I'm a #balloonboy addict

Hi. My name is Tech Talks and I'm an addict.

I've been using the internet for the best part of 16 years and I just can't give it up.

It's an expensive habit - it costs me around $70 a month just to connect and all the gadgets I use to get my fix have cost me thousands more.

But I just don't have the willpower or the desire to give up.

In fact, I would't even be here if Mrs Tech Talks hadn't made me come along today to try and get some help.

She reckons 10 hours a day is an unreasonable time to be connected to cyberspace but I don't buy it.

I just don't think it's harmful. It's not like it's a gateway to anything harder.

And it's legal. I can get my bandwidth from legitimate companies who make money doing this sort of thing.

Oh, and did I mention it was completely and utterly awesome?

Take the saga of the balloon boy, for example. Or #balloonboy as he's become known on the Twitterverse.

Before I'd even seen a news story from 'traditional media' about his apparent floating away I was being kept up to date by thousands of like-minded addicts tweeting out of their minds.

In fact balloon boy became probably the quickest internet meme of all time.

Less than 60 minutes after the (false) rumours that six-year-old Falcon Heene had gone for a ride reminiscent of Disney Pixar's latest classic Up there was a battlefield of opinions available for everyone to read.

The first sign this was taking off (pun intended) was when I got the following tweet.

"Hold on Balloon Boy, imma let you finish, but Amelia Earhart had one of the best disappearances in flight of all time!"

What? You don't get it? It's a reference to Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift at the MTV awards.

What do you mean you agree that I'm spending too much time on the intertubes?

(Ooh, look at this shiny website all about that meme.)

And then there were the t-shirts, like this one, or this one. And the website. And this was all up before he'd even been found unharmed in a box in his attic.

Okay, it's a little bit sick. And there were lots of people tweeting that it was sick.

But is it wrong to admit I laughed a little at the Kanye West thing?

And I swear I only did it because I knew he wasn't on the balloon in the first place and that he would be found alive.

And I only knew that because a Facebook friend and I had a chat about the Mythbusters episode when they tried to get someone to take off with helium balloons and it took 3,500 to even get them off the ground a little bit.

A quick calculation showed there was no way a small balloon like that could carry a kid's weight and fly like it did. Honestly.

Sorry. I get a little carried away when I'm talking about the internet. I'll take a breath now.

What do you mean I need to get a life?

LONDON (Reuters) - Singer Leona Lewis was attacked as she signed copies of her autobiography in central London on Wednesday, police and the book store said.

Lewis, who won the TV talent show "The X Factor" and has topped charts around the world since, was signing copies of her book "Dreams" at a Waterstone's book store in Piccadilly Circus when she was assaulted.

"We can confirm that there was an incident at the Leona Lewis signing this afternoon," a Waterstone's spokesman said.

"The event was immediately stopped by the security guards present and the police are talking to the individual concerned."

Police said officers had arrested a 29-year-old man on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The man is now being questioned at a central London police station.

"My brother saw the whole incident," one fan at the book store told the BBC. "He (the attacker) walked up there with the book, she signed it and, as she looked up, he just punched her."

Lewis, whose debut album entered the U.S. charts at number one in 2008 -- the first British woman to achieve the feat, was badly shaken by the incident but did not need hospital treatment, her spokesman said.

(Reporting by Michael Holden)

Child-porn computer man caught by IT companies

A 50-year-old company director has been jailed for six months after two Hamilton IT companies alerted the Department of Internal Affairs to a collection of child sexual abuse images on his computers.

Glenn Morgan of Cambridge was sentenced in Hamilton District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to 15 representative charges of possessing objectionable publications.

The companies discovered objectionable pictures when Morgan asked technicians to transfer files from his desktop computer to his laptop and DVDs, the department told the court.

More than 50 percent of 3500 picture files on the laptop were objectionable. They showed children, particularly boys, in sexualised poses or acts with other children and adults. There were also more than a dozen objectionable movie files.

Judge Thomas Ingram told Morgan imprisonment was required as a general deterrent for such offending.

Department deputy secretary Keith Manch today praised the actions of the companies in reporting the offending.

"We are part of a worldwide effort to combat the child sexual abuse industry and information received from IT companies and the public helps us target those who view and trade in the results," he said.

"The distribution and viewing of images is the result of real children being sexually abused and exploited in the worst possible way.

"Each time anyone anywhere in the world accesses one of those images, the child depicted is victimised again."

ACC Minister apologises for suicide comments

ACC Minister Nick Smith has apologised for saying that if he was terminally ill he would throw himself under a train because his family would benefit under ACC's current policy.

