Jenjie

And why in the advert has Hurley started talking about Giraffe's? And what about the french woman? And what's Walt's Dad going to do? And what happens when the blonde girl whose name I have totally forgotten finds the bottle full of letters washed up on the beach?

How stupid can you be? There's announcments all over the place asking you not to leave bags & parcels unattended. I hope she's charged with wasting police time, and made to pay the cost.

Five suspected nail bombs put west London on major alert, before a woman walked into a police station claiming they were her "works of art". Police helicopters and bomb squad officers were scrambled to Shepherd's Bush and Hammersmith on Wednesday morning, to examine the packages. Some of the packages were cardboard boxes containing soft toys and training shoes with nails sticking out of them. A 36-year-old local woman was held on suspicion of causing a public nuisance. She has since been released on bail. The emergency services were called to the area shortly after 0800 GMT. BBC home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford said the packages - cardboard boxes and cylinders - were "all of a similar appearance and all quite prominently placed". One, in Charecroft Way, Shepherd's Bush, consisted of three cardboard tubes supporting a polystyrene "altar" on which stood some flowers and a note which talked about the loss of a "Pelagius". It read: "Your absence has gone through us like thread through a needle. Everything we do is stitched with its colour." As a precaution police closed roads around the area, many used by commuters getting into central London, and people in local buildings were told to keep away from windows. Jonathan Boakes, who lives near the police cordon, said he and neighbours were left waiting for an hour for the situation to clear. "There were lots of helicopters in the sky, lots of ambulances and sirens going off," he said. Police later confirmed no explosives were found and all the roads were re-opened after a woman claimed to be responsible for placing the suspect objects. http://www.bbc.co.uk

A pensioner woke to find bare earth in place of her front lawn which had been stolen by opportunistic thieves. Ivy Mizen, 92, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, said she believed the thieves had carted the turf away in a neighbour's wheelie bin. The new lawn had been laid just days before the theft leaving her bungalow fronted by a bare patch of dirt. Managers at the sheltered housing scheme where she lives replaced the stolen turf on Wednesday. As the new turf was laid Mrs Mizen said she was more annoyed than angry. Oldest tenant "They can't be in their right minds to do that sort of thing. No-one in their right minds would steal a lawn - I wouldn't have thought so anyway." Katie Savage, from Cross Keys Homes which runs the sheltered housing scheme where the pensioner lives, said: "We can't believe this has happened. They'd literally taken it all. She had nothing left. "But I'm glad to say Cross Keys have gone round and we've re-laid the turf for her so she's happy again. "She's 92 years old and she's the oldest tenant on the scheme as well so it was disappointing for her. She was saddened by it but, you know, these things do happen." Police have begun an investigation and are trying to track down the thieves.

me too!!!!!!!! finally some answers!!

Jen's note: The view of the Arab/Israeli Conflict and other matters currently affecting the Middle East depend greatly on where in the world you were born; what religion you are; what information you have been given; and other varied factors. It doesn't make anyone's views less valid. Everyone is welcome on this board, and everyone is entitled to an opinion. We need to bear in mind that we have people from all over the world who visit this board. Debate is fine but lets keep it friendly. Cheers

I don't think its as easy to be that black & white about things. The Israelis as a whole are not terrorists but they have a had a military organisation which carried out terrorist acts against the Arabs & the British. Their own website here describes how they bombed a hotel and killed people.

er dur!!!!! its a coldplay messageboard, and Cincinatti Weekly decided to cover the fact that this woman likes Coldplay. If you don't like the news articles I'm posting, feel free to find me some better ones!! And as its a veeeerrrrryyyyy slow news day for Coldplay, I'd like to see you try and find something that isn't Ivor Novello related!

