Uni tells students to stop shaving their armpits

Students experiment with body hair to gain extra credit points. Picture: ASU. Source: Supplied

IMAGINE getting extra credit at uni for not shaving? Yep, that's right, students at Arizona State University (ASU) in the US are passing their course by letting it all grow out.

The Women and Gender Studies class is run by Professor Breanne Fahs who encourages her female students to stop shaving their underarms and legs for 10 weeks during the semester and to document their experience in a journal.

Student Stephanie Robinson said it was a "life changing experience."

"Many of my friends didn't want to work out next to me or hear about the assignment, and my mother was distraught at the idea that I would be getting married in a white dress with armpit hair," Robinson told ASU News .

Professor Fahs said it's a great lesson about the social issues around gender roles.

"There's no better way to learn about societal norms than to violate them and see how people react," said Fahs. "There's really no reason why the choice to shave, or not, should be a big deal. But it is, as the students tend to find out quickly."

"Manscaping" is more common than we thought. Source: ThinkStock

Male students were also able to participate however Fahs believes it's not quite the same as it is for females with "manscaping" more accepted in society. For the extra credits, the male students were made to shave all their body hair from the neck down.

"One guy did his shaving with a buck knife," Fahs said, commenting on the macho element when it comes to males.

Surprised by the positive feedback, Fahs idea has spread to other universities and given some students the confidence to challenge social norms.

Jaqueline Gonzalez credits the body hair project with helping to shape her into the activist she is today. "The experience helped me better understand how pervasive gendered socialisation is in our culture," Gonzalez said.

As the Director of the Center for Feminist Research on Gender and Sexuality Group at ASU, Fahs has been active in women's issues with her research focused on themes of women's sexuality, critical body studies, radical feminism and feminist histories, and social movements and political socialisation.

Originally published as Uni tells students to stop shaving their armpits

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‘I am extremely lucky and grateful to be alive’

Adventurous Sam Owen is lucky to be alive. Photo: M & Y News Ltd/REX Source: Austral International Press Agency

ADVENTUROUS Sam Owen is lucky to be alive after contracting a disease from rats urine while kayaking down a river.

Brave Sam, 24, believes the bacteria entered his body through his eyes and nose, as well as grazes on his hands from rock climbing.

He was rushed to hospital after he began vomiting and had excruciating back ache before being diagnosed with Weil's disease, which attacks the organs and can be fatal.

Sam, of Petersfield, Hants, said: "I read there were two weeks from when you contract it to going pass the point of surviving, I was 17 days so I shouldn't have survived.

"I am extremely lucky and grateful to be alive.

"I was doing an outdoor instructor course and spent the weekend in Wales doing some rock climbing.

"I came back and was doing some kayaking in the Itchen River, in Southampton, it was the first time I have ever kayaked.

Brave Sam believes the bacteria entered his body through his eyes and nose. Photo: M & Y News Ltd/REX Source: Austral International Press Agency

"I was learning to capsize with a girl who didn't quite have the strength to turn me over so I was capsizing a lot more than others in my group.

"I found out Weil's disease could get in through your eyes, nose and through the scrapes on my hands from climbing — I think that was the cause."

After returning to his job a few days later as a full-time lifeguard he came home from a shift and started throwing up blood.

He contracted a disease from rats urine while kayaking down a river. Photo: M & Y News Ltd/REX Source: Austral International Press Agency

His worried mum dialled 111 who suggested he see a doctor the following day, which then sent him straight to hospital.

Battling Sam added: "While I was in hospital a couple of my friends visited and they said to me 'you look really, really green'.

"While I was on the ward I ate a slice of ham with cheese sauce on it and I began throwing up black sick, it wasn't very nice.

"I was taken into the ITU and had a central line put in my neck, my heart rate was 140 beats per minute just lying down, which is very high.

It was Weil's disease. Photo: M & Y News Ltd/REX Source: Austral International Press Agency

Originally published as 'I am extremely lucky and grateful to be alive'

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‘I chose to have an ostomy instead of dying’

Jessica Grossman has worn an ostomy bag for 11 years, and now runs a campaign to support other people with ostomy bags. Source: Supplied

AT THE age of 13, Jessica Grossman was given a life-changing ultimatum by her doctor. To have ostomy surgery, or die.

