h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was just thinking how great of an idea it would be to use black holes as propulsion. From what I've heard over the years, when black holes suck in matter, the spew out huge amounts of energy in larges streams at the speed of light. With that in mind I thought(once again) gee, what a great idea! If you could attach one of those black hole thingies to a rocket, without getting the poor little rocket all sucked in, you could feed it some matter, and booooooooooosh, off you go? eh? so? what ya think? Hrm... I think I'll go and get that patented right now....muhaha! the us government will patent anything!

Now here's an opportunity for some truly pointless and inaccurate lay physics.

I vaguely remember a discussion of a Stephen Hawking presentation on some of his mathematical explorations on black holes. The bit I remember is that apparently not only do black holes radiate but *what* they radiate isn't governed by anything so restrictive as physical laws, common sense or taste.

Just image defecating into your star drive only to have a really pissed off elder god come clawing (or tentacleing) up out of the pot.

"Stop your defecating Captain, she just can't take any more!!"