Breaking Tweets » Europe

Munich doctors make breakthrough in breast reconstruction

Fahad Zuberi — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:17:59 +0000

Doctors in Bavaria have become the first in Europe to test a new post-mastectomy plastic surgery procedure that uses pig tissue.

News24 reports, after giving replacement breasts made from pigskin to six women in Germany, doctors in Munich detailed the new method on Thursday, saying it results in fewer scars for mastectomy patients.

Twitter users are feeling optimistic about this breakthrough. One user is even having a little fun and warning people of the pig breast cancer flu.

AngelaSS (Royston, Georgia) Make sure you don’t catch the pig breast cancer flu! http://tinyurl.com/yfdrdfw 05 Nov 2009 from web

o_m_g_w_t_f_ (location undisclosed) Reconstructive breast surgery hope from pigs: This article generated quite a few comments, Ladies of AMA if you.. http://bit.ly/VUOyR 12 Nov 2009 from twitterfeed

yagbebi (Berkshire, UK) BREAST REGROWTH AFTER CANCER ~ A pioneering medical technique developed using pigs could allow women to re-grow br (cont) http://tl.gd/tpn3 12 Nov 2009 from Tweetie

jensbeautybytes (Atlanta, Georgia) Med. miracle out of Australia: Breast Cancer patients may be able to regrow breasts …for now, it just works in pigs: http://bit.ly/44P53h 12 Nov 2009 from web

Dynasplint (USA)Using pig skin for breast implants leaves fewer scars and less risk for developing a contracture? Who knew? http://tiny.cc/qqYCk 12 Nov 2009 from web

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Goalkeeper for German national team dies after being struck by train

Marcus Wekenmann — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:04:58 +0000

Robert Enke, the top contender to play goalkeeper for Germany’s 2010 World Cup team, died Tuesday after being hit by a train in what investigators believe was a suicide, according to the Associated Press.

The train crossing was near Enke’s home in Hannover, and police said first indications were of a suicide.

According to AP, Enke and his wife lost a daughter to a heart ailment in 2006, but had recently adopted.

Tweets from Hannover were wraught with shock, sorrow and support for Enke and his family:

(Tweets translated from German to English using Google Translate)

xuxubetty only a few 100 meters from our apartment is robert enke died. When the sirens went I would have never expected in the life 10 Nov 2009 from web

B_ecci I can not understand it at all, Robert Enke is dead I read it just the umpteenth time, but my mind does not want to just record. 10 Nov 2009 from studiVZ

caritas_h Our deepest sympathy to the family of #Robert #Enke and God’s support in these difficult hours. #h96 10 Nov 2009 from Tweetie

andosch I’ve only just heard about it and I’m shocked! RIP Robert Enke! We will miss you here 10 Nov 2009 from web

AnnikaATL Never forget <3 You will be missed. You were the best. We love you. 10 Nov 2009 from web

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Anniversary of Berlin Wall collapse sparks Twitter comments, TwitPics

Joe Siebelts — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:01:05 +0000

As residents of Berlin commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall, Twitter users around the world are sharing their personal thoughts and reflections.

The event reunited a once divided Germany, and marked a symbolic end to communist regimes during the Cold War era.

Twitter users around the globe shared different reactions, some of which celebrated the event:

jasonkenney (Richmond, VA) There area handful of historical moments one measures their lifetime by. The fall of the Berlin Wall is one of those moments. 09 Nov 2009 from web

sheiskilla (Germany) Remembering the fall of the Berlin Wall exactly 20 years ago. I’m proud to be a citizen of the United Germany (: 09 Nov 2009 from web

BookRiff (Vancouver) thinking of the Berlin Wall celebration 20 years ago…. I flew there for the weekend to be part of the changing world. Beautiful moments… 09 Nov 2009 from web

jeffkwalters (Undisclosed) My college class voted the fall of the Berlin Wall as the most significant event of our senior year. Can it possibly be 20 yrs.? 09 Nov 2009 from Power Twitter