Jessica had spent the last five years of her life in and out of hospital with excruciating pain in her bowels due to Crohn's disease. The inflammation of her small intestine and colon meant she couldn't eat. She was confined to a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV and medicated on strong narcotics.

At 13, Jessica and her parents had tried every medication and procedure that existed with no results. If she continued this way, Jessica was at risk of a bowl rupture which could kill her.

Jessica remembers the moment her doctor broke the news that she required surgery.

"[The surgeon] sat down next to me and said that there was nothing left to do but have surgery," Jessica recalls. "He told me that the surgery would remove my entire colon and some of my small intestine and would result in an ostomy (something I had never heard of).

"He said if I didn't choose this option, I was going to die. Despite being a child on heavy medication, I remember thinking completely clearly that this surgery, being my only option, was the choice I had to make.

"I had lived a life so horrible, so isolated, and so excruciatingly painful that any alternative was better than what I was living," she said.

After news.com.au's article on the British model's daring photo with a colostomy bag, Jessica approached us with her story.

Jessica is a 24 year old actor and model from Toronto, Canada who has spent the last four and half years empowering women and men with ostomy through her Uncover Ostomy campaign.

Jessica has used her modelling knowledge to raise awareness for ostomy. Source: Supplied

According to Jessica, Undercover Ostomy works on two fronts. Firstly, they educate the public on what an ostomy is, how it saves lives and diffuse the stigma around it. Undercover Ostomy also works to encourage patients who need the surgery to go through with it and then provide support, tips and tricks on how to live with an ostomy bag.

"We believe that by changing the public perception of the ostomy we can save lives of those needing the surgery to survive," Jessica told news.com.au.

A natural leader, Jessica spent her high school and university years telling her story of ostomy and how it saved her life. Over this time, she realised there was very little social discourse on ostomies and a lack of support for younger people with Crohn's disease.

Jessica decided to start Uncover Ostomy on "a whim".

"After speaking about my ostomy for years and realising that literally no one had ever heard of it until I had explained it, I saw there was a lack of information about the lifesaving surgery," Jessica told news.com.au.

"I also found that those who did know what an ostomy was had a skewed perception that it was a 'disgusting thing for old people'."

Jessica celebrated 11 years wearing an ostomy bag in January this year, and encouraged other women to take photos of their ostomies too. Source: Supplied

In her late teens Jessica met another ostomy wearer, Rob Hill, who encouraged her to start a project to raise awareness. He helped her build a website and Facebook page where ostomates (the name Jessica gives ostomy wearers) could connect and support each other.

Jessica started a blog to further normalise ostomy bags and integrate them into a fun-filled, feminine lifestyle. The response to her writing was very positive.

"I think the main difference with my blog and other ostomy focused publications out there is that my writings are about my life ... and it just so happens that I have an ostomy — an ostomy that rarely stops me from doing anything," she said.

To date, the Uncover Ostomy website has had over 100,000 unique visitors from 170 countries, with more than 6,000 completely organic fans on the Facebook page.

Tj posted her photo to the Uncover Ostomy Facebook wall. Source: Facebook

Alyssa wears her ostomy bag comfortably with a skirt. Source: Facebook

The Uncover Ostomy Facebook page is a place where women (and men) can be inspired by other ostomy wearers and feel a sense of pride about their body. Not all those who like the page have an ostomy, with some fans simply supporting the cause because they know a family member or friend with ostomy.

Jessica has been photographed with her ostomy in full view, and has encouraged other women and men to do the same, with many posting their photos to the Facebook page.

But despite the support, ostomy wearers are still fighting an uphill battle, Jessica says.

"The biggest challenge I see for the ostomy community is that many people have the surgery and think their life is over. This is a huge stigma that Uncover Ostomy tries to defeat. People with ostomies often think that since they now have this bag on their body, no one will want to be around them.

