How can ‘he’ be pregnant?

Thomas Beatie, was shrouded in controversy being the world’s first pregnant man.

I just watched this programme on Channel four, it was a detailed account of events leading upto the impregnation of the world’s first man.

But, can you really call Thomas Beatie, a man?

Undoubtedly, he looks like one, but the fact of the matter is that he was once a woman.
Misleading information
It is physically impossible for a man to have children. Beatie however, has constantly been referred to as the ‘pregnant man’.

In the programme, he admits that even though he underwent surgery, he still kept his female reproductory organs.

Transgendered is what he is. I can’t understand how he can be called the pregnant man, when he clearly isn’t.

I mean, ‘real’ men do not have feamle reproductory organs, obviously.

That’s why I think calling him the pregnant man is totally misleading.

A ‘porky’ mess

Intensive pig farming; Source: Wikipedia

I was listening to the news on the radio today and was shocked to learn that cancer-causing dioxins had somehow managed to contaminate pig feed in Ireland.

The consequence: All pork products like sausages, bacon, salami, ham, white pudding and pizza with ham toppings had to be removed  from supermarket shelves across Europe.

According to the article in The Times of India, “Dioxins are contaminants that may be formed during combustion processes and can be present in industrial wastes.”

Industrial wastes? How could toxic industraial wastes make its way into animal feed or anywhere near it, for that matter? That’s what I want answered.

Tell the truth..

As is to be expected, the authorities played down the entire situation.

A food safety expert, Professor Hugh Pennington told the BBC the health risk was “very, very low”. 

Also, the UK’s Food Standards Agency said it did not believe that consumers faced any “significant risk”. 

Well, obviously there was some risk involved, otherwise why would the products in question be recalled?

It’s hard to digest that some pork products contained up to 200 times more dioxins than the recognised safety limit.

All that’s in my mind is how could this have happened? And what is going to be done to prevent a future occurrence?

Will this slip-up take a toll on Ireland’s farming industry, considering that this is the time of year when pork is in great demand? Only time will tell, I suppose.

Goa on the rocks….

On alert: Beautiful Goa; Source: Wikipedia

Goa has been in the news for the past week or so now, but more so today and it’s for all the wrong reasons.

Following the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Goa is on the hit list.

The reason being that nearly 2 million tourists flock there annually. December being one of its peak months. 

To be honest, it gives me the chills to even consider what might happen. What would the police do?

Goa’s police force…actually, what police force? I’m not being harsh, just honest.

Having lived there for nearly all my life, does by no means make me an expert, but enables me to assess the situation, I believe.

 

A frightening situation

First of all, when you think of the police, you think  of physically fit men/women.

Okay, so that’s out. Most of the police force in Goa are overweight, not to mention corrupt and in most politicians pockets.

What would they do if terrorist’s struck? Probably to dive under their rickety tables, cowering in fright, would be their immediate reaction.

Thaindian News reports that, “Even for minor law and order situations, elections as well as VVIP visits or cultural events, the State has to call for outside forces or work with the available limited force.

This is done by diverting staff from the districts as well as units, thereby severly affecting the working of the police department.”

The Times of India confirms the fact that even during the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that is held in Goa, “the event puts a massive strain on the police machinery.

To handle such situations, an increase of reserve force is the need of the hour to ensure effective patrolling.”

What will the fate of Goa be, if our own security force is so limited? How fast can we expect any kind of rescue operation to take place?

All will be revealed unfortunatley, when the inevitable does happen and it’s just too late to do anything  at all.

Mumbai attacks: A friend’s account of events

                                                                                                                                                        

Former glory: The Taj Palace hotel; Source: Wikipedia

The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai were just horrendous. It is believed to be one of the worst India has seen in years.

A friend, also studying Journalism, but in St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai had a harrowing time when nine or ten of the blasts happened within a five minute radius of where she stays.

I just thought I would share what she had to say on that horrific night.

About 12 places were bombed and fired upon in Bombay yesterday from 10 pm onwards.

And about nine or ten of them were in South Mumbai (that’s where she lives). All the blasts happened within a five minute radius of where I stay.

One round of firing was right outside my PG (Paying Guest) accommodation. We all heard the gun shots and people screaming and running helter-skelter.

Two important police officials were shot dead right outside where we stay. The terrorists actually passed by our place.

This place called Leo’s (Cafe Leopold) was attacked, that’s five minutes from where I stay and I go there practically twice or thrice a week for dinner.

Hotels Taj and Oberoi are under siege, there were six or seven blasts in each.

People are still being held hostage there as we speak, several staff and guests are already killed. The Taj and Oberoi were set on fire; the top floor of the Taj is destroyed.

Plus the CST station (the Chatrapati Shivaji Station), again, two to three minutes from my place was bombed, including the JJ school of arts, a couple of hospitals, police head quarters and the domestic airport.

This has been proclaimed to be the worst attack India has seen in recent years, and I was literally in the middle of it.

I mean, our PG is in the centre of all these places – in the west, the station, the east, Oberoi and up north, Colaba, where Leo’s and the Taj are.

I have been getting calls all day and have been up all night watching the news. Please pray that this thing dies down.

And we call ourselves civilised….

The result of rape: Unwanted pregnancy; Source: Wikipedia

 

 

It was stomach-churning, literally, to read about the incestuous relationship that a father had with his two daughters.

 

According to CNN, the 56-year-old man repeatedly raped his two girls for 27 years, leading to 19 pregnancies.

 

Between the two, there were nine births, five miscarriages and five abortions.

 

But, how he could have got away with it for so long, is beyond incomprehensible and that too, in Britain.

 

The BBC revealed that the father moved the family from village to village in rural locations to keep them isolated and to avoid detection.

 

They were like prisoners, the exception being that they were trapped in their own home.

 

Scared to death

The victims were raped up to three times a week and if they dared to refuse the father’s demands, he would terrorise them.

 

He punched and kicked them, or would hold their heads next to the flames of their gas fire, at times burning their hands and eyes.

 

The assaults would even continue during pregnancies.

 

What I want to know is, where have teachers, neighbours, relatives, social workers, doctors – anyone, who came in contact with the family –  been in the past 27 years?

 

How could such heinous crimes be ignored by so many? It makes you question if the child protection system, in this country, is in fact flawed.