Girl only asked three stars tattoos but ended up having fifty six

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1193384/What-did-expect-Incredible-face-revealed-man-tattooed-girl-56-stars-asked-three.html

An 18 year old girl from Courtrai town, Belgium only asked for three stars tattoos near her left eye, but after the 55 pounds tattoo session, she was surprised to see 56 stars on her face. Kimberly Vlaminck claimed that she was misunderstood by the Romanian tattoo artist, Rouslan Toumaniantz. She asked in mixed French and English to do the artwork. The artist Toumaniantz who has tatoos all over his face denied her claim that she only asked three stars. The woman witness supported Toumaniantz. Kimberly sued Toumaniantz for 10,000 pounds. He said he would help to pay for the removal of the tattoos but maintained that she really asked 56 stars for her face. He also said that the Belgian girl was happy with the tattoos when they were finished but she complained against it after her father and boyfriend were not happy about it. She said that she fell asleep during the session. Toumaniantz who has a tattoo shop called The Tatoo Box claimed otherwise. He said Kimberly was wide awake and "she knew exactly what she wanted." Removing the tattoos would cost her 8,500 pounds though even if removed, the scars would remain on her face.

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This is the first time I read such a story. Tattoo artists make mistakes but such mistake is unbelievable. If she did not tell him to make her 56 stars tattoos where would he get the idea to do that? Besides, tattoo artists make an outline first before doing the design. So, in her case, she would definitely see how many stars would be inked on her face. Say, she fell asleep. But how could she sleep that long? Those were 56 stars, right? And then she woke up right after it was finished? I have been watching LA Ink and Miami Ink tattoo shows and I cannot remember seeing any customers there falling asleep. They all are wide awake having conversations with the artist(s). Say, she was doped, then that would be very bad for tattooer's business and what benefit that man could get from tattooing her with so many stars? By doing such work is certainly labor intensive, is it not? Unless, the man wanted her to look like him and planned everything out, because the man himself has tattoos all over his face. So, he wanted a girl teenager version of him. Just a thought. Why not?

Long-haul airfares are down, Short-haul flights are still up

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article6486412.ece

Good news to all British frequent flyers and vacationers. Some desperate airlines are reducing their airfares for long-haul flights because of the decrease in the number of passengers. IATA, an airline trade association says that airfares from British airports fell by 34 percent in March. But Trailfinders Nikki Davies says that long-haul flights “can’t really get much cheaper.” Nevertheless, it is still good news for travelers. For example, going to New York through United Airlines is 295 pounds with taxes and charges. But through Kuwait Airways going to New York is 57 pounds cheaper, making it just 238 pounds for a return flight. Also, flying to the West Coast is not that expensive. British Airways direct flight to LA is 353 pounds while US Airways to LA via Philadelphia is just 289 pounds. In addition, the cheapest flight from London to Sydney is 469 pounds with Singapore Airlines whereas last year, it was 810 pounds with Cathay Pacific. However, short-haul flights airfares to Europe are not yet reduced. Ryan Air, a British airlines company, is still the number one "cattle-class carrier" when it comes to low priced short-haul flights. Their ticket price to summer vacation destinations like Palma, Mallorca is only 170 pounds compared to Fly BA’s best fare of 250 pounds. Ryan Air’s chief executive Willie Walsh describes this price disparity as “a fight for survival.”

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This is indeed good news for British travelers who go to the US, Australia and Asia. They can have a relative wide range of cheap long-haul flight prices to choose from. This is also good news for the British people and other nationalities as well who are planning to go on vacation outside Europe this summer. So even if it is credit crunch time, they can still go because there are cheap airfares to avail from different top of the line airline companies. However, for those who plan to have their vacation here in Europe, Ryan Air is still the best option to travel with. Although, personally, if not for the price, I would not fly with Ryan Air. Ryan Air is cramped and I don't like tight spaces. It makes me uncomfortable. But their flights are really low. So, sometimes trading off comfort to cheap prices is worth it because with other airplanes, they are certainly comfortable and they have free food but the price difference with Ryan Air is humongous.

No Twitters for Teachers

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/5363485/Teachers-banned-from-Twitter-after-principal-constantly-criticises-students.html

After a female secondary teacher was caught using twitter 20 times a day airing her criticism against her pupils, colleagues and parents, the Argyll and Bute council issued a ban on teachers from using twitter and other social networking sites. In her entries, she tweeted: “Have S5 pupil for company excluded from afternoon school for swearing at English teacher this morning." 3.18pm May 5 and “Have three Aspergers boys in SI class -never a dull moment! Always offer a different, interesting take on things." 8.37pm April 21. Her other tweet entries included complains about some of her classes and the schedules. One parent read her tweet entries and was outraged about it. The Argyll and Bute council spokesperson said, “Teachers may request access to blogs which have an educational value." The said teacher faced a disciplinary action as an adherence to the regulation that "Any member of staff found to have breached council policy will face appropriate disciplinary action”.

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I agree that the said teacher should undergo disciplinary action. However, banning all teachers from using the Internet, social networking sites and the like is not fair. What happened was one teacher’s fault, not everybody’s. I agree that it was wrong of her to publish her complains in that manner. She should have come to the union or approached her colleagues. But if she was afraid to do so, then it is understandable that she used twitter as her tool to attract their attention. I think whether or not she used twitter (it might also be Friendster or Facebook), the real problem was her not being happy in her work. This teacher seemed to be overworked and burned out that she saw twitter as her way to air her grievances. So, the council and the school should look into that and not ban teachers from using the Internet, blogs and social networking sites.

