[The Deadly]

Trigger is undoubtably one of the finest characters in sitcom history. Stole every scene he was in.

[The Deadly]

Horrible news about that little lad being found dead in Scotland. How the * can you kill a three year old child??? It makes me feel physically sick. Incidents like this justify a death penalty. Prison is too good for whoever did this.

[Yudster]

Deadly, you are 100% correct (even though I don't support the death penalty I can't argue that cases like this couldn't justify it). The revulsion is only made worse by the indications that his mum was responsible. From what's been published today it looks like the whole story that was initially given was a crock of shit. He was one of twins too, how is his twin sister going to cope? It all just gets horribler and horribler.

[Topher]

They didn't say what she was charged with (only that she was charged "in connection with his death") until the court appearance, but it is indeed a murder charge. You have to be careful what you say - regardless of the remoteness of the possibility of someone connected with the trial reading what's on here, it is still a possibility that something on here could be deemed to prejudice the trial.

What an awful, dreadful thing to happen to a child though - really there aren't words.

[The Deadly]

I'm really hoping it doesn't turn out the police acted too slowly in treating the mother as a potential suspect. I doubt very much they did but it would be awful to find out they wasted time believing a three year old child dressed itself and left their house all on their own. I'm not sure if the official police line of "there's no evidence of criminality" was just to lure the mother into a false sense of security.

[Yudster]

It was that specific comment, combined with the unbelievability of the apparent story, which made me sure from moment 1 that the police were indeed looking very carefully at the mother.

[Bonanzoid]

Phillip Seymour Hoffman has passed. Oh no

[Nicola_Red]

I know, I'm so shocked. Something about drug and alcohol related deaths always really touches me. I think it's having an addictive personality - I didn't even know he had been an addict, but I just get this sudden rush of empathy. Anyway, yeah, he was a great actor. RIP.

[The Deadly]

Without wanting to sound deliberately callous I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who die in this way. That's not to say it isn't sad though. If you inject herion then you're playing with fire. It's a lifestyle choice.

[Nicola_Red]

Well yeah, when people are adults, they know the risks. It's understanding addiction as a disease that is the crucial thing.

[Zenon]

Stuart Hall - not the paedo presenter - but the cultural theorist has died.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/20 ... -hall-dies

[swaddon1903]

Former child star and the youngest ever Academy Award winner Shirley Temple has died aged 85.

[swaddon1903]

Actor and film director Harold Ramis, probably best known for playing Egon in Ghostbusters, has died aged 69.

[Topher]

At the age of 52, Bob Crow has died - so young, very sad.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26527325

[dimtimjim]

Does this mean the trains will get better now?

[Topher]

Well I think it's sad - I agree with what Ken Livingstone said: "His members are one of the few groups of working class people who have still got well paid jobs." He stood up for his members passionately. He's also Boris' worst enemy, ergo a good bloke.

[The Deadly]

I won't speak ill of the dead but let's just say I'm not too upset.

[chrysostom]

I'd bide my time to see who replaces him.

The thing is, this could mean a softer (more diplomatic) touch coming in that could actually lead to progressive discussions between unions & government (perish the thought!) - or it could mean one of his disciples could step up and raise the stakes, widening the gap of understanding & expectation.

His experience meant he'd know how far he could push it without losing the majority of public sympathy - but someone more gung ho could easily overplay their hand in an attempt to make a statement.

[Topher]

I want to echo what Yudster said (she might put it on here anyway, but...)

"Controversial character but huigely important in terms of employment rights and keeping employment legislation balanced and not tipped totally in favour of the employer like it mostly is in America."

"Trades Unions are organisations that every employed person in theis country owes a huge debt to whether they know it or not."

[Yudster]

You could have edited out my typos....

[The Deadly]

Veteran Labour MP Tony Benn has died. Fantastic politician.

[Bonanzoid]

Bad few days for leftism.

[swaddon1903]

Clarissa Dickson Wright, one of the Two Fat Ladies from TV, has died aged 66.

[Nicola_Red]

Fashion designer L'Wren Scott has been found dead at her home, aged 49. I just heard it on whatever crappy commercial radio station we have on in the office and they didn't even say her name, only identifying her as "the girlfriend of Mick Jagger". Ugh.

[Topher]

I'd never heard of her, but the Star, Mirror and Mail ran the same particularly classy* photo on it the other day:

* by which I mean completely tasteless.