Mullet wearers unite - bogans are real

Jerrie Demasi
Published: June 19, 2012 - 4:21PM

Mullet wearers unite – the word "bogan" has officially been recognised by the Oxford English Dictionary.

The self-proclaimed definitive record of English language included the word this month as an Australian and New Zealand colloquial "depreciative term for unfashionable, uncouth, or unsophisticated person, especially of low social status".

But New Zealand native Dave Snell, known as Dr Bogan after acquiring a PHD in boganism, disagreed with Oxford Dictionary's definition.

"I wasn't terribly fond of that definition ... I find it a little problematic," he said.

"I wouldn't say [being a bogan] means you're of lower status; I prefer to talk about working class people."

He said that, while you were unlikely to find a bogan wandering through a museum or admiring fine art, it was unfair to refer to the word as a "depreciative term".

"I don't really like the idea of calling being a bogan uncultured or unsophisticated," he said.

"It's just a different culture.

"I like to say it's like taking aspects of Australian culture and concentrating it."

So what is a bogan?

A study by University of Auckland linguistic students last year looked at defining the term "bogan" through a range of public surveys.

The results showed that people under the age of 30 were more likely to consider being a bogan as a good thing, in comparison to the over 30 age bracket who saw the term with negative connotations.

Dr Snell, who describes himself as the quintessential bogan, confessed that he often sported an ACDC T-shirt under his collared work shirt.

He gave a more specific physical description of what a bogan was, offering a checklist of sorts.

He said bogans were known for wearing black jeans, steel cap boots, heavy metal T-shirts and apparently quite a lot of "flanno" (flannel).

"I've got a goatie but I can't remember how long ago I cut off my mullet," he said.

"It got too greasy and started to grow things in it."

Curtin University Professor of Cultural Studies Jon Stratton said he was not surprised to see bogans appear in the dictionary.

"My only surprise is that the word has taken so long to get in there," he said.

Other words to be added to the OED in June include "BitTorrent", "cybercast", "dance-off" and "paywall".

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/mullet-wearers-unite--bogans-are-real-20120619-20l9z.html

Tattoo's don't hurt anyway.

'Somewhat alive' robots make humans embarrassed - study

By Kieran Campbell 7:25 PM Tuesday Jun 26, 2012

How do you feel about getting undressed in front of a robot?

New research suggests humans may be willing to take off their clothes in front of Star Wars robot R2-D2, but undressing in front of the more human-like C-3PO may be asking too much.

Dr Christoph Bartneck says new tests have found we tend to feel reluctant to smash a robot to pieces, or we may refuse to undress in front of one, because we perceive robots as being "somewhat alive".

And the more human characteristics a robot has, the more our hesitation grows.

Dr Bartneck is a computer scientist at the University of Canterbury and has been at the forefront of human-robot interaction research for more than 10 years in New Zealand and overseas.

He said experiments had revealed an interesting relationship between humans and robots.

"Research studies show us people are reluctant to kill robots with perceived intelligence or that are thought to look human," he said. "We're interested in finding out why they do or don't want to take that step."

Dr Bartneck said it was an important theory to explore as more human-like robots, such as automatic vacuum cleaners, are introduced to homes.

The social side of a robot is evolving.

"When robots enter the home ... they become social actors and that also means that they have to know and respect the values and social norms that we have. And only then will they be acceptable in the home," he said.

"If a robot comes around and acts very inappropriately then we probably would not be very happy with having him. That's why it is important to pay attention to the social aspect of robotics, not only the functional ones, in terms of how quickly can you wash the dishes. Of course that's nice (to know how efficient a robot is) but that's not the whole thing - human communication and human interaction is quite difficult."

Studies show people can also get embarrassed around robots.

"Particularly if a robot looks like us and we're asked to do something with it that we probably wouldn't do with a stranger, like take our clothes off for example.

"From these research findings we know people perceive some robots as having intentional behaviour and being somewhat alive. But we've got a fair way to go before we see them as our equals."

The research is helping improve the way robots worldwide are designed and perform.

Dr Bartneck's group of two academic staff, three PhD students and two master's students are working through a research programme focused on human-robot interaction.

"We're hoping to come up with a computer model for human characteristics within robots. It'll take us another step closer to making robots that are more like us and maybe another step towards seeing them as our equals, who knows?"

- APNZ

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10815673

Repulsive' fans at Lord's: it's just not cricket


Rowdy Australians are on notice ahead of today's first one-day international against England at Lord's.

The reason is an eye-catching rant from John "Fingers" Fingleton, a stalwart of the exclusive Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) for more than 40 years who has criticised the dress and behaviour of what he calls "The Great Unwashed" at the ground, known as the home of cricket.