There are two things you should know about Brianna Walker if you want to have a great conversation with her. She's a huge sports fan, and she's a big music lover. "I went to Ohio State and I follow everything Buckeyes," she says. The Cincinnati native also loves to cheer on the Reds and Bengals. "I see tons of concerts," she adds. "I've seen Coldplay, Dave Matthews several times and David Gray recently. But Coldplay was by far the best concert I've ever seen. They were amazing live. A friend of mine told me Def Leppard is coming to Riverbend with Journey and I think it would be fun to see them." When she's not attending shows and buying new music, Walker works as a market analyst for ACNielsen, specifically looking at data for P&G's family care products. And when happy hour doesn't get in the way, the former college synchronized swimmer hits the gym. Here are her pop culture picks. MOVIES What was the last good movie you saw? Crash. I loved it! It clearly illustrates that everyone, no matter how much you want to deny it, has some sort of preconceived notion of how people are or should be based on basic stereotypes. I think it definitely speaks to society today. BOOKS What was the last book you read? Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. I think I'm late on this one, but I loved the book. It's so easy to read - I was able to finish it on a plane! MAGAZINES What magazines do you read? Self, Glamour and People my guilty pleasure. Come on, you've got to know who local boy Nick Lachey is dating! WEB What Web sites have you discovered that everyone should bookmark? http://www.museumofhoaxes.com and http://www.oddtodd.com. These are a total waste of brain cells, but they will make you laugh. Also, http://www.thelantern.com. I've got to keep up with what's going on in Columbus with my Buckeyes! MUSIC What new song or album can't you get enough of? I really like "O Yeah" and "She's Love" by The End of Fashion. I've also been listening to a lot of Snow Patrol and Interpol. Oh, and Coldplay, you can never get enough Coldplay! TV What TV shows do you love to watch, or what TV shows do you love to hate? It's not a Sunday night without The Sopranos or Grey's Anatomy. I also like to watch The Amazing Race, but it's just not the same this season without our Cincy connection. Source: http://www.cinweekly.com

Authors Ali Smith, Zadie Smith and Sarah Waters are in the running for the Orange Prize for Fiction, which celebrates female writing. Six authors have been nominated, with the winner of the top prize of £30,000 being announced on 6 June. Both Zadie Smith's On Beauty and Ali Smith's The Accidental were also nominated for last year's Booker Prize. Australian Carrie Tiffany has been shortlisted for her debut novel Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living. Sarah Waters, whose novel Fingersmith was a previous nominee, sees her fourth book The Night Watch on the Orange shortlist. US author Nicole Krauss is also up for the award with The History of Love, alongside Hilary Mantel for Beyond Black. The award celebrates "excellence, originality and accessibility in women's writing" and can be given to any female author writing in the English language. Zadie Smith's The Autograph Man and White Teeth and Ali Smith's Hotel World were previous Orange nominees 'Finest writers' Broadcaster Martha Kearney, chairwoman of the judges, said: "We have been very lucky as some of the country's finest writers have excellent books out this year and that is reflected in our choice. "But that did mean it was difficult taking out some much loved novels from the long list. "I am pleased that we've included books from the US and Australia including one which most readers won't have come across." This year's judging panel includes comedienne and novelist Jenny Eclair, director of the Institute of Ideas Claire Fox, novelist and columnist India Knight, and children's writer Jacqueline Wilson. Previous winners of the Orange Prize for Fiction include Lionel Shriver for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2005), Andrea Levy for Small Island (2004), and Valerie Martin for Property (2003).

Developers behind Manchester's Beetham Tower, said to be Europe's tallest residential building, are celebrating it reaching full height. The building now stands 171m (561ft) and 47 storeys above the city centre. A five-star Hilton hotel will occupy the first 23 floors and apartments fill the other 24. Tower architect Ian Simpson will live in the penthouse. A topping out ceremony was taking place on Wednesday, marking the completion of Beetham's highest point. The development, which stands at the crossroads of Deansgate, Great Bridgewater Street and Liverpool Road, is a glass tower that will be the highest residential development in Europe. The UK's tallest tower is Canada Tower in London's Canary Wharf, at 778ft (237m) tall. Residents will have unrivalled views of Snowdonia, Liverpool and Blackpool Tower from Beetham, which now dominates the Manchester skyline. The building, close to Granada's studios, even offers "over the wall" views of the nearby Coronation Street set. Mr Simpson's top floor apartment is said to give him the furthest views of any resident in the UK. He said Beetham was "a marked for regeneration and change" in the city. He added: "It signals the perception that Manchester had changed for good. "Living in your own building is something very special and the views are spectacular as well. "But if I make any mistakes, I'll have to live with them, that's the problem!" BBC Manchester

