Recent coverage about the Ipswich murders...

Here's a helpful comment piece:

The Ipswich murders: they were women, weren't they?
Matthew Parris

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,173-2502129,00.html

This one was interesting as well:

Prostitutes deserve as much sympathy as any murder victim
Joan SmithTuesday December 12, 2006
http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,1970129,00.html

But I found this headline rather annoying...

Drugs are the curse of our land and turn women into prostitutes
By Simon Heffer

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/12/13/do1301.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/12/13/ixopinion.html

Really? Are drugs the sole cause of prostitution? Actually, I think it's men. Obviously not all men, but if there wasn't a market for anonymous sex-on-demand, these women would find other ways to feed their addictions and make ends meet. I also reject to the author using the term 'tart' to refer to prostitutes. Either treat people with respect or don't talk about them at all. How would he like it if I referred to him constantly as something very rude? Also, I wonder, how could he even begin to understand what might drive a woman (or a man, for that matter) into a life of prostitution? Blaming drugs is very handy - it's a faceless evil. Looking at society's constructions that lead people to take drugs and to move into this kind of lifestyle is much more demanding. Which is why no-one wants to do it.

Also, a friend pointed out that the news coverage constantly refers to the victims of these murders as 'girls' - they were not girls, they were women. How interesting that even though this is such a serious issue, the victims themselves are not being taken seriously.

My heart and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims of these awful murders and to those who work and live in the area.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It's a sad day in hollywood

Clooney mourns death of his pig:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6209130.stm

Clooney, 45, added that he had no plans to replace the pet. "I think Max covered all my pig needs," he said.

Earlier this year Clooney took the pig for a flight in John Travolta's private jet, declaring afterwards that Max "absolutely loved it".
_____

My mum always wanted one of those pigs.

Yeah, cos that makes perfect sense...

Nuclear stockpiles cut to placate Trident opponents
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2029290.ece