Other comments focused on the extent of problems still present today:

n667 (Undisclosed) #berlinwall must have fallen dwn, but still ,there exists an imaginary berlin wall btw every country and its neighbours 09 Nov 2009 from web

preparsed (Seattle, WA) Berlin Wall, are we celebrating you as a victory or a defeat? 20 yrs on, not sure it was the ideological finish line it was billed to be. 09 Nov 2009 from web

JBandChocolate (Undisclosed) 20 years since the Berlin wall has fallen…now we have new walls that need to be brought down…World is not rid of walls yet…. 09 Nov 2009 from web

– this quote was brought to you by quoteurl

Some Twitter users shared photos from the events in Berlin:

"These blocks of wall will fall soon like dominos, in Berlin" from @sbink

"I love this! Dominos where the Berlin wall used to be that will be toppled during the celebrations tonight." from @des_pudels_kern

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London train driver shortage upsets Twitter users

Nicole Hernandez — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:13:23 +0000

According to BBC, travelers have faced long delays after a driver shortage led to the cancellation of an entire rail route into London’s Kings Cross station on Sunday.

The weekend shifts are staffed voluntarily by drivers willing to work overtime and the First Capital Connect (FCC) confirmed that not enough staff had volunteered to work.

FCC says it was offering travelers free parking and running bus replacement services.

Twitter users are outraged by the inconvenience:

ChaiBENTO (Hemel Hempstead, UK) Uggh. Been on my way home from Brighton since 5. What normally takes 2 hours has spanned into 5 due to rail replacement. Thankyou London 08 Nov 2009 from API

jaygeearchitect (London) All trains from hastings to london delayed due to engineering works. A good start to the week. thank you Network Rail. 09 Nov 2009 from mobile web

mc_potts (London) Now in Newbury park. WTF?!?? Rail replacement randomness continues. 08 Nov 2009 from Echofon

LondonHam (London) Replacement rail service sucks. And …. You pay the same…. What we put up with 08 Nov 2009 from twibble

henrypipe (London) Furious that FCC have cancelled all rail services from Palmers Green today. Not enough drivers apparently. 08 Nov 2009 from web

MarinaLouca (Hemel Hempstead, UK) Rail replacement service. Oh gosh this has been a longggggg journey back and I’m still not home 08 Nov 2009 from Echofon

veritech (London) You know your in for a crappy trip when you see the words “rail replacement service” at a train station. 08 Nov 2009 from Tweed

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TwitPics: Twitter users ‘Remember, remember the 5th of November’

Bryan Simpson — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:34:02 +0000

Twitter users in the United Kingdom and in former British colonies took part in annual festivities on Thursday, November 5 to commemorate Guy Fawkes Night. Usual festivities include fireworks, bonfires, and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes.

Calling for religious toleration, Guy Fawkes and other conspirators on the evening of November 5, 1605 tried to carry out a plot, known as the Gunpowder Plot, to blow up the British Parliament building and kill King James I. Ultimately, the plot was unsuccessful. Fawkes was captured, tried and executed.

Reuters and The New Zealand Herald on Thursday reported that this years Guy Fawkes celebrations were not as popular as they once were, with less people taking part in them.

Here are a sampling of Guy Fawkes Night festivities shown through TwitPics:

“At a guy Fawkes night thing, slightly deafened by fireworks. Hoo!” per @SiHadoc:

“Guy Fawkes Night fireworks! So pretty!” per @Alessandra_Z:

“Guy Fawkes night” per @whaleonland:

“Crieff Guy Fawkes Fireworks celebration was a great family night out.” per @MichelleStewart:

“More fireworks from Guy Fawkes in Clapham.” per @markovich_79:

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Czech leader reluctantly signs off on EU Treaty

John Niederkorn — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:44:31 +0000

Per BBC, President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic has signed the EU’s Lisbon Treaty on Tuesday, which was the last step in having the the agreement ratified. Klaus was the EU’s final hold-out on the treaty and even though he agreed to sign, he claimed the Czech Republic would, “cease to be a sovereign state” once the treaty was ratified.

