"O brave new world...That has such people in't!"

For the last week I have been carrying old newspapers around and have so many now I have almost filled a large carrier bag. I am not planning on re-experiencing the joys of paper mache making or stuffing a rather belated Guy Fawkes dummy. I have to confess I'm a rather obsessive reader and like to read everything (minus the sport and business sections) from the TV listings to the front page. For various reasons, each day I have failed to make it through my preferred sections and I'm now left with unfinished business in about four papers and three magazines. As tiny “News In Briefs" (NIBs), various stories have caught my eye over the last few weeks that may well have slipped the casual reader by:

The Perfect Partner?

An American Twihard is marrying a Robert Pattinson cut-out in Las Vegas early next year:

http://www.reveal.co.uk/yours-truly-real-life/news/a439170/cut-out-to-be-mrs-cullen-woman-to-marry-cardboard-robert-pattinson.html

I'm wondering what happens if she decides to re-marry – does she need a divorce first? How can you file for a divorce if your ex- is unable to sign documentation?

Giving Them What They Want

In Holland two therapists at Amsterdam Hospital have proposed paedophiles should be shown computer-generated virtual porn to ease their urge to prey on children or watch films of real sex acts:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2235245/Sex-therapists-legalisation-virtual-child-porn-relieve-paedophiles-urges.html

Arguing against the controversial proposal, Psychotherapist Jules Mulder, of the De Waag clinic has said: “For some people it will certainly increase the likelihood of going through with sexual abuse. It would also be very difficult to cover all tastes - some want photos of naked children, others want children having sex while someone else wants an eight-year-old boy with dark hair and a certain look in his eyes. It's not possible to satisfy these different desires with a bit of virtual child pornography.”

Tire Them Out

And in Sweden researchers have found drugs like Ritalin can reduce criminal behaviour by a third and potentially stop re-offenders:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2237015/Giving-criminals-ADHD-medication-stop-offending-say-experts.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

The NIB this last story originally came from failed to explain the drug would be used to treat those diagnosed with ADHA and not all prisoners. Until further research had been carried out, the Nib seemed to be suggesting Ritalin could have a dulling affect much like Aldous Huxley's Soma in Brave New World.