Lisa finds higher waisted swimming bottoms comfortable. Source: Facebook

Valerie likes wearing high waisted shorts with a one-piece swimsuit. Source: Facebook

"I often have to go into hospitals in normal clothes to show patients awaiting surgery that you can dress normally with a bag, because they have decided they would rather die than have the surgery.

"I also get messages from people all the time telling me that they will never be able to date again, where I tell them that I've been in multiple long term relationships with no issue."

For Jessica, her ultimate message to ostomy wearers and supporters is simple.

"I get hundreds and hundreds of messages from people telling me that they believe their life is now over," she said.

"I tell everyone the same thing — your life is actually just beginning."

I have been alive for 11 years.

For 11 years, I've been able to think.

For 11 years, I've been able to grow.

For 11 years, I've been able to learn.

For 11 years, I've been able to eat.

For 11 years, I've been able to live.

(Extract from Jessica's blog.)

Are you inspired by Jessica's story and the Undercover Ostomy campaign? Tell us in the comments below or join the conversation on Twitter @newscomauHQ | @gracekoelma

Message of support from ostomy wearer Sam. Source: Facebook

Originally published as 'I chose to have an ostomy instead of dying'

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The most powerful rocket ever built

MANY of us have only ever seen the Moon landing on replay but we may finally get to witness our own defining moment in space exploration — when NASA takes us to Mars.

Not since 1972 when the last manned spacecraft flew to the moon, have humans travelled beyond the low Earth orbit and into deep space.

But with the signing of a $2.8 billion contract this week, the most powerful rocket ever built is on its way to sending people to the red planet.

What a monster: An artist's impression of the proposed Space Launch System. Image credit: NASA (Concept updated Jan. 14, 2014). Source: Supplied

The American space program NASA is still the only agency whose astronauts have walked on the Moon and in 2021 it hopes to launch a spacecraft capable of taking humans further than ever before.

On Wednesday it was announced that Boeing had signed the contract, giving them the go-ahead to start full production of the "core stage" for the Space Launch System (SLS), which will be the most powerful rocket in history.

It will propel the Orion spacecraft (which will carry up to four astronauts) as well as important cargo, equipment and science experiments into deep space.

An artist's rendering of what the Orion capsule could look like. AFP PHOTO/HANDOUT/NASA/ESA Source: AFP

This week the system passed its Critical Design Review which saw 11 expert teams assess the design of the rocket to ensure it was suitable for production.

A spokeswoman for Boeing said that production of the rocket had already started, with hopes that it will be ready for its first mission in 2017.

Tony Lavoie, manager of the Stages Office at Marshall, said passing the review was a "huge accomplishment".

"This is the first time a stage of a major NASA launch vehicle has passed a critical design review since the 1970s," Mr Lavoie said.

We have lift-off: Space Launch System gets go ahead for full production. Image credit: NASA (Concept updated July 30, 2013) Source: Supplied

WHEN CAN WE WATCH THE LAUNCH?

The first mission — Exploration Mission 1 — is scheduled to take place in 2017 and will involve sending an unmanned aircraft into space to test the system's performance.

If all goes well, Exploration Mission 2 will launch in 2021 and will see up to four American astronauts launched into space on board the Orion spacecraft.

It is hoped that astronauts will be sent to an asteroid by 2025 and to Mars by the 2030s.

The Space Launch System will be the rocket providing the huge amount of power necessary to propel the Orion into deep space.

A full size test model of the Orion spacecraft in 2012. AFP PHOTO/Bruce Weaver Source: AFP

HOW FAR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

The US, Russia and China have all been sending astronauts into space for years and in recent times this has centred around the International Space Station, which is about 320 kilometres above the Earth's surface.

NASA's Space Launch System wants to send humans beyond the low Earth orbit, which is generally defined as being up to 2000km above the Earth's surface.

Where we hope to go: The future of space exploration. Image credit: NASA Source: Supplied

Most satellites travel within the low Earth orbit, although some communications satellites are higher.

Orbits higher beyond this can experience earlier failure of electronic components due to intense radiation.

With the exception of the Apollo program, which reached the moon about 350,000km away, no human spaceflights have travelled beyond this limit.

