Its Over - Right?

So - by now, unless you work somewhere away from any and all types of modern media, you would have heard that Osama Bin Laden has been killed by US forces. The master terrorist, tracked and killed, by the very people he sought to extinguish. So that means its all over now - or does it?

I'm not one of these conspiracy theorists that have already popped up in the last few hours - the idealist in me wants to believe that a national government, run by The Leader Of The Free World, would not have a televised address to the nation unless that were certain of what they were saying. The realist in me, however, is afraid that by successfully killing such a man - and then celebrating it so fervently - the Western world ( namely the US and its allies ) risk revenge attacks by Bin Laden's extremist followers.

The mother in me feels that fear keenly, because she remembers the teenage girl who was traumatised by images of people leaping from burning buildings, and by soundbites of people leaving last goodbyes for their loved ones....

Best Invention Ever?

Or medevial torture device?

If your not sure what i'm talking about, you've missed the news this week that a doctor in South Africa has invented an anti-rape condom. Its basically a plastic device, inserted as you would a tampon, that has jagged hooks on the inside which would attach themselves to the attackers penis. The hooks only grip in tighter when the male tries to pull out, and once attached the condom can only be removed by a doctor.

Sounds good in theory - a device which may just in fact deter men ( who would be so inclined ) from raping innocent women. When the legal penalities have not been enough to stop rape from happening, perhaps the knowledge that their manhood will be completely mangled will be enough. But when would a women use it ? Daily? When going on a date with a new and unfamiliar man ? When heading out for a night on the town, just in case? Seems to me that, in practice, the anti-rape condom may be a little impractical.

So, despite fact that i think that any man who tries to rape a woman deserves to have his manhood mangled ( or chopped off even... ) i'm not so sure that this anti-rape condom is going to work. Points for trying, but in reality i'm not sure that this is the ultimate solution to this scourge on society....