A Take That fan who went into labour during the band's comeback concert in Newcastle is recovering after losing her baby. The woman suffered stomach pains during the finale, Never Forget, as Take That performed for the first time in more than 10 years. The band attracted more than 9,000 fans to the city's Arena on Sunday night. A spokeswoman for the Royal Victoria Infirmary confirmed the baby had died and said the woman remained "poorly". The spokeswoman said: "The baby sadly died. Her family do not want to say anything more at this point." A Take That spokeswoman said the band had been saddened by the news. She said: "The band have been informed and they are extremely sorry. "They will be passing on their condolences to the lady concerned." Gary Barlow, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Howard Donald are playing 29 dates, a decade after originally splitting up. Former member Robbie Williams appeared for the introduction of Could It Be Magic in hologram form. At the height of their fame, Take That became the first act since The Beatles to score four consecutive UK number ones. The last time Barlow, Donald, Orange and Owen performed together on a British stage was at London's Earls Court in August 1995. http://www.bbc.co.uk

I thought we had a thread but i can't find it!! I know I've talked about the film somewhere so am completely baffled. Thoroughly enjoyed the film.

Tues 2nd MAY! Next week C4 @ 10pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (am going to edit the thread title)

Liverpool fans vandalised Old Trafford football ground during their victorious FA Cup semi final match against Chelsea on Sunday, it has emerged. Fans ripped out seats and scrawled graffiti praising the serial killer Harold Shipman inside the ground. A spokesman for the Football Association confirmed it was talking to Greater Manchester Police and Manchester United about the incident. Workmen are trying to repair affected areas before the next home game. The FA have agreed to pay for the damage as they organised the event. It is understood Manchester United tried to lobby the FA to urge them not to hold the match at 1715 BST, to avoid the threat of drunken trouble. Manchester United declined to comment. http://www.bbc.co.uk

I've seen the odd episode. Haven't got Sky One at my house so only see it on the odd occasion when I'm round at my Mum's.

More details have arrived about little Moses‘ birth! The firstborn son of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin was born in NYC at Mount Sinai Hospital — but there’s no official word on his method of egress (i.e. scalpel or pushing). He weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces on 4/8 (ooh… the numbers are the same!) — checking in at about 9:00 in the morning. For what it’s worth, big sister Apple was nearly a pound and a half bigger at birth: she weighed 9 pounds, 11 ounces when she was born on May 14, 2004. Source - celebritypregnancy.com

THE MEN behind one of the regions most successful businesses have proved they have what it takes to top the UK’s definitive rich list. Local businessmen Simon Nixon and partner David Cameron have been named jointly as the eleventh richest men in the North West. The news comes after the publication of the Sunday Times Rich List UK yesterday and highlights the success of the local men. Deeside-born Simon Nixon is the chief executive and co-founder of financial services website moneysupermarket.com. According to the Sunday Times Rich List for the North West, Mr Nixon has seen his wealth more than double in the past year to a staggering £480m. He has been placed at 138 on the national rich list. Moneysupermarket.com, which compares the lowest prices for products, has been a huge success story in the British internet business since its launch in 1999. It is one of the fastest-growing internet firms in the UK, enabling online customers to compare personal finance products and services in the market. It is not the first time Mr Nixon has been named on account of his business skills. In December, he was ranked third in a list of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the UK. And he is not the only success story from Flintshire – Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland, a former pupil at Ysgol Maes Garmon, has been ranked fourth on the Young Entertainers Rich List. Along with fellow band members Chris Martin, Guy Berryman and Will Champion he has netted a fortunes of £10m. The band have been placed fourth of the Young entertainers list and tie with singer Emma Bunton and Ronan Keating. It is the eighteenth definitive guide to the richest people in Britain and Ireland and profiles the 1,000 richest people and families in the UK. The list is based on identifiable wealth – land, property, other assets such as art and racehorses, or significant shares in publicly quoted companies, and excludes bank accounts. The figures show that the wealth in the Northwest has grown by more than a third in the past 12 months. Other high achievers in the region include businessman Steve Morgan, who founded multi-million pound Ewloe-based housing company Redrow. The construction and leisure entrepreneur is ranked as the thirteenth richest man in the north west and is 153rd in the national rich list. His fortune increased from £340m in 2005 to £425m this year. The Duke of Westminster, with a total fortune of £6,6 billion, was ranked number as the richest man in the north west and the third richest man in the UK. Source - Evening Leader

