6 Wednesday news bites (September 7)

1. Man reportedly holds daughter hostage at Sydney legal office

A man allegedly walked into the chambers in Parramatta with his daughter and said ‘phone the Attorney General, I have a bomb in my backpack’ sparking a siege that lasted nearly 12 hours. The drama began yesterday about 9.15am. The man smashed a window during the siege because of an ‘airconditioner problem’ but otherwise there had been little other violence. Police would not elaborate on why the man was making threats but said it was not in relation to a specific family court matter. The girl was freed in a ‘distraught’ state about 8pm last night as specialist police moved in, walking the father away about half an hour later.

2. That’s not a waist…

No really, that’s so tiny! So Vogue Italia raised an eyebrow or two when they featured a model on the cover with the impossibly photoshopped waist, which it was. But the model was based on the real deal – Ethel Granger – whose remarkably squashed waist was the smallest in the world (and recorded history) at 33cm. This is what Vogue had to say on that waist and Ethel’s husband: Before their marriage Ethel was a plain, unsophisticated twenty-three year old girl who wore the shapeless 1920s dresses that William despised. […] One epochal day, when William put his arm around Ethel’s waist she asked “darling, can you feel any difference?”. He could: a pair of corsets that tied Ethel into 24 inches, more or less her natural waist line. The process of Ethel’s waist modification began. Initially Ethel was satisfied with wearing a corset only during the day, but William convinced her to keep it on while sleeping.” Extreme? You bet.

3. Today is Indigenous Literacy Day

The statistics will shock you. By the age of 15, one third of Indigenous students lack reading comprehension skills so basic they may not be able to fill out a form. MM contributor Kylie Ladd wrote on the subject here. So today, if you buy a book from participating booksellers five per cent of proceeds will go to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation to help raise literacy rates in those communities. Reading really is the best gift you can give someone.

4. Gwyneth Paltrow says affairs just happen

When asked about relationships, love and mistakes the actor said: “It’s like we’re flawed – we’re human beings and sometimes you make choices that other people are going to judge. That’s their problem but I really think that the more I live my life the more I learn not to judge people for what they do. I think we’re all trying our best but life is complicated.” She said she was both a romantic and a realist. Is it possible?

5. Wife sues husband for not having enough sex with her

Oh. She was successful too, winning a total of $13,000 for her emotional trauma which she claimed stemmed from thoughts her husband did not find her attractive. The couple had previously divorced due to the husband’s low libido, it was claimed. The judgment in a French court, said another judge, meant that there was now a precedent that sex must form part of a healthy marriage. Which is a nice thought, but should it be a matter for the courts?

6. Beauty pageant girl dresses up … as a prostitute

This is really like shooting fish in a barrel. It’s like they’re competing for the outrage-o-meter. In any case, whatever you think of this one, it is at the very least just weird. A mother decided the best costume for her three-year-old in the Toddlers and Tiaras pageant was Julia Roberts’ prostitute character from Pretty Woman. That’s really all there is to say, except watch this:

News bites by Rick