Dr Smith yesterday announced increases to ACC levies and cuts to some entitlements. ACC was facing financial difficulty which Dr Smith attributed to claims largely out-weighing levies.

One area to be scrapped was compensation paid to the families of those who commit suicide.

If someone with a family committed suicide the family could have been given almost $1 million in compensation over time, Dr Smith told reporters gathered to hear about the ACC changes.

"If my doctor told me that I was terminally ill and I had 30 days to live, with the ACC rules the way they are, I'd be finding myself a train to throw myself under on the 29th day because my family would be treated so much more generously," he said.

Dr Smith did not go so far as to say the policy was an incentive for people contemplating suicide.

Suicide was tragic but not an accident, he said.

People who die from heart disease or cancer left behind families who were "equally disadvantaged" by the loss of a partner and income.

Opposition MPs, families affected by suicide and people who work in the area were angered by Dr Smith's comments.

Today, he apologised and said he his comments were an "unfortunate analogy".

"What I was attempting to do was make the point that while suicide is a tragedy, it's not an accident.

"I'm happy to apologise if offence has been taken."

Suicide was a "sensitive area", he said.

"It's a tragedy I wouldn't wish on anybody."

Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton said Dr Smith was being "cowardly and insensitive".

By removing compensation to the family of those who commit suicide he was "effectively victimising these most vulnerable".

"If the children or loved one of a suicide victim don't get our support through ACC, then where do they get it from?" Mr Anderton asked.

Mr Anderton's own family has suffered a suicide.

Labour's ACC spokesman David Parker said Dr Smith's comments were "intemperate" and having to apologise compounded his embarrassment at not having political support for the ACC legislation.

Asked who was going to support the changes to ACC legislation Dr Smith today told Parliament he was "having discussions with a number of parties".

Cabinet have approved the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill, but National will need support of either the Maori or ACT parties to pass it.

National hold 58 seats in the 122-seat Parliament. Maori and ACT each hold five.

Dr Smith said it was important to pass the legislation, and fast.

The Government wanted to enact the changes early next year.

ACT leader Rodney Hide said his party was "always keen to help".

However, ACT would not just give the legislation a "rubber stamp" but work through it, then negotiate with National, he said.

ACT's policy supports privatisation of ACC's services.

A Maori Party spokesman told NZPA the legislation was before the party caucus but no decision had been made about whether to support it or not.

Mr Parker said not having support to pass the legislation before announcing the proposed changes raised questions about Dr Smith's "grip on the portfolio".

"He's dedicated the past week to irresponsible scaremongering on ACC in order to gain public support for excessive changes to the scheme, without bothering to ensure he can even pass the legislation."

MILAN (Reuters) - American actress Megan Fox will strip down to her underwear for Giorgio Armani's Emporio Armani fashion brand, the Italian design house said on Wednesday.

Fox, who starred in the "Transformers" films, follows in the footsteps of "Posh Spice" Victoria Beckham who along with her soccer-playing husband David heads the Emporio Armani autumn/winter underwear campaign.

Fox will also be the new official worldwide face for Armani Jeans for next year.

Armani said in a statement the soon-to-be unveiled adverts were shot last weekend in Lost Angeles.

Last week, the Milan-based fashion house said Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo would replace David Beckham as the new sports model for Emporio Armani's men's underwear.

(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, editing by Paul Casciato)

Couple pleads guilty in bird-child swap

A Louisiana couple admitted giving an exotic bird to a woman in exchange for two children, a district attorney said Wednesday.

Paul and Brandy Romero, of Eunice, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of sale of a minor, Evangeline Parish District Attorney Trent Brignac's office said in a statement.

Their five-year prison sentences were suspended in exchange for their testimony against the woman accused of handing over the children, Donna Greenwell of Glenmora, the statement said.

The Romeros traded their cockatoo and $175 for the children in February.

Greenwell is not their mother but the children were living with her, apparently with their parents' knowledge.

Prosecutors say she "instigated" the transfer when she responded to the Romeros' advertisement for sale of the bird.

Greenwell, who is free on bond, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of sale of minor children. Her trial is set for November

Johnny Depp fears Hollywood family

Johnny Depp's "greatest fear" is his children becoming actors.

The 'Public Enemies' star - who has 10-year-old daughter Lily-Rose and Jack, seven, with French singer Vanessa Paradis - is worried his children's interest in his career will see them follow in his Hollywood footsteps.

He said: "One thing is certain - neither of them will ever get bored. I always show them my various costumes and they love it. My children seem to take my job for granted. But I honestly hope that Lily-Rose and Jack don't want to become actors - that's my greatest fear!"