The treaty was constructed to consolidate decision-making within the EU, and it proposes to create a European Council president and change the way member states vote.

Proponents of the treaty say it will give the EU the ability to operate with a larger reach concerning world affairs and in a more efficient manner, while the opposition contends it will weaken the individual countries within the EU.

Twitter users from the Czech Republic and other EU states weigh in on the decision:

elmanufico (Paris, France) The Czech President, Vaclav Klaus, finally signed the Lisbon treaty! The EU now has to find its first president for a 2.5 year mandate. 03 Nov 2009 from Seesmic

davnovak (Prague, Czech Republic) The Treaty of Lisbon’s been signed by Klaus. It may be very true that Czech sovereignity will fade. Makes me sad to think of what happened. 03 Nov 2009 from web

janrezab (Prague, CZ) Our presient Vaclav Klaus has signed the Lisbon treaty.He has done some negative PR to CZ.But negative PR is also PR. #EU #news #Lisbon 03 Nov 2009 from web

pavelpokorny (Prague, CZ) The Czech presidents signs the EU’s Lisbon Treaty. What a relief, it’s over. So we are all a one happy family now, you glad? 03 Nov 2009 from web

franztom (Trieste, Italy) Happy to hear that Czech president Klaus signed today Lisbon Treaty. Now EU will have a president and a foreign minister. Let’s see… 03 Nov 2009 from Twitterrific

RobLoBue (Munich, Germany) Looks like the Czech Republic has signed Lisbon Treaty. I’m still fighting the internal struggle between British Skeptic and EU Beneficiary. 03 Nov 2009 from Tweetie

Niels_Thogersen (Belgium) Great that CZ president Klaus finally signed the Lisbon Treaty. Now we can move on with what Europe really needs to do with all challenges 04 Nov 2009 from web

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Crucifixes banned in Italian schools

Kari O'Rourke — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:26:44 +0000

The European Court of Human Rights has banned crucifixes in Italian schools citing that they run counter to a child’s right to freedom of religion, reports the BBC.

The ruling overturns a law dating back to the 1920s where it was a requirement to hang crucifixes in all classrooms.

Mixed reaction from all over the world popped up on Twitter:

anxioustomato (Glassgow, United Kingdom) Hurrah! Now if only the UK followed in Italy’s footsteps: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8340411.stm #religion #crucifix #ban 03 Nov 2009 from web

TheGodless (Undisclosed) No more bronze age torture devices? RT @anatheistnews Court says Italian schools should be crucifix-free http://anatheist.net/go/?x=… 03 Nov 2009 from mobile web

dockofthelake (Italy) EU saying no to crucifix in class: now, do they ever decide anything on something useful, or do they just waste time/money on bulls’t? 03 Nov 2009 from Twidget

euroinfo (North Wales) How long before someone blames this on the EU? RT @Berlaymont: European court: No crucifixes in Italian schools http://bit.ly/4kunFF 03 Nov 2009 from TweetDeck

lipsh (Ontario, Canada) Europe’s court of human rights says the display of crucifixes in Italian public schools violates religious and education freedoms. USA too! 03 Nov 2009 from web

LaCyn (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) Italy’s crucifixes in classrooms violate human rights http://tinyurl.com/italycross // wouldn’t not having them violate rights too? 03 Nov 2009 from web

Vingeviciute (Lithuania) Not free to believe.The European Court of Human Rights:no Catholic crucifixes in school allowed. http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/4148 03 Nov 2009 from web

ganhy (Singapore) This symbol banning is really starting to become overkill. (That said, I somehow find verses far more disturbing than crucifixes.) 03 Nov 2009 from TweetDeck

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Editorial: Scientology debate underway in France

Chasse Rehwinkel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:09:31 +0000

“A Little Bird Told Me” is a weekly op-ed column that will appear every Monday on Breaking Tweets. It is part of an effort to add more opinions to BT, with the addition of an international roundtable discussion also in the plans.

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, a French court ruled that certain practices by the Church of Scientology were classified as fraud under French law, imposing a number of heavy fines and threatening jail time to a few church members.