Take That tickets!!!!!! :D

technically incorrect, according to 3 religions. Judaism doesn't recognise Jesus, they're still waiting for their Messiah. Christianity belives him to be the son of God. Islam acknowledges him as a prophet.

dunno about his version of the bible, but my Good News Bible, published in 1988 says this am also fascinated by this bit, which I definitely don't remember from school

As far as the eye can see there are over-excited women in their late twenties and thirties sporting impressive cleavages and pink sequinned hats. Wearing Gary Barlow T-shirts, they clutch plastic pint glasses along with their hog roast rolls and camera phones. The noise is an ear-splitting mix of cheering, singing, foot-stamping and screaming as Mexican wave upon Mexican wave races through the capacity crowd at Newcastle's Metroradio Arena. Finally, just as it seems some of the especially well-refreshed ladies might explode, a video on the huge screen above the stage shows four 30-something men in velvet pail coats and frilly white shirts. One is short and cute, one is blond and fat and two are very tall and very thin with matching bad hair caked in sticky products. They're in a weird Star Trekesque chamber being gradually unfrozen: their eyes open, stiff hands unfurl and hands and legs start working again. Seconds later, amid a massive light spectacular, they bound on to the stage. Nine thousand women - and a smattering of red-faced men - go berserk, yelling, crying and jumping up and down. "Hello, I'm Jason" (lots of yelling for the dancing one) - "And I'm Howie", (not quite so much yelling for the dreadlocked one) - "And I'm Mark" (more yelling than you could imagine for the pretty one) and "I'm Gary" (almost as much for the boring one with the talent). "And we are Take That!" Meltdown. If the crowd is in seventh heaven, as they launch into Once You've Tasted Love, the boys - sorry, men - on stage can't believe they've finally been "transported" into the 21st century and keep grabbing each other and grinning. Even chubby Barlow is high-fiving and heel- clicking all the way through Pray, Today I've Lost You, and the wonderfully disco camp It Only Takes A Minute. For a minute, we've forgotten all about Robbie Williams who since storming out of the band has become an international star with a £78million fortune. Although he once dismissed the prospect of a reunion tour, there's talk of him putting in an appearance at one of the Manchester concerts. When Take That announced their split on February 13, 1996, millions of teenage hearts shattered into teeny pieces and the Samaritans set up a help line to comfort distraught fans. Last night, ten years later - and the first date of their much heralded comeback tour for which they're being paid a reputed £1.5million each - it was as if they had never been away. The songs are just as good and the routines just as fantastically, brilliantly, or inspiringly awful. Gary and Mark still can't dance. Gary's just too fat and looks more like someone's drunken dad at a wedding disco than a pop star. They may be a bit older and creakier but they're trying so hard and everyone's having such a good time, you'd forgive them anything - even for what looks suspiciously like lap dancers housed in cages up in the sky. And when things get a bit hectic in some of the faster songs, they sensibly all go and sit at the side while professional dancers work up a sweat. The original boy band smashed countless records - first group since The Beatles to have four number ones in a row, first to have eight songs enter the singles chart at number one - and sold 20million albums and 10million singles while winning myriad awards. The final song, Never Forget, is fitting. Everyone in the audience seems to know all the words to each of their songs. Never Forget? You must be joking. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=383993&in_page_id=1773

