Trapped in toilet for a week

MELBOURNE - An Australian woman was stuck in her toilet for a week before neighbours heard her cries for help, officials said yesterday.

The 67-year-old Queensland woman was found on Sunday, seven days after she became trapped, said the state community safety department.

A department spokesman said firefighters had trouble reaching the woman because she was so tightly wedged by the lavatory, with a foot stuck on either side.

"The lady was manoeuvred to one side to free her. The door swings inwards and she had her feet wedged on either side of the toilet," the spokesman said. "She was very dehydrated but she was conscious."

Mr Michael Hibberd, the neighbour who heard the woman's cries for help, said it was a reminder for people to check up on the elderly. "Not necessarily keep an eye on them 24/7 but just make a note of their movements and what not," he said. AFP

From TODAY, World – Thursday, 30-Jul-2009

Related articles by Zemanta

• Australian woman trapped for a week beside toilet (ctv.ca)
• Woman freed after being trapped on lavatory for a week (telegraph.co.uk)

A few new articles that may be of interest

Image via Wikipedia

1. Looking for a job? New US weekly jobless claims jump

2. Secured by a facility protected by guards? Think again. Inmates found guilty of assaulting cell-mate

3. Is the principal the ‘top’ on students’ role model list?

Principal fired for jumping on students

Related articles by Zemanta

• Jobless claims bounce up (money.cnn.com)
• Jobless Claims Continue to Ease (outsidethebeltway.com)
• Initial jobless claims fall to lowest level since January (dailyfinance.com)
• Initial jobless claims drop, but continuing claims rise (dailyfinance.com)
• Initial jobless and continuing claims fall (dailyfinance.com)
• Finally, claims below 600,000 (economist.com)
• Markets still dogged by unemployment as jobless claims jump (dailyfinance.com)
• Stocks retreat on U.S. jobs data, lower oil prices (cbc.ca)
• Jobless claims edge up in latest week (money.cnn.com)
• Record continuing jobless claims threatens more foreclosures, deflation (dailyfinance.com)

Top criminal lawyer to act for owner of Brookes Business School

I was following this news lightly, Brookes Business School shut down due to 'fake' degrees offered.

Anyway, when I saw this news, I thought that the owner was trying to pull up some act to defend himself, and be declared righteous. I was wrong. You can read the rest of the story here.

New map finds HIV rates in US are highest in the South

Image via Wikipedia

Perhaps why this matters is that the demographic condition in that area will spell out the corresponding cure, would it? Hopefully, it don't get stuck in the mind of people, and start discriminating...

GMANews.TV - New map finds HIV rates in US are highest in the South - World - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

Shared via AddThis

Related articles by Zemanta

• Missed Opportunities to Address HIV (bilerico.com)
• Harvard scientists solve mystery about why HIV patients are more susceptible to TB infection (scienceblog.com)
• America to remove HIV visa ban after protest (guardian.co.uk)
• Canadian HIV vaccine close to human trial (nationalpost.com)

Sit down and talk it out

I say, this is hitting the 'self-righteous' on the head with a nail… ooopppsss! I mean hitting the nail right on the head of the 'self-righteous'! Errhh… Whatever, this is hitting the point right home. Kudos!

----------

You can't force people to care; neither should those in need be rude about it

Letter from Esther Lim

THERE has been much debate over the issue of giving up of seats on the MRT to those who are in need.

In trying to encourage social graciousness and compassion, let's not forget that nobody owes anybody anything. It's not wrong to be hopeful, but I'm not sure you should expect someone to give up his seat for you when needed.

It is simply impossible to command someone to be compassionate. It has to come from the heart.

Why can't someone who's entitled to a seat sit comfortably? Why is he expected to be on a constant lookout for anyone who needs a seat more than him? If that's the case, I would rather stand at a cozy corner and do whatever I choose instead of being seated, lest I be judged for not offering my seat because I was too engrossed in my book or taking forty winks.

Social graciousness is also about being tolerant, understanding and less judgmental of those who do not appear to have lived up to expected norms. I do not think it right for someone full of righteous indignation to fulfil his personal need to do good, regardless of whether the situation warrants it, such as by demanding that someone give up his seat for someone else.

Perhaps the three groups - the needy, the passive commuters and the self-righteous - should strive to come to a common understanding.

The needy can be hopeful but should treat kindness as a privilege, not an obligation. Commuters should be encouraged, and not pressured or made to feel obligated or be judged.

The self-righteous should exercise discretion when deciding whether the situation truly warrants their interference, bearing in mind that their interference does not make them any more compassionate than those whom they victimised. Someone who is silently enduring a bad case of migraine might well need a seat more than a pregnant woman in her second trimester carrying a few shopping bags and chatting merrily on her mobile phone.

From TODAY, Voices – Monday, 06-Jul-2009; see the source article here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Smoking May Cause Migraines (blisstree.com)