kim's uncle was the architect of closer economic ties between the China and North Korea and there is thought to be a lot of anger about his death.

 

The Washington Post's Max Fisher writes a five-point takedown of the story that almost - almost - settles the question.

"The fact that the Western media have so widely accepted a story they would reject if it came out of any other country tells us a lot about how North Korea is covered - and how it's misunderstood," he writes.

 

Fisher also says that the Western media have an incentive to cover these kind of bizarre stories, as they generate a lot of attention. He quotes NKNews.org editor Chad O'Carroll as saying, "As you know, NK stories tend to get a lot of hits, so it's easy to see why editors will want to pursue these stories."

It would make things easier, writes Slate's Joshua Keating, if the North Korean government commented publicly on stories like this - but it's called the hermit kingdom for a reason.

 

"So given the Internet's insatiable appetite for weird North Korea stories, it becomes a bit of a free-for-all," he writes. "The North Korean government does so many bizarre things we can confirm that a few of these dubious rumors must surely be true, right?"

Sure. And hey, it makes for a compelling, albeit macabre, tale

 

From the BBC

Edited January 3, 2014 by villaajax

[Ghost]

Portland pimp sues Nike for $100 million for lack of warning label after beating victim with Jordans

 

A 26-year-old Portland pimp has filed a $100 million lawsuit against Nike, claiming the shoe manufacturer is partially responsible for a brutal beating that helped net him a 100-year prison sentence.

 

Sirgiorgiro Clardy claims Nike should have placed a label in his Jordan shoes warning consumers that they could be used as a dangerous weapon. He was wearing a pair when he repeatedly stomped the face of a john who was trying to leave a Portland hotel without paying Clardy's prostitute in June 2012.

 

Jurors early in 2013 found him guilty of second-degree assault for using his Jordans -- a dangerous weapon -- to beat the john's face to a pulp. The man required stitches and plastic surgery on his nose.

 

The jury also found him guilty of robbing the john and beating the 18-year-old woman he forced to work as his prostitute. She was injured so badly that she bled from her ears.

 

In his three-page complaint handwritten from the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton, Clardy claims that Nike, Chairman Phil Knight and other executives failed to warn consumers that the shoes could be used as a weapon to cause serious injury or death.

 

"Under product liability there is a certain standard of care that is required to be up-held by potentially dangerous product ..." wrote Clardy, who is representing himself. "Do (sic) to the fact that these defendants named in this Tort claim failed to warn of risk or to provide an adequate warning or instruction it has caused personal injury in the likes of mental suffering."

 

Clardy wrote that he's tried to starve himself and kill himself multiple times.

He asks a Multnomah County judge to order Nike to affix warning labels to all their "potentially dangerous Nike and Jordan merchandise."

 

In the past, Oregon defendants have been convicted of using a wide array of items or substances as dangerous weapons. The list includes boots, rope, a phone receiver, scalding hot water and HIV-infected blood. The "dangerous weapon" classification can spur longer prison sentences.

 

Clardy filed his suit this week in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

During his two-week trial and his two-day sentencing hearing, Clardy was known for his unusual courtroom antics. He shouted expletives at the judge, prosecutors and jurors.

 

A psychologist declared him an anti-social psychopath who was 100 percent likely to commit violent crimes again. And Clardy disagreed so loudly -- making such a scene -- that he was removed from the courtroom.

 

In the coming days, the suit will be served to Nike, which will then have an opportunity to respond.

-- Aimee Green

Edited January 13, 2014 by Ghost

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

 

 

 

 

Ghost ship full of cannibal rats could be about to crash into Devon coast

 

 

There are fears a ghost ship full of diseased cannibal rats could be about to crash into the coast of Devon or Cornwall.

 

The abandoned Lyubov Orlova has been missing since it cut adrift while being towed from Canada nearly a year ago.

 

Coastguards fear the 40-year-old liner has been driven across the Atlantic by high winds and is now close to the UK shore.

 

Based on emergency beacons activated last year aboard the ship, it is feared the 40-year-old Yugoslavian liner registered to Russia could now crash into the shore of Devon, Cornwall, Ireland or Scotland.

 

Those searching for the ship say there are likely to be thousands of disease-ridden rats on board with no source of food except each other, according to The Sun.

 

Belgian-based searcher Pim de Rhoodes said: "She is floating around there somewhere. There will be a lot of rats and they eat each other."

 

The 4,250-ton ship built to carry 110 passengers was impounded in Canada in 2010 after being deserted by her crew in a debt row.

 

Two years later, she was towed to the Dominican Republic to be scrapped - but abandoned when she broke free.

 

Nothing has been seen of the 300ft liner since the middle of last year, but she is believed to be heading this way.

 

Here

[8pints]

Those searching for the ship say there are likely to be thousands of disease-ridden rats on board with no source of food except each other, according to The Sun.

 

 

Belgian-based searcher Pim de Rhoodes said: "She is floating around there somewhere. There will be a lot of rats and they eat each other."

 

Imagine if when it crashes, all they find is one morbidly obese rat rolling about the place. Massively under t

 

he weather but full.

[JamieZ]

 

 

 

 

Ghost ship full of cannibal rats could be about to crash into Devon coast

 

 

There are fears a ghost ship full of diseased cannibal rats could be about to crash into the coast of Devon or Cornwall.

 

The abandoned Lyubov Orlova has been missing since it cut adrift while being towed from Canada nearly a year ago.

 

Coastguards fear the 40-year-old liner has been driven across the Atlantic by high winds and is now close to the UK shore.

 

Based on emergency beacons activated last year aboard the ship, it is feared the 40-year-old Yugoslavian liner registered to Russia could now crash into the shore of Devon, Cornwall, Ireland or Scotland.

 

Those searching for the ship say there are likely to be thousands of disease-ridden rats on board with no source of food except each other, according to The Sun.

 

Belgian-based searcher Pim de Rhoodes said: "She is floating around there somewhere. There will be a lot of rats and they eat each other."

 

The 4,250-ton ship built to carry 110 passengers was impounded in Canada in 2010 after being deserted by her crew in a debt row.

 

Two years later, she was towed to the Dominican Republic to be scrapped - but abandoned when she broke free.

 

Nothing has been seen of the 300ft liner since the middle of last year, but she is believed to be heading this way.

 

Here

 

 

I was just about to post this. As if Nickelback and Justin Bieber weren't enough, Canada decides to unleash its latest terror upon the world: ghost ships full of cannibal rats. Your exports are the worst, Canada!

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

I've always suspected Canada were up to something. They're playing the long game. Just you wait. When the time is right, they'll strike.

[troon_villan]

How would the rats get on there in the first place?

[Xann]

 

They climb moorings.

[tonyh29]

Surely the Royal Navy can go out there and give it a little nudge towards France ?

[Jimzk5]

Apparently it sunk during heavy storms a few days ago,shame really, was hoping it would go into the mersey and smash the place up like in speed 2

[mjmooney]

Won't somebody think of the poor rats?