In what will be a huge leap in human exploration of space, NASA's new system will allow astronauts in the Orion to travel to an asteroid 64,000 kms beyond the moon and eventually to Mars more than 1.5 million kilometres away.

It will also enable robotic science missions to travel to places such as Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.

The first test launch of the Space Launch System will be in 2017. Image credit: NASA (Concept updated July 30, 2013). Source: Supplied

BLAST OFF

The mega version of the Space Launch System will hopefully launch in 2021 once smaller versions have been tested first.

This system will be 117 metres high and will weigh a massive 2.9 million kilos. When it lifts off it will have about 4.1 million kilos of thrust, more than 34 times the total thrust of a 747 jet.

The horsepower is equivalent to 298,000 Corvette engines and system will be able to carry payloads weighing about 130,000 kilos to orbit.

An artist rendering of the various configurations of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Image credit: NASA Source: Supplied

The system will feature the largest cryogenic fuel tanks ever used on a rocket and the system will be able to lift more than 143 tons.

Four former space shuttle engines, which all have been used in missions before with a 100 per cent success rate, will power the massive structure.

THE ORION SPACECRAFT

Orion is the spacecraft which the astronauts will travel in and that they will hopefully use to travel into deep space.

The vessel will be built by Lockheed Martin Corp and will be powered by two additional J-2X engines to provide the extra boost needed to travel to Mars.

These two engines will be the first liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen rocket engines developed in 40 years certified to transport humans.

When it returns to Earth, it will reach speeds of almost 20,000 miles per hour and will be protected by the world's largest heat shield, measuring 16.5 feet in diameter.

For more information go to http://www.nasa.gov/sls/

The Orion crew module is being built. AFP Photo/NASA/Sean Smith Source: AFP

Solid rocket boosters firing their separation rockets and pushing away from the core stage, which will continue toward space with the Orion spacecraft. (Note: artist concept current as of April 10, 2014) Image credit: NASA/MSFC Source: Supplied

Originally published as The most powerful rocket ever built

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300kg man cut free from his home

Fire and Rescue officers help NSW Ambulance crews remove a 400kg man from a house Source: Supplied

THERE are dramatic scenes unfolding on a suburban street in Sydney's inner west, where fire and rescue crews have been forced to partially remove the wall of a house to extricate a 300kg man in need of medical attention.

Fire and Rescue officers help NSW Ambulance crews remove a 300kg man from a house. Source: Supplied

Officers from the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team donned protective gear and breathing apparatus before cutting out the front bedroom window of the home, which reportedly contains asbestos within its walls.

Fire and Rescue officers, wearing protective anti-asbestos gear, help NSW Ambulance crews remove a 300kg man from a house Source: Supplied

A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said the Croydon Park man, who is aged in his mid-thirties and weighs approximately 300kg, called emergency services after experiencing chest pains.

He was transported to Burwood Hospital in a bariatric ambulance — a vehicle designed to accommodate obese patients — and is currently undergoing treatment.

"We have specialised ambulances and stretchers designed to handle patients of any weight, whether they are 500kg or 50kg," the spokeswoman said.

It is understood the man suffers from a range of health issues, including heart problems, relating to his weight.

Emergency crews were forced to close Balmoral Ave and President St, which run adjacent to the house, to protect neighbouring homes from the threat of asbestos.

Officers were forced to partially remove the wall of a house because the 400kg resident could not fit through the front door. Source: Supplied

Originally published as 300kg man cut free from his home

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The mayor who started a bogan war

Glamorgan Mayor Bertrand Cadart has found himself at the centre of controversy over comments he made about bogans in Tasmania. Source: News Limited

A MAYOR from a little known piece of Tasmania is at war with his own council after calling a local town "ugly" and some of its residents "the most bogan of bogans".

Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Bertrand Cadart was quoted saying the people of Triabunna, a town within his council area on the east coast of Tasmania, were "too disparate, from the most bogan of bogans ... to the greenest pains in the a**".

"Take Triabunna. It is an ugly spot," he said. "Not because it's ugly intrinsically, but because it's populated by people who have no concept of aesthetics."