Take That have opened their reunion tour in Newcastle, with former member Robbie Williams joining them briefly on stage - but only in hologram form. Gary Barlow, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Howard Donald are playing 29 dates, a decade after originally splitting up. Williams appeared for the introduction of Could It Be Magic before the others took over and the hologram faded. More than 9,000 fans watched eight costume changes and huge light shows around a circular stage. Women reliving their teenage years were among the audience at Newcastle's gig. One fan, Julia Higgins, 35, of Chester-le-Street, County Durham, said: "Jason is my favourite, and I think he has still got the moves." She added: "I wouldn't have missed this for the world. I saw them in Glasgow in 1994 and I just had to see them again." An estimated 300,000 people have bought tickets for the tour which includes Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin, Belfast and Cardiff Millennium Stadium. Newcastle pub landlady Vicki Armstrong, 34, said: "It is fantastic that they are back together, and we are going to see Robbie Williams live in September. "We just love Take That, full stop. £35 is definitely worth it." 'Stop now' Her friend, Hayley Freeman, of Holywell, Tyne and Wear, was more cautious. She said: "I have loved them every since they first came out, and I cried when they split up, but I hope they don't re-form. They have got to stop now and do these tours every 10 years." At the height of their fame, Take That became the first act since the Beatles to score four consecutive UK number ones. Their 15 hits included Relight My Fire, Could It Be Magic and Back For Good, and the band notched up 10 million album sales before splitting in 1996. The last time Barlow, Donald, Orange and Owen performed together on a British stage was at London's Earls Court in August 1995. http://www.bbc.co.uk

A Muslim student had to pay extra for security checks when applying for a visa to visit the United States, because his name was Mohammed. Mohammed Umar Haleem Khan, 22, was told by US Embassy officials that "a lot of bad people" shared his name. The Manchester Metropolitan University student had to pay an extra $80 (£45) to have his fingerprints checked against a US terror suspect database. An embassy spokesman said it could not say how visa applications are assessed. "We do have expedited procedures for exchange visitors and students that should allow us to process the visa before the travel date," he said. "In general, there are any number of reasons why one visa application may be different than another or take longer to process. "The important point I must make is that if someone needs a visa, they should apply well in advance of the travel date." Mr Khan was planning to work for the Camp America project in Philadelphia. He said: "She asked me all the usual questions like what was my purpose for visiting and what was the nature of my job and then she said there was a problem with my name. "She said there were a lot of bad people in the world with that name, meaning terrorists. "Then she told me I would have to have some additional security checks, which meant all my fingers were fingerprinted and she told me these would be compared to a database in Washington. I had to pay an extra 80 dollars. "I was totally speechless. I didn't know what to say to her. "Now I am worried I may not get a visa and travel to the States because of my name. "I'm sure that if some white candidate came along there would have been no problem." Mr Khan added that he had never visited Afghanistan or any other trouble hotspots and could think of no reason why his name would cause a problem. A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain Inayat Bunglawala said: "This is a worrying incident and seems to fit a recent pattern whereby the USA appears to be treating all Muslims as potential terrorists just because of their religion. "Although Muslim parents name their children from a wide variety of names - just like other parents - many of them, especially those from the Indian subcontinent, will often give their male children the name of Muhammad as a kind of respectful prefix in honour of the Prophet, even though the actual name by which these children are known will be something else. "US Embassy officials ought really to have had the training to cope with basic elements of Muslim culture which would help prevent these kinds of unfortunate situations." http://www.bbc.co.uk

Manchester United owner Malcolm Glazer has suffered a stroke in the US, his son Joel has confirmed. The 78-year-old was taken to the Cleveland Clinic in Florida on Easter Sunday but has now been discharged. A statement from his son said Mr Glazer's speech was impaired and mobility in his right arm and leg was restricted. Manchester United said Mr Glazer's stroke would not affect the day to day running of the club. "On behalf of the entire Glazer family, I want to thank everyone at the Cleveland Clinic for their outstanding care," said Joel Glazer. "My father's spirits are high and doctors expect his condition to improve with rehabilitation." http://www.bbc.co.uk