Do you remember the good old days when the Boxing day news would almost without fail, give us reports of house fires killing children?

Seem we don't have these deaths anymore because of fire alarms. So it's not that parents have become more responsible, its a technology advance.

But maybe lets still remember that children and drunk parents don't mix.

nah
lets just wax nostalgic

Awww and here I thought you were going to tell us about some neat Christmas party traditions in your neighborhood!

So it's not that parents have become more responsible, its a technology advance.It requires responsibility to install and maintain the alarms.

Ophiolite,
It requires responsibility to install and maintain the alarms.
Installing and maintaining the alarm is a much more simpler task than not burning your house down with fire. ;) So, let us blame the parents, and praise technology.

One day, technology will remove ignorance from the Earth, then that will be Heaven on Earth. :p


[Renrue]

How? Superior education? Genetic engineering?

Some people have their house burn down due to knocked over lanterns on St John's Night. Christmas just has more celebrants.

hmm, I think I just saw a news report on a fire caused by some candles, turning a whole family into ash.

Why do you have to ruin Christmas with trivial accidental pasts? Shit happens. Christmas or not. Obviously you're not in the Spirit of Christmas to post something like this.

Valich I am questioning the sprit of Christmas. Surely in a Science forum that is what we do above all else, question things?

I happen to think that children burning to death, is a very big deal and one that should be raised as an issue so that we can question why it happens.

Why would you want to sweep it under the carpet?

Maybe we should also be looking at the drink drive deaths as well. A number of people in the UK have died in the last few weeks because of this. Many of them hit and runs. Christmas costs lives because it is a time of reckless indulgents. But we can pretend its not if you don't mind deaths going unnoticed.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,179738,00.html

It would also appear that the stress of Christmas is driving people to kill as well.

Suicide rates are also very high at Christmas. I wonder how many deaths this festival causes a year?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3548371.html

SAVED!

"D'Nya Ball, 5; T'Kiya Edwards, 7; and Jacquez Trask, 3."

Anyone want to hazard a guess on the race and economic status of this family? :)

You mean... it was a Negroast?

I'm sort of in d'nyal about the whole thing.

Valich I am questioning the sprit of Christmas. Surely in a Science forum that is what we do above all else, question things?

I happen to think that children burning to death, is a very big deal and one that should be raised as an issue so that we can question why it happens.

Why would you want to sweep it under the carpet?

Maybe we should also be looking at the drink drive deaths as well. A number of people in the UK have died in the last few weeks because of this. Many of them hit and runs. Christmas costs lives because it is a time of reckless indulgents. But we can pretend its not if you don't mind deaths going unnoticed.Well then the posting should be "Please Don't Drink and Drive during the Holidays." That's what they're saying on the news: "You Drink and Drive during the Holidays - "Bam" - "We've got plenty of room for you here at Sheriff Joe's resort." Then a picture surrounded by court room justice and life in Joe's resort on the chain gain.

I misunderstood the motivation behind the forum - and I do agree with it, if that is the motivation - but I thought it was a bit misleading and in bad taste, as far a choice of words. Sorry.

You have to keep dowsing them with paraffin as they burn; don't use petrol because it's explosive. Happy burning:D

Do you remember the good old days when the Boxing day news would almost without fail, give us reports of house fires killing children?

As Xev pointed out it still happens today.

There was a large fire in some appartment complex here, 60 families were reported to have lost everything. Despite of being in a town associated with gambling, the community raised funds to help out some of the victims get through christmas..