Cr Cadart was being interviewed by the The Monthly magazine for an article on the Triabunna woodchip mill. And while he made the comments, the eccentric French-born mayor insists his quotes were taken out of context as he didn't understand the background of the article prior to doing the interview.

"When I saw the quote my jaw dropped down to my naval," he told news.com.au.

Cr Cadart remains defiant and insists he will not stand down over the controversial comments. Source: News Limited

He admitted he shouldn't have said that he "did not give a sh**" about people in Triabunna and now his comments were being used to "crucify" him.

His fellow councillors are threatening to hold a no-confidence motion against him.

Glamorgan Spring Bay councillor Jenny Woods said she was outraged.

"His French flair can't excuse what he said, but that's not the story here," Cr Woods said. "It's a shame 100 words were taken and being focused on ... That being said, a mayor cannot say these things about the people he represents, and the town is not ugly. We think it's a beautiful place."

Cr Cadart told news.com.au that Tasmania was made up of very disparate groups and he used the word "bogan" and "ugly" in reference to some groups around the state.

"Since when has bogan become derogatory anyway?" said the colourful Mayor, who once played a bikie thug in the hit movie Mad Max.

"I could be classified as a bogan, I ride a bike, I swear, I've got a beard and, having been here for 45 years, I use slang."

He insisted Triabunna was ugly because, like most industrial towns, it "looked sh**". But he said cities such as Newcastle in NSW had shown what can happen when an industrial town is rejuvenated.

He said his interest was in getting the town working because the forestry industry was dead and he only wanted to see more people finish school and get into work.

Cr Cadart also said it may seem like Tasmania had more bogans than bigger states such as NSW, but it was just that they were concentrated on the island.

Cr Cadart pictured with his partner Catherine Fouquet said the comments were a storm in a teacup. Source: News Corp Australia

Another councillor, Richard Parker, told the ABC yesterday he was absolutely furious about the remarks and fellow councillors were upset.

"If that's the way the mayor feels about our area ... if he's not happy with the way it is, pack your bags, go back to France," he said. "Those that have been very close to the mayor have felt betrayed."

But Cr Cadart told news.com.au he always worked hard to deal with the downturn of the forest industry in the region and has no plans to stand down over the bogan comments.

Even if a no-confidence motion was passed, under the Local Government Act, he doesn't have to step down because he was voted in by the people, not the councillors.

He said some people in Triabunna were against whatever new plan was proposed for the closed woodchip mill site, and they were opposed to any new visions.

Cr Cadart insists he had the residents' interests at heart. Source: News Limited

Originally published as The mayor who started a bogan war

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Origin rocked by assault allegations

Will Chambers has been accused of assault. Picture: Peter Wallis Source: News Corp Australia

QUEENSLAND's Origin III preparations have been rocked by an off-field incident involving Maroons debutant Will Chambers.

Queensland police are investigating an alleged altercation between Chambers and two patrons, one a female, at Brisbane's Down Under Bar around 2am this morning.

It is the same venue which Maroons coach Mal Meninga was asked to leave last year after walking behind the bar to serve himself.

Channel Nine reports a 24-year-old Brisbane man, known as Tristan, has lodged a formal complaint of common assault against Chambers.

No charges have yet been laid.

The man spent five hours being interviewed today by detectives, claiming he was knocked to the ground by Chambers after the Maroons rookie allegedly took a hat belonging to his female friend.

The man claimed a number of Maroons players were in attendance, including Billy Slater, Ben Te'o and Aidan Guerra.

There is no suggestion those players were guilty of any wrongdoing.

Meninga was in discussions with authorities this afternoon as Queensland players returned to camp at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast.

At this stage, no players have been formally interviewed by police.

The Queensland Rugby League released a statement this afternoon, saying: "We have been made aware of the alleged incident from last night, we are fully co-operating with the relative authorities to determine the facts."

The police probe comes just days after Cronulla playmaker Todd Carney was sacked for his puerile antics at a Sydney pub, which were captured and displayed on social media.

The Queensland team only arrived on the Gold Coast today after spending the night in Brisbane following the side's announcement for Origin III this Wednesday night.