Fingleton, a charity auctioneer, and others have taken to the MCC's members' online noticeboard to protest the presence of "mobs of ill-behaved, ill-dressed screaming yobbos" in the Lord's Pavilion during a domestic Twenty20 game this month.
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“I cannot ever recall experiencing the Pavilion both as full as it was....and so crammed with such predominantly repulsive, ill-behaved, apologies-for- membership-of-the-human- race — what, for the most part, I would regard as 'The Great Unwashed',” Fingleton wrote.

“I have never recognised so few of my fellow members in the Pavilion at any previous match. The Long Bar was jammed to capacity with mobs of ill-behaved, ill-dressed, screaming yobbos — and that was just the men.

"I understand, albeit anecdotally, that a number of our 'guests' were drinking in the Long Room during the match, and when asked to refrain by a fellow member, behaved discourteously and even somewhat pugnaciously.”

Australia's visit to Lord's today is a sell-out and there will be extra antipodean interest after the shambolic early exit of the Australian tennis contingent at Wimbledon.

Fingleton told Fairfax his experience with Australians at Lord's - the home of cricket - had mostly been positive although a couple of episodes had slightly tainted his memory.

One, he said, was also at a Twenty20 match, at the SCG, following the 2006-07 Ashes when he was seated in the Members Pavilion near the England dressing room. "After about four overs my panama hat suddenly went flying and from behind me a bloke said 'Take that f****** thing off, mate!" Fingleton said.

In another incident, at Lord's last year, he suspects that an Australian he had been talking to stole his hat band while he visited the toilet. "I went to have a pee and when I returned my hat band had disappeared," he said. "I wasn't wildly impressed with that. I had no doubt in my mind at all that he'd nicked it."

Fingleton added: "Don't get me wrong. I love Aussies. I love their commitment to cricket, I've been to all your Test grounds, I've watched a whole Ashes series. It was one of the thrills of my life and I think the Sydney Cricket Ground is one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world."

He stood by his comments on the MCC message board. "Someone suggested I'm being a snob. I said 'No, I'm being elitist'. They are very different and I make no apology for being elitist."

Only MCC members are permitted entry to the Victorian-era Lord's Pavilion during Test matches but those rules were relaxed for a T20 game between Middlesex and Surrey a fortnight ago, with members of those clubs able to bring guests.

According to the Lord's website there is currently about an 18-year wait for full membership of the MCC and there is a strict and highly-policed dress code to gain entry to the Pavilion. The new dress code, which was issued last month with accompanying picture cards amid concerns about slipping standards, dictates that men must wear: "lounge suits or tailored jacket and trousers, shirt, tie or cravat and shoes with socks".

Ladies are to wear "wear dresses; or skirts or trousers (which may be cropped below the knee) or culottes, with blouses or smart tops and shoes, boots or sandals".

The items on the restricted list include "jeans and their close relations; leggings; jodhpur-style trousers; T-shirts; track suits; training shoes; plimsolls; flip-flop shoes; denim clothing and overalls".

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/repulsive-fans-at-lords-its-just-not-cricket-20120629-215tz.html#ixzz1z8olesh1

Indian doctor removes 13-centimetre live worm from man's eye

June 29, 2012 - 10:33PM

When an elderly Indian patient came to Dr V. Seetharaman with persistent pain in his eye, what the surgeon found was reminiscent of a far-fetched alien movie plot: a live, 13 centimetre-long worm.

On examining the 75-year-old at Mumbai's Fortis Hospital this week, the eye expert was shocked by the highly unusual sight of the writhing parasite and had to operate speedily to remove it before serious damage was caused.

"It was wriggling there under the conjunctiva," Seetharaman told AFP, referring to the thin membrane lining the eye. "It was the first time in my career of 30 years that I had seen such a case."

Retired patient P.K. Krishnamurthy had been suffering for more than two weeks with redness and irritation before the doctor pin-pointed the threadlike creature under a microscope on Wednesday.

"He was also confused and very much disturbed," said Seetharaman.

The specialist removed the 13-centimetre (five-inch) worm by making a small opening in the conjunctiva -- a 15-minute operation that was observed by the patient's horrified wife, Saraswati.

"It just kept moving and jumping; it was scary for a bit," she told the Mumbai Mirror.

The patient was relieved of his symptoms while the worm, which was alive for another 30 minutes after surgery, was sent to the hospital's microbiologists to be identified.

Seetharaman had previously only heard of worms of about two to three centimetres being removed. "Probably this is a record," he said.

He suggested the creature could have entered the patient from a cut in his foot or from eating raw or improperly cooked food, before entering the bloodstream and travelling to the eye.

"If the worm was not removed it could have gone into the layers of the eye and caused visual loss," he said. "It could have entered the brain and caused major neurological problems."

Dr S. Narayani, the hospital's medical director, agreed it was an extremely rare case. "We have a very active ophthalmology department and we have not come across a case like this in the last 10 years," she said.