Johnny says his family is the most important thing in his life and he is more interested in pleasing them than winning acting awards.

The 46-year-old star explained to Germany's Joy magazine: "I'm just an actor and not a hero. It doesn't make any sense to me that I should leave the world anything. To me only one thing is really important - I want my children to be proud of me!"

(C) BANG Media Internationa

Man jumps into falls in vain bid to save motorist

A 23-year-old man tried in vain to save the life of a man whose car plunged off a bridge into the Whangarei Falls this afternoon.

The victim, believed to be in his late 40s or early 50s, died after the incident in the Whangarei suburb of Tikipunga about 2.50pm.

Frederick Chapman heard the crash from his house a few metres from the bridge.

"I was sitting on the patio having a smoke and I heard this big crash," he told NZPA.

"I told my partner that someone's crashed. I ran straight down, ran down and jumped straight down the water."

Mr Chapman said he swum about 20m to get to the man, the sole occupant in the car, out of the vehicle and pulled him out of the water.

"My neighbour Ali gave him CPR. We had him there for a few minutes, then he went out of consciousness.

"We brought him back about three times and then got him back on to dry land. We were told he was gone soon afterwards."

Mr Chapman said the man looked straight at him before taking his last breath, something he said was not easy.

"I've still got his face on my mind."

Mr Chapman said he was later told the man may have had a heart attack before the car plunged off the bridge as it was swerving wildly on the road.

He said it wasn't the first time a family member had tried to rescue someone in a car which got into the water, a drop he said was about four car lengths.

About 18 months ago his father, Marsh Allen, made an unsuccessful similar attempt to pull someone from a car which plunged off the bridge into the falls.

Mr Chapman said he didn't think twice about trying to rescue the man.

"I had no hesitation. I just wanted to get him out."

The name of the victim has yet to be released.

Stephen Gately's body 'found by friend'

Stephen Gately's friend says he "cannot sleep" since finding the singer's body.

Georgi Dochev had returned to the holiday apartment shared by the Boyzone star and his partner Andy Cowles - who he wed in a civil ceremony in March 2006 - after meeting the couple in a gay club in Majorca on Friday (09.10.09). He discovered the 33-year-old singer in a "crouched, prayer position" the following morning.

The 25-year-old Bulgarian said: "I was the one who found him. I am devastated. I came from the bedroom and found him dead and I woke his partner. He was white and very cold.

"I was the one who called the ambulance because Andy was too upset. He was holding Stephen.

"It's awful, I am in shock and I cannot sleep for days. It is really upsetting. I have only known him for a while. I have talked to the police but I cannot speak of other things. I just wish I could have saved him."

Andy has been left devastated by the tragedy and was being comforted by Stephen's bandmates - Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy - yesterday (12.10.09).

The group were quick to console Andy during the meeting at a hotel close to the couple's apartment in Port Andratx but are still in a state of shock themselves.

A source said: "Andy is in a deep state of shock."

Boyzone issued a statement about the tragedy on Sunday (11.10.09) but have been too distressed to speak since then.

The source added: "Ronan and the boys are too sad to make any decisions.

"This may be the end of the group. Or they might finish the album and dedicate it to Stephen's memory. He lived for Boyzone."

Police believe Stephen died after choking on his own vomit, but Andy - who had originally planned a quiet night in with the star - insists they hadn't been drinking heavily.

He said: "We have had wilder nights out in Dublin and this was nothing out of the ordinary. I just don't understand it. What hurts most is that he was only yards from me in the room next door and I didn't even know he was slipping away. If only I had gone in to check him."

A post mortem is due to take place on the star's body today (13.10.09).

(C) BANG Media International

2 years old toddler missing in Auckland

Police tonight have set up a tarpaulin and are searching under lights at a West Auckland property near where toddler Aisling Symes disappeared a week ago.

Firefighters and police have been working since about 6pm on Pomaria Rd, a Henderson street connecting with Longburn Rd where the two-year-old was last seen, and were reportedly searching a septic tank at the back of the property.

The Fire Service confirmed they had been using concrete cutters.

The property down a long drive adjoins the back of Aisling's grandparents' home and has a creek running beside it.

Aisling's mother said she went missing from the house while her back was turned.

Both the grandparents' house and adjoining Pomaria Rd property were cordoned off by police tonight. Officers who appeared to be forensic investigators have turned up at the scene.

A crowd of more than 100 people and media had gathered outside.

Earlier this evening, a church service where prayers were being said for Aisling was interrupted when extended family left in a hurry, media reported.