The team conducted a media session and grassroots promotion at Graceville around midday yesterday before gathering for drinks last night.

The alleged victim told police he was at the Down Under Bar around 2am drinking with a male friend and his female partner. He alleges Chambers had possession of the woman's hat and was pushed to the ground by the Maroons winger when he approached him to reclaim the item.

Police were called and players held at the venue as the parties were questioned for an hour.

The Queensland Rugby League has referred the matter to the NRL's integrity unit.

Chambers is set to make his Origin debut at Suncorp Stadium this Wednesday night after being called as the right-wing replacement for injured veteran Brent Tate.

Originally published as Origin rocked by assault allegations

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Pilots reveal their favourite views from above

Who wouldn't want to be a pilot with views like this? Source: ThinkStock

WHEN it comes to the ideal place for a spot of sightseeing, it's hard to get better than the pointy end of the plane, where lucky pilots get to soak up the best views Earth has to offer in an office that the rest of us could only dream of having.

Our jealousy has soared to new heights with the release of a survey by British Airways of their pilots' favourite destinations seen from above.

The pilots were asked to chose from the airline's 180+ different routes, and came up with a top 10 list.

Here are the winners, along with pilots explaining why they are so incredible.

1. Northern Lights, North America

Captain Dave Willsher: "If you're not already asleep this is an amazing sight three to four hours into most long North America flights. Well worth staying up for."

Still awake? Picture: Jason Jenkins Source: Flickr

2. Central London, approach into Heathrow

Captain Mark Mannering-Smith: "Most flights approach Heathrow from the east — a great opportunity to get an unbeatable view of London."

Wave hi to the Poms. Picture: Advait Supnekar Source: Flickr

Another Heathrow shot. Picture: Jessica Spengler Source: Flickr

Coming in to land. Picture: Andy Mitchell Source: Flickr

3. Mont Blanc, Pisa

First Officer Caroline Robinson: "A breathtaking view of the Alps, and especially of Mont Blanc."

The majestic Alps. Source: ThinkStock

4. Sydney Harbour

Captain Derek May: "When leaving Sydney, sit on the right hand side of the aircraft to get the best views of Sydney Harbour."

There's a lot to see at Sydney Harbour. Source: ThinkStock

Meanwhile, flying over South Sydney. Source: ThinkStock

An aerial photo of Goat Island on Sydney Harbour. Source: Supplied

View of Manly, with Sydney Harbour and the city centre in the background. Source: Supplied

5. Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, San Francisco

Captain Simon Scholey: "You get great views of the bridge on the left hand side of the aircraft, Alcatraz from the right, and the bay from both!"

It's a pretty cool sight. Picture: Paul Williams Source: Flickr

The Golden Gate Bridge. Source: News Limited

Flying over San Francisco. Picture: Jessica "The Hun" Reeder Source: Flickr

6. Greenland, North Atlantic flights

Senior First Officer Peter Nye: "Greenland is visually stunning. The tips of mountains can be seen poking through the snow which is over a mile deep. Occasionally you will be able to see icebergs carving off glaciers around the coast."

Ice, ice, baby. Picture: My Faily Sublime Source: Flickr

A frozen meltwater lake along the northeast Greenland coast. Picture: NASA Source: Flickr

7. Venetian canals

First Officer Joanne Tait: "This is especially good on a departure to the north east as you circle back over the city."

Venice down below. Source: ThinkStock

8. Cape Town, Table Mountain

Senior First Officer Kate Laidler: "On early morning arrivals from the north it's great for Table Mountain and the bay."

Cape Town aerial view. Source: ThinkStock

9. Dubrovnik

Captain Al Bridger: "It's a terrific approach into Dubrovnik over the bay to the north east."

Dubrovnik from above. Source: ThinkStock

10. Mount Fuji

Captain Chris Hanson: "Whether arriving or departing from Tokyo (Narita) you can see Mount Fuji sticking out of the clouds."

Pilots enjoy great views of Mount Fuji. Source: ThinkStock

What a ride.