The ruling did not restrict the practice of Scientology within France, but warned church officials that they should be aware of and operate under French law.

Of course, bloggers from all corners of the internet celebrated upon hearing the news in their traditional way of mass tweeting and, honestly, I’m with them, but let’s hold on one second and go over why France’s condemnation of Scientology’s practices is a good thing.

Note: Whether Scientology’s teachings are legitimate will not be debated within this article. I’m not a theologian and, so, frankly it’s none of my business or expertise to root through one group’s faith trying to show how they’re wrong. Instead this is a look at why Scientology’s loss in France was an important, and ultimately good, blow to the church’s current operating structure.

So, sorry there will be no Xenu, South Park or Tom Cruise references here–no mater how hilarious they may or may not be.

Anyway…

So, trying to use twitterers to take a look at the French ruling on Scientology is actually quite difficult. Some time ago, for whatever reason, it seems the entire mass of voices that comprise the internet decided to take up arms against the Church of Scientology.

Which is actually pretty cool–usually no one can agree on anything–but it’s a real pain if you want someone to say something more than “The Church of Scientology is convicted of organized fraud in France. YAY!” as detentiondnb did along with many others following the news from France.

However, good for me there was at least one twitterer who took the time and spent the money–bless her–to buy a Dianetics DVD and then tweeted about her experience with it–thanks WrongEyedEar!

After viewing of the first DVD installment of Dianetics, WrongEyedEar made two conclusions.

First, that the church was making blatantly false statements about psychology and misleading vulnerable viewers–again I’m not going to go into that–and second, that the DVD seemed to be a marketing/money making tool.

AH! There it is!

For every line WrongEyedEar tweeted about false statements and misleading facts there was invariably also a tweet about product placement and production value.

WrongEyedEar’s concluding statement about the DVD I think perfectly captures the underlying issue here, “conclusion: Scientology is a pyramid scheme.”

She also added, “..also I’m disappointed there was nothing about Xenu–okay one Xenu reference–on the DVDs. How much I gotta pay to get some Xenu–maybe two–action?”

So, what does this mean?

WrongEyedEar’s observations about the introductory Scientology DVDs shows that the French ruling is probably not the “modern inquisition” Scientology officials are painting it out to be.

Instead it’s a rational conclusion about an organization that is structured to make a profit marketing their “monopoly” on the answer to happiness.

Scientologists have to pay to be tested in order to find out what’s troubling them, they have to pay for an introduction to the answer to their troubles, they have to pay to move up in the church and–as WrongEyedEar explains–they have to pay to learn all the aspects of that oh-so-important answer.

This is actually not that unusually of a scheme. Many of the world’s major religions developed similar structures at one point in time, but forced reform changed them from money making scams into a legitimate religious organization, focused on solving man’s problem of finding answers to the major lessons of life.

Anyway, getting back to Scientology, one twitterer advocating for the end of the Church of Scientology I think has the absolute right idea.

As they state in their first tweet, the IFreezoneAssoc–the official Twitter account of the International Freezone Association–promotes the Scientology Standard tech as an alternative to the out tech church–meaning, primarily, that they are promoting a free Scientology church.

The account simply tweets news about the organization’s activities as well as deemed important lessons from Scientology, including passages from Dianetics and quotes from Scientology’s founder L. Ron Hubbard.

It’s an interesting account that puts one of the first Scientology splinters groups on display, a major crack in Scientology’s total legitimacy.

What, then, I hope comes from the French decision is a fundamental change.

Whether that means a group like the IFA taking over as the legitmate Church of Scientology or the death of Scientology altogether is unimportant to me, the point is no organization should ever operate under the guise of “the answer” and simultaneously drip vulnerable people dry so that they can make a profit.

Earn that tax exempt status Church of Scientology; libraries can dole out answers for free why can’t you?