British TV host and Actress glued herself to a bed

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1191841/Im-A-Celeb-USA-host-Myleene-Klass-rescued-hotel-staff-gluing-bed.html?hgtyhhng

While on the shoot of her show in a Costa Rican jungle, Mylene Klaas glued herself to a bed in her hotel room. The 31-year old model turned TV host of I am a Celebrity…Get me out of here USA sprayed herself with an insect repellent. The product’s chemical substance reacted with the varnish on the bedposts, so she was glued on the frame. A hotel staff came to rescue her when she cried for help. According to a source, the staff had to “peel her off slowly but surely.” I am a celebrity…Get me out of here is a reality TV show about surviving life in the jungle. Mylene Klaas joined the 2006 UK version of this show and became famous for her “white bikini under an open-air waterfall.”

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After reading this story, I could not help myself from laughing. I know accidents happen but this one is stupid. Did she not read the product instructions before using it? However, being peeled off slowly but surely is really awful. Imagine that happening to you, oh, that is really one hell of a big OUCH! I wonder what happened to her after she was peeled off. Hopefully, she is fine now and learned her lesson from this very painful experience. This is also a lesson for us, readers: to avoid this kind of situation from happening, be careful when using insect repellents or any products.

No to visa rules on foreign students

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6388701.ece

Members of the University of Colleges Union (UCU) voted no to the new visa rules on foreign students. These new rules would force university lecturers and staff to spy on their foreign students. Accordingly, “universities must keep a copy students’ passports, report them if they fail to enroll or consistently miss lectures, or if they drop out.” Suspicion of students’ involvement in terrorist activities is to be reported as well. The UCU called this “discriminatory” and “an attack on the civil liberties of international staff and students.” UCU General secretary, Sally hunt added, “Our members are educators not border guards.” The tightened immigration legislation wants them to do policing and surveillance work. Presently, there are 240,000 foreign students in Britain; where as 43,120 of them are Pakistanis. The union will lobby for the abolition of this new visa rule.

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I support the union’s call to abolish this new visa rule. Firstly, University professors, lecturers and staff are there to provide education and not to act as a National Guard or border patrols. Secondly, this new rule is discriminating and an attack on people's civil liberties. It immediately tags foreign students as suspicious elements, thus, are threat to Britain’s national security. It attacks the freedom of movement and privacy among others. Thirdly, certain professors who might have a grudge against a student can abuse this rule. Just by a mere suspicion of “terrorist action”, a student is instantly subject to interrogation. What is a “terrorist action” anyway? Thirdly, in the same article, it is reported that the British immigration law has a loophole that allows foreign students, mostly Pakistanis, to obtain a student visa. This is the immigration people’s problem. Besides, these students entered Britain legally. Lastly, an education institution operates separately from the immigration and border agencies. It has a distinct entity. The education institutions are there to teach and not to police.

Recently Elected Oxford Professor of Poetry Ruth Padel resigned

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/may/26/padel-error-poetry-election

Her historical feat lasted only for nine days. Ruth Padel, the first woman elected to hold the 300-year old Oxford University professor of poetry position. She quit her post last night. She was forced to resign by the “divided opinions” in the university. According to her, it was a “bad judgement” on her part that she sent e-mails to two journalists about the sexual harassment of her rival to the chairmanship post, Derek Walcott. In a press conference, she explained that she did what she did out of students concern on Walcott’s previous sexual harassment issues. She apologized to the Oxford University and to Walcott, whose work she “revered”. A new election will take place after the term of the incumbent professor of poetry Christopher Ricks is finished.

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Ruth Padel's intention to help the students is intriguing. I cannot help but think whether she was purely concerned with the students or she saw it as an opportunity for her to get the position.

Why of all [the] moments she could pick, she chose to send the e-mail about the sexual harassment case against Derek Walcott, during the election period for the Poetry professorship post. Why did she not wait until after the elections? Or why did she not go to the responsible authorities? Why e-mail it to the journalists? Now, she did not only loose her position but she also tainted her reputation. Indeed, a "bad judgement."

North Ireland's first-ever sextuplets

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8065097.stm

Four girls and two boys. These are the sextuplets of the Conway couple of the County Tyrone in Belfast. The couple's natural born babies are the first sextuplets in Belfast and in the UK in 26 years. The upcoming arrival of the babies to their hometown is greeted with a lot of support from thier neighbors, parish priest, councillor and the rest of the community. Everyone is overly happy about the news of their birth. Mrs. Nuala Conway had a Caesarian section delivery at the Royal Jubillee Maternity Hospital in Belfast on May 22. The babies were 14 weeks premature. They are now in the intensive care. As they return to their hometown, great support awaits them according to their local prist Fr. Pat Hughes. In 2002, quintuplets were also born in County Tyrone.

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Every birth, may it be a single or multiple one, is always a happy occasion. It is delighting to know that the couple's community is showing their support to them. From what I know, these kinds of birth have a special funding from the city or local government. They would certainly be needing that especially that they have six babies. Raising one baby is difficult, let alone six. I wish that their babies will be healthy and that they will get all the support they need. They are lucky to have sextuplets because in the future, they won't worry of having another kids. They got plenty in one go. And not everybody is blessed with multiple babies or even single one.