All stabbed, jolted, and smoked up

A British teenager has been knifed to death on a crowded bus in an apparently random attack as she made her way to school. The teenager, 16-year-old Christina Edkins, was killed shortly after she boarded the double decker during the morning rush hour. Police launched a massive manhunt for a fellow passenger who fled the scene after her murder, which came a month after Christina voiced concerns about a fellow passenger on another bus journey, and later arrested a 22-year-old man after an extensive search involving police dogs and firearms officers. If that wasn't a big enough jolt for you, here's another: three Auckland gyms have opened their doors for business this morning despite an order by the High Court to stop trading. Justice Winkelmann yesterday issued an interim injunction against Jolt Fitness, requiring the owners to close down its gyms at Westgate, Three Kings, and Botany. Her decision came after Stuart Holder, who owned three Club Physical gym franchises, suddenly rebranded the clubs as "Jolt Fitness" without warning on February 8. Club Physical owner Paul Richards applied to the High Court for an injunction to stop Jolt Fitness from operating, claiming Holder had breached franchise agreements. But Jolt Fitness has today confirmed it will be lodging an appeal against Justice Winkelmann's decision. "The appeal will include an urgent application for a stay of the Order to close the three Jolt Fitness clubs. Jolt Fitness has requested that this application be dealt with by the High Court today. Until such time as this application is heard, the three Jolt Fitness clubs at Westgate, Botany Downs, and Three Kings will remain open for business." Holder last night said he was "incredibly surprised and disappointed" by Justice Winkelmann's ruling. I would be too, but contempt of court is not the best way to play when life deals you a bad hand. And speaking of hands, if second-hand smoke wasn’t bad enough, now you have to worry about third-hand smoke - the lingering traces left behind in the objects long after the smoker has left the area. That’s the report from a late February conference at the University of California-Riverside, where professor Manuela Martins-Green and colleagues presented evidence that trace amounts of leftover smoke can actually affect wound healing and other bodily functions. So what exactly is third-hand smoke? Lowell Dale, a doctor for the Mayo Clinic, explained that it’s the stubborn, hard-to-remove residue that gets left behind on surfaces (especially indoor surfaces) to create a toxic chemical mishmash that clings to “hair, skin, clothes, furniture, drapes, walls, bedding, carpets, dust, vehicles, and other surfaces, even long after smoking has stopped.” So think before you light up. Your actions now will continue to have effect long after the actions themselves.