a happy birthday to you, Goldminer

:bday3:

may you have a splendid day

ok:

In Japan it is estimated that 60% of older women have a common problem - their husbands. Having spent years "married to their jobs", retired men are having an extraordinary effect on the health of their partners,

Takako Terakawa shares her cramped, two-room flat in Osaka with a cat the size of a small child, 400 teddy bears and her husband. Takako Terakawa finds that buying teddy bears relieves her stress.

The bears are neatly stored, and filed according to colour and size, in a cabinet in her bedroom.

She brings them out to inspect and groom them each day.

As she does so, her whole body relaxes.

This seems to be what she lives for.

The bears are a replacement for her husband.

Drifting apart

Mrs Terakawa suffers from Retired Husband Syndrome (RHS), an illness born of a particular set of social conditions.

Women brought up during the 50s and 60s - the baby-boomer generation - are sometimes seen as a commodity by their husbands, someone to do the housework and look after the children.


Dr Nobuo Kurokawa
If the husband doesn't try to understand, the illness becomes incurable

Their husbands may be "salarymen" or white collar workers, who leave home in the early hours, and return merely to sleep.

These couples can gradually drift apart, carving out separate lives for themselves.

Then, when the husband approaches 60 - the national retirement age in Japan - the wife gradually realises she is going to be thrust into the permanent company of a man who has grown to be a stranger.

It is at this point that wives in Japan have started becoming ill, showing signs of both depression and physical illness.

"When I thought about my husband being at home, I developed rashes on my body and had stomach ache," admits Mrs Terakawa. "On occasions I would throw up after I had eaten.
Source BBC

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Guess I must be tired tonight but this really brought a smile to my face.
:jive:

:bday3:

Have a great day!

Don't know about the rest of you but I'm wondering what has happened to the British as a whole.

I was watching BBC breakfast this morning when they asked "How far is too far in regards to nature programs?" Apparently there was a bit of bother over Planet Earths showing of a pride of lions taking down an elephant. For heavens sake, how often do we see this. Its nature, it happens. What next?
"Sorry Johnny cannot come to school today as he was traumastised after watching the teletubbies eating toast!"

It's bad enough being told what to eat, drink, smoke, drive. Where we can and cannot walk, build? That fat is wrong and skinny is wrong. That we cannot discipline children.

PT at school is a laugh. Swimming lessons - no teacher is allowed in the pool. they teach the children from the pool edge and if a child gets into difficulties then they hook them out. Kid you not. No first aiders at the side of sports fields.

Cannot make jokes anymore incase sexist, racist, against a persons creed.

Christmas is coming soon, yep, CHRISTMAS and I will call it that, not Winterfest, not Midwinter, but CHRISTMAS. I might not be a practicing Christian but I take offence when someone claims that my religous holidays are offensive. What about Ramadan, Yom Kippour, Davali (spelling) etc, we have to sit back and throw our religion away because it will offend some thin skinned bloke in government. TOUGH. Live with it.

This was a nation who had the general strike of 1926, where the Jarrow Marched marched from Jarrow to London in '36. Cornish fisherman protested in the '50's. The poll tax riots of the '80's. The petrol price hike blockades and more recently the march against the war in Iraq.

It seems that they are quite happy to lay down and let whatever legislation, ruling etc roll over them.

Hello folks.

Just a quick note to let you know that i'm back in Poland nowtime: and back on line after a hectik few weeks of travel and relocation.

Hope to see you all on the boards again.

Have a great day further.

ok:

South Africa train crash kills 20
At least 20 people have been killed in South Africa after a train collided with a truck carrying farm workers, broadcaster SABC has reported.

The truck was crossing rail tracks near Somerset West, just outside Cape Town, when the accident happened shortly before 0800 local time (0600 GMT).

At least eight other passengers were injured in the crash. Three were in a critical condition, paramedics said.

Witnesses said the truck stalled at a level crossing, which had no barriers.

The rail company, Metrorail, said no-one on the train was hurt, but many of the passengers were suffering from shock.

'Bang and smoke'

More than 30 people - workers from a local wine farm - were travelling on the truck, paramedics told the South African Press Association.

An eyewitness, Ray Weyer, said passengers on the train heard a bang and saw smoke.

"They all descended from the train and walked toward the nearest station," he told South African radio.

The train was bound for Cape Town and Metrorail say rail services on that line will be suspended for several hours.

Last year, Transport Minister Jeff Radebe said the number of level crossing accidents in South Africa was unacceptable.

Story from BBC NEWS:

Nice and early this morning

Which five letters in the English alphabet are not in the Italian alphabet?

Hi daar aan almal en vir die wat nie weet Steve het alle nuwe kunstenaars uitgedaag om iets te skryf oor ons land se geskiedenis PLAAK - n nuwe suid-sfrikaanse rock groep se bydrae is JOHANNES JAN DE WAAL gaan luister gerus by http://www.bandspace.com/plaak kyk gerus ook na http://www.kraaipromosies.co.za en stem vir ons as julle van PLAAK hou luister op die podcast kunstenaars links

Groete
Insisevus :thx: :lovebuzz:

I was expecting a lot more of the England side against Argentina yesterday.

Must take my hat off to the Argentinians though, they deserved the game.

What is wrong in England rugby at the moment?

Watching the Heineken stuff they certainly have the talent and depth of players that could do the job.