WTF Stories of the Week

[cirquelover]

Seriously, is that accurate?! They have 25.3 MILLION babies born each year!? I have to asume it is because, well it was Alex doing research but man alive that number astounds me!

[Alex]

Well, they have 1,100,000,000 people in the country so 25,000,000 babies isn't really such a huge number. As far as birth rate goes, India is about middle of the pack. What's remarkable is how low China's is (and the reasons for that are pretty obvious, I'm just always amazed at how successful their population controls have been).

[Moonliner]

While it may not have the panache of a two faced child, I was mildly amused by this quote regarding an advertisement that was pulled from our metro system here in Washington ahead of the Pope's visit:

Originally Posted by Ad guy

What we didn't realize is that the bobblehead wasn't an accurate depiction of the Pontiff," says Farbstein."

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Alex

And when I get curious I do pointless research. And having done that I share it with people who don't care.

1. This is why I like you: to know that I am not the only person who does this kind of thing
2. I DO care!

Originally Posted by cirquelover

Seriously, is that accurate?! They have 25.3 MILLION babies born each year!? I have to asume it is because, well it was Alex doing research but man alive that number astounds me!

One really can't judge it without looking at the corresponding death rates.

[Alex]

(I had this number last night but it seemed completely irrelevant)

Currently India has an annual population growth rate of 1.46% which is a gain of about 16 million people per year.

So, since 25.3 million are born, you can assume that at least 9 million or so die each year (though there are other means of population increase and decline birth and death should swamp them out).

India's 1-year infant mortality rate is 55/1000 live births. So that means of the 25.3 million born per year, 1.4 million die within a year. In other words, more babies die each year in India than are born in Turkey, Japan, Thailand, France, or Germany.

[Morrigoon]

Holy crap!

[cirquelover]

So this one makes me very angry: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24026486/?GT1=43001

Brief synopsis, he beats his kid with a video game controller, Mom hears it and does nothing until she realizes the child is unconcious!! WTF!! Now the child is dead and it's obvious to authorities that this wasn't the first beating.

Today my faith in humankind is at an all time low, not just because of this though.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Child abuse is child abuse, no matter the instrument...and it's not new. I just hope it's rarer than I think it is.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

This is a real wtf?! Drink up!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351230,00.html

[JWBear]

"Mum" looks to be a bit of a drinker, too!