Originally published as Pilots reveal their favourite views from above

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‘YOLO’: The dumbest celebrity tattoos

Kelly Osbourne: A head full of stories. Source: Twitter

Nekkid Nate invites you to come on down to Liberty Tattoo. Any past tattoos you may regret, they can fix that.

KELLY Osbourne, congratulations — you have the silliest celebrity tattoo of the week.

Osbourne has tweeted pics of herself getting a deeply meaningless tatt on the side of her shaven head: the word 'Stories ...'.

'Stories ...', huh? On her head? It really makes you think.

Kelly Osbourne's head full of stories. Source: Instagram

Here are a few more of our favourite cringe-worthy tatts. As a wise woman once sang, money can't buy you class.

Mike Tyson

Why so forlorn, Mike Tyson? We're the ones that have to look at the tatt. Source: News Limited

Tyson's face tattoo seems less shocking nowadays, with the increase in facial tattoos — heck, only a couple of weeks ago we were all going gaga over a face-tattooed convicted felon (he was dreamy). But this 2003 design may well be one of the dumbest decisions Tyson has made in a career full of 'em.

Zac Efron

Beauty fades, YOLO is forever. Source: Supplied

You thought Zac Efron was perfect? Think again. The Hollywood hunk has a 'YOLO' tattoo — that oh-so-2012 youth acronym 'You Only Live Once' — on his hand. Zac, we love you, but we're not sure how we feel about this permanent bogan Carpe Diem marking.

Dappy

#greatdecision there, Dappy. Source: Twitter

The British rapper recently had what, from a distance, looks like the traditional teardrop prison tatt applied to his face. Look closer though, and you'll see it's actually a hashtag. Dappy took to Twitter (where else) to explain his new tatt: "The reason I got a # tatted on my FACE was simply 2 make sure IT stays trending 4 ever," he said. That will age so well.

All of One Direction

Zayn Malik's gun tattoo. Source: Supplied

Harry Styles scribble-esque tatts. Source: Supplied

Between them, these five very pretty young lads have toughened up their image with a plethora of poorly designed, poorly executed tatts. Special mention must go to Zayn Malik's giant gun tattoo, which sends a great message to One Direction's impressionable tweenage fanbase that FIREARMS ARE REALLY COOL KIDS!, and Harry Styles' body-covering tatts, which look like the sort of teenage scribbles you leave on a desk during a particularly boring science lesson.

Scarlett Johansson

Lucky us? I guess so, we don't have to live with that dodgy tatt for the rest of our lives. Source: Supplied

ScarJo looks very proud of her fresh ink in this photo, but to us, it looks like the sort of wonkily-drawn carving you'd wake up with after a particularly raucous St Patrick's Day, thinking, 'When did I get this? And where did I put my pants?'

Jermaine Dupri

Holy Mother of God. Source: Supplied

The record producer and longtime partner to Janet Jackson got a large tattoo of his boo on his body — there's your first mistake, Jermaine. Having her depicted as the Virgin Mary was another strike, given that Jackson is responsible for some of the most sexed-up R&B songs of the past 30 years. The third strike? The fact that Dupri and Jackson split in 2009. She's now married to her third husband, Qatari billionaire Wissam Al Mana — but Dupri will always have this odd reminder of his ex.

Johnny Depp

'Winona Forever' — yeah it wasn't forever. Source: Supplied

We doubt even Winona Ryder's agent would commit to saying 'Winona Forever' nowadays, but back in the early '90s, she was one part of Hollywood's coolest couple with Johnny Depp. After a three-year relationship, the pair parted ways in 1993, and Depp had his 'Winona Forever' tatt fixed: it now reads Wino Forever. A more recent, but less inventive example of this can be seen with Melanie Griffith's 'Antonio' tattoo, which she's been concealing with make-up since splitting from longtime hubby Antonio Banderas.

Eve

Eve at Sydney Fashion Week. Seems she got up close and personal with the local fauna. Source: News Limited

The rapper and actor has twin paw prints emblazoned across her chest. Why? Who knows, but it makes her look somewhat like she's been felt up by a dirty echidna.

Originally published as 'YOLO': The dumbest celebrity tattoos

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Is life without bacon really boring?