Tweets Referenced in Column

IFreezoneAssoc Welcome to the International Freezone Twitter page. We promote Scientology Standard tech. An alternative to the out tech church. 28 Jun 2009 from web

detentiondnb The Church of Scientology is convicted of organized fraud in France. YAY! 28 Oct 2009 from Seesmic

WrongEyedEar http://twitpic.com/nwmam – Ah, Sunday evening…time to curl up with my Dianetics DVD! 01 Nov 2009 from TwitPic

WrongEyedEar 3 minutes in, they say memories/experiences from before you were born can have an adverse effect on you now – LIE, physically impossible. 01 Nov 2009 from Seesmic

WrongEyedEar 8 minutes in…branding spotted so far: Apple, Blackberry, Sony… 01 Nov 2009 from Seesmic

WrongEyedEar conclusion: Scientology is a pyramid scheme crock of shit wrapped in easy-to-understand concepts stolen from legit psychology… 02 Nov 2009 from Seesmic

WrongEyedEar …also I’m disappointed there was nothing about Xenu on the DVDs. How much I gotta pay to get some Xenu action? 02 Nov 2009 from Seesmic

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1,000 days till London 2012 Olympics

Lindsey Drakert — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:11:57 +0000

CNN reported how Oct. 31 marks 1,000 days until the London 2012 Olympic Games, a little less than three years.

“I don’t think any of us thinks that 1,000 days is anything other than the blink of an eyelid,” London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe said. “That will go very quickly. There is nothing that we should have done that we haven’t done. We are absolutely where we want to be, but we also recognize that actually the last three years of this project are tough years of delivery.”

Many Twitterers were excited about the countdown:

xpriyankaa (London, UK) 1000 days till 2012 London Olympics 31 Oct 2009 from web

Niffy1218 (Undisclosed) Halloween is fun and all but more importantly the 2012 Summer Olympics in London start in exactly 1000 days. See you there! #in1000days 31 Oct 2009 from web

helga_hansen (UK) 1,000 days to go until the start of the 2012 Olympics in London!! So much to do, and only 1,000 days left to do it in!! 31 Oct 2009 from Brizzly

Jeremy_Nicholas (London, UK) Hooray, it’s the Olympics in London in a thousand days time. #In1000days It will be the best games ever. 31 Oct 2009 from TweetDeck

robpieke (London, UK) 1,000 days until the London Olympics = 1,000 days of the city being a construction site 31 Oct 2009 from Echofon

mattchrabot (Undisclosed) T minus 1000 days to the start of the 2012 Olympics in London 31 Oct 2009 from UberTwitter

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Thousands of Muslims flock to see ‘Miracle Baby’

Fahad Zuberi — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:52:40 +0000

Thousands of Muslims have been traveling to a town in southern Russia hoping to see verses from Islam’s holy book appear on the skin of a baby.

The Palestine Telegraph reports that sayings from the Koran are said to appear on nine-month-old Ali Yakubov’s back, arms, legs and stomach before apparently fading away and being replaced with new sayings. Doctors deny that the marks are from someone writing on the child’s skin.

Twitter users are fascinated by the miracle baby, but some think it could be a hoax.

Open_Sourcing (London, UK) Interesting, but is it real??? “Miracle” baby gives hope in Russian Muslim south http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE59L0ZC20091022 23 Oct 2009 from web

magickalrealism (Minneapolis, Minesota) Muslim miracle baby – http://bit.ly/1CywUX – it sounds like a well-intentioned hoax, but maybe not. Miracles are lovely however they happen. 22 Oct 2009 from TweetDeck

tonythefish2009 (Australia) Russians flock to see ‘Miracle’ Baby http://cli.gs/dn7sm… Wow! Mysterious writing on a babys leg, must be the work of god 25 Oct 2009 from Tweetie

TanaeDot ( location unidisclosed) In Dagestan, a baby has Arabic scripture birthmarks that read, “Allah is the creator of all things”. smh Now he’s a “miracle baby”. 22 Oct 2009 from web

miraclewatch (location undisclosed) Instead of stopping war, God writes on baby. It’s a miracle! http://bit.ly/2NKd9O 22 Oct 2009 from Tweetie

A Twitter user posted this TwitPic of the miracle baby.

(@zahidi1)

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