AFP


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/indian-doctor-removes-13centimetre-live-worm-from-mans-eye-20120629-218n8.html#ixzz1zEz1KBty

Unlucky number? All of Tom Cruise's marriages ended when wives reached 33

It looks like Tom Cruise's unlucky number is 33 - as all three of his ex-wives called it quits when they reached that very same age.
Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes were all in their early thirties when their marriages to the Hollywood leading man took a turn for the worse.
Fans of the heartbroken star searched for a meaning, some postulating that the number 33 is related somehow to Mr Cruise's religion, Scientology.

Mr Cruise married Mimi Rogers when she was 31 in May of 1987. She was 33 when they broke up in 1990. In his second marriage to Nicole Kidman, the actors stayed together for ten years. They split in 2001, when she was 33.
His wedding with Katie Holmes was in 2006 when she was 28 and this week, when she filed for divorce, she had reached the ripe old age of 33.

In each case, divorce proceedings began when the wives were 33 and concluded when the were 34.
Perez Hilton dug deep into Scientology to find out what, if any importance there is to the number 33. Turns out, the first Church of Scientology was established in Phoenix, Arizona, which lies on the 33rd parallel.

In numerology, the number 33 is for the 'master teacher' represented by the Archangel Michael. The number 33 is associated with the power of healing through love; people with the life path number 33 are totally selfless and love unconditionally.
Regardless of the positive connotations, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's divorce will not be recognized by the church of Scientology, according to church documents.

Age: In each case, divorce proceedings began when the wives were 33 and concluded when the were 34
There is a belief in the church of Scientology that marital problems come from 'withholds' or 'overts' - undiscussed issues or problems.
Mrs Holmes is believed to have blind-sided her Mission Impossible star husband by initiating divorce proceedings and seeking sole custody of their daughter Suri.

Family: Mrs Holmes is believed to have blind-sided her Mission Impossible star husband by initiating divorce proceedings and seeking sole custody of Suri Cruise
With sole custody of Suri, Mrs Holmes would be able to remove her daughter from the Church of Scientology despite her husband's enthusiasm for it.
The estranged couple have been raising Suri in accordance with the doctrine of the Church of Scientology - treating her as an adult, free to make her own decisions.

The show must go on: Tom Cruise took off from Reykjavik airport, following his divorce from Katie Holmes
'Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children,' a spokesperson for Cruise said.
The actress cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the cause to the split.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2167035/Tom-Cruise-Katie-Holmes-Divorce-Just-like-Katie-ALL-Tom-Cruises-marriages-ended-wives-reached-33.html#ixzz1zO3l9Pln

Bone-eating, acid-spitting Alien worm of the deep discovered

by: Rob Waugh From: Daily Mail July 04, 2012 12:00AM


SCIENTISTS have discovered a terrifying new species that spits acid at its victims and devours bones.

The gruesome undersea worms eat whale skeletons while releasing bone-melting acid from their mouths.

The tiny Osedax worms live inside the carcasses of dead whales, but biologists were puzzled as to how they could break down bones - the worms have no mouths.

University of San Diego scientists found that the worms had an enzyme that secretes a bone-melting acid - which is concentrated on the part that digs into their 'food'.

'Melting' the bones releases fat and oil, which are digested by bacteria that lives inside the worm.

Only the females are equipped with this terrifying 'bio weapon' - the males are tiny, and each female is surrounded by a 'harem' of them inside a gelatinous tube.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/weird/bone-eating-acid-spitting-alien-worm-of-the-deep-discovered/story-e6frev20-1226416054930

This thread has made me nervous that an AJohn supports Two Teams thread is about to pop up.

I was cracking myself up the whole way through.

False. i have a friend who would never even dream of looking at porn. He's the most innocent person I've ever met, so naive when it comes to stuff like this.

False. i have a friend who would never even dream of looking at porn. He's the most innocent person I've ever met, so naive when it comes to stuff like this

100 bucks says your friend isn't in his 20s either :lol:

100 bucks says your friend isn't in his 20s either :lol:

hes lying....everyone must have seen some porn at some time whether it was intentional or not.

Not this guy. He's Indian and comes from a staunch Christian household. He frowns upon anything slightly sexual, to the point where he covers his eyes during sex scenes in movies (does that classify as porn though?) and we have to tell him when its over so he can open his eyes :lol: And he's not gay. He made a huge speech in English last year against gay marriage.

Not this guy. He's Indian and comes from a staunch Christian household. He frowns upon anything slightly sexual, to the point where he covers his eyes during sex scenes in movies (does that classify as porn though?) and we have to tell him when its over so he can open his eyes :lol: And he's not gay. He made a huge speech in English last year against gay marriage.

You need to slap him, life is lot of fun with tits and not alot of religion