Bacon Week: It's not quite as fun for these guys. Picture: AFP PHOTO Source: AFP

TODAY the Adelaide Advertiser ran an opinion piece with the catchy title 'Animal activists are fun police who want us to lead a miserable boring baconfree existence'.

Its author, Nicolle Flint, has uncovered a shocking fact: the hardworking folk at animal welfare organisations such as Animals Australia and Animal Liberation would like Aussies to eat less meat. Can you believe it?

Flint seems to have a bee in her bacon-filled bonnet because these and other animal welfare organisations didn't momentarily stop their tireless work providing a voice for Australia's millions of factory farmed animals out of respect for 'Australian Bacon Week', a recent marketing promotion concocted by Australian Pork Limited.

"Animal activists didn't spend Bacon Week swapping recipes, and discussing whether it's OK to put barbecue instead of tomato sauce on a bacon and egg roll," Flint laments.

No such spoilsport behaviour from Flint. In her article, she describes animal rights advocates as "fun police" who are "doing their best to put us off our pork" (they don't seem to be succeeding with Flint, if her bacon-filled Twitter timeline is anything to go by).

Former AFL player Matthew Bate is one of many who've 'made the connection' and embraced a meat-free lifestyle. Picture: Lawrence Pinder Source: News Limited

Full disclosure here: I'm a vego/vegan and have been for about four years. After watching documentaries like Earthlings and reading books like Peter Singer's The Ethics of What We Eat a few years back, it seemed to me that continuing to eat animal products presented too much of an ethical minefield.

For me, the ethical dilemma posed by eating meat from animals who'd had short, often miserable lives was too great, and the easiest response for me was to limit my support of industries that exploit animals as much as possible.

Still, Flint's not having any of this. "Just imagine mealtimes with potato, carrots and peas, but no lamb chops. Salad and chips, but no fish. Roast vegetables, but no chicken. Toast, but no butter, eggs or bacon. Sounds like a pretty bland and boring existence, doesn't it," she writes.

A mouth-watering veggie burger. Source: News Limited

One of many vegan cookbooks. Source: Supplied

It does indeed, Nicolle. Thankfully vegetarians and vegans have a greater array of foods to choose from than dry toast and chips. Search the #vegan hashtag on Instagram and you'll see hundreds of thousands of colourful, mouth-watering, healthy meals. Hell, we even treat ourselves to pretty amazing junk food sometimes (seriously, there's a second Lord of the Fries vegetarian takeaway burger joint opening in Sydney later this year and I am already concerned for my waistline).

Flint states that "a meat-free existence, not improving animal welfare, is [animal activists'] aim." Newsflash: the two go hand-in-hand. It doesn't take a scientist to figure out that one of the best ways to protect an animal's welfare is to not, y'know, eat it.

And while a vegetarian or vegan's life is indeed 'bacon-free', it's certainly not the fun-free existence Flint would have us believe. Almost as soon as I went vego, I dropped a good five kilos without trying — even though I can never go past a vegan brownie from my local weekend market (those things are the size of my head and no, I'm not sharing). Contrary to the stereotype of the weak, hungry vegan, my energy and fitness levels also improved — one year after making the change, I ran my first marathon.

But ultimately, making the decision to reduce or eliminate your consumption of animal products is about taking the time to recognise that you share the planet with other sentient beings — animals that we exploit on a mass scale. That yummy bacon Flint tweets about? It doesn't grow on trees. It came from a pig. A pig that's just as smart, as able to feel fear and pain, and as deserving of a peaceful, natural life as the much-loved family dog or cat you have at home.

Pigs actually make great pets. Would you eat the family dog? Source: Supplied

Stuff National Bacon Week and all other Simpsons parody-esque ploys designed to make us ignore the plight of voiceless animals.

Instead, why not head to Make It Possible.com and make a pledge. You can pledge to find out where your food is coming from and choose to purchase as humanely as possible. You can pledge to go meat-free for one meal per day, or one meal per week.

You can even go the whole hog (no pun intended) and pledge to go meat-free altogether.

Originally published as Is life without bacon really boring?

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