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

Yea...I wonder what religion he practices?

Isn't it amazing how in the 21st century, with all our technology and "advancement", that mankind doesn't seem to have an answer to widespread disease?

http://www.saveourbees.org.uk/why-bees-dying.asp

Perhaps some questions will never have a satisfactory answer, from using a microscope alone. (or more sophisticated technology)

It seems quite clear to me, that mankind is destroying his environment on a global scale like never before in history.
Maybe you just can't have "the birds and the bees" and an over-exploited planet at the same time!

>>But in cold-weather climates such as Canada's, Blunden said older incandescent bulbs do more than just light our homes. During the long winter months, they also generate heat. The new CFL bulbs on the other hand produce minimal heat so the loss has to be made up by fossil-fuel burning gas, oil or wood to heat your home.


I can well believe this. as here in the sub tropics there we have no heating systems. It is more common to have air conditioning to reduce heat and have noticed, along with my friends, that having lots of lights on in the evening makes your house hotter.

Also, back in the UK my mother has a huge light for embroidery, and this creates lots of heat in the room. If she isn't using it she wouldn't notice the automatic heat system turn itself up.

The death of bees is a really serious issue, and we could soon have very expensive food due to lack of pollination of crops. IMHO People are more interested in money than the environment?

Is this guy lucky or what??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7925009.stm

The same thing happened to him *twice*?!!!




(post 5300 )

>>that having lots of lights on in the evening makes your house hotter>>

I'm beginning to wonder if this might be a question about cultur/generation difference? Having grown up during the oil crisis in 1973 I was taught to always turn off the lights when I left a room and went into another, and not to have more lamps on than I really needed.

These days I still do it from an environmental point of view, trying to waste as little electricity as possible. I think the maximum number of lamps I've ever had on when being home alone is two.

The heat output of bulbs - and people - is certainly a factor in modern, super-insulated, environmentally-friendly, heat-recycling buildings.

(Incidentally - the heat output of a person at rest is approx 100W)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7920221.stm

Badly dubbed...er...prawn.

Could it be that the Island of Ireland is the only part of Europe without an indigenous porn industry? I don't recall ever having heard of Irish porn.

(I wonder what it would be like. Would they keep their hands down by their sides when they were doing it?)

I probably shouldn't be at at this stage but I was truly astounded by this! The most damning argument yet for getting rid of elected judges!

Two Pennsylvania judges have been charged with taking millions of dollars in kickbacks to send teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090211/ap_on_re_us/courthouse_kickbacks

and from the Economist
what is really unusual about this tale is the scale of the corruption. First the judges received monetary rewards for sanctioning the building of a new private-sector prison in their area. Second, they were paid for closing a county-funded prison nearby. And, then, of course, they offered up the “juvenile delinquents” for the benefit of the owners of the new jail. Both judges were elected, not appointed.

Ed, do you make a study of other countries' outputs? Are there discernible differences?

I shall make enquiries about Irish stuff for you if you like

Please do!

I am (ahem) aware of Israeli porn, which includes such titles as 'The Arab and the Rabbi's Daughter'

>>Are there discernible differences?

Oh certainly! For example...although I've not seen any myself and neither would I want to...Germany is reputed to be the leading producer of 'Kaviar'.

*DON'T* google it!!!!!!

>>The most damning argument yet for getting rid of elected judges!<<

You get elected by promising to get tough on crime, then you make it a crime to be someone that the voters don't like. A win-win situation.

These guys just got greedy. It's still perfectly legal for a racist judge to collect a salary to send people he doesn't like to a prison that he owns stock in. There's a reason why the US has the highest prison population and why minorities make up the largest part of that.

Just one more example of why you should stay away from pot, it's a gateway drug to some Republican stock portfolio.

Just heard on the BBC news( or thought I did) that a new species of tree has been identified, Sorbus Admonitum. commonly named the No Parking Tree, because of the no parking notice nailed to it. If you heard it too please confirm that I didn't imagine it as I can't find a link and its not April 1st yet is it??

Nope. I just heard it also. A type of whitebeam. In Devon.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?Tree_finally_named_No_Parking_Whitebeam&in_article_id=569722&in_page_id=34

"It takes its unusual name from the first known example seen in the 1930s at a lay-by which had a 'No Parking' notice nailed to it."

Man fined for stuffing cat in bong:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/04/marijuana-bong-cat-us


I think it's called a bong because that's the noise you hear inside your head.

re: bees - not just a UK problem apparently:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7925619.stm

"All over the world bees have been disappearing but nowhere has been more affected than the United States."

wasn't this in Doctor Who?