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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8433704.stm

the bleaters are on their soapboxes again about how he should have been saved

he committed a crime and therefore should face the punishment as per the laws of the country that he was in, there is no evidenc eof mentas illness other than the family saying so

At least in this country the courts would have asked for a medical opinion before executing him...not that we execute people anyway...

I'm amazed it took the Chinese Court 30minutes to convict him. I would have thought they could have done it in 30seconds with their efficiency:

Was he found with Heroin in a bag?

Yes

Was it his bag?

Yes

GUILTY!!!!!!!!



Maybe 30mins is the equivalent of one of their show trials.

Couldn't agree more, guilty as tried

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8406351.stm

"'Back to nature' cuts flood risks

The annual cost of flooding is rising in the US, the study says
Reconnecting flood-plains to rivers will help reduce the risk of future flooding, suggest US scientists."

Umm...duh?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/8434073.stm

This has kept me inside for most of today. Fun, fun, fun.

thats a bit rich, when bank robbers start conforming to racial stereotypes

Indeed, the BNPtards will probably have a field day over this.

Chances are when I get back to work on Monday I'll find out it was the older brother of one of the lads I work with.

i was wondering if he was related to your attackers

It says in that report,

'...He was wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses and had a scarf across his face....'

He could easily be white, he could be a 'she'. The report also says,

'...The man, who was described as Asian and in his late 20s to mid 30s, ...'

How can such a description be made, given his disguise?

And it says,

'...He demanded money from the cashier while presenting a package which he claimed contained a bomb...'

Why would someone present such a package? That doesn't make any sense. If he detonated it, it would kill himself as well. People don't behave like that when trying to get money. They use guns.

No wonder it flopped as a heist.

I love media reports

Voice and accent would probably give a lot away: it'd definitely identify the person as a he and probably as Asian too.

Also, they might have been able to see his hands and identify his ethnic origin that way.

You reckon. Maybe I've been watching too many 'mission impossible' type things, because I reckon it would be pretty easy to black yourself up, and speak in a certain accent. But yes if you were to really play the stereotype you'd have to threaten to blow yourself up, not hand over some package.

My bet is that is was just some thick white guy

But seriously what really intrigues me is why it failed. You'd think the staff would be totally terrified. These stories always leave me with more questions than answers.

What makes you assume he was white rather than Asian, Effers?

>>Maybe I've been watching too many 'mission impossible' type things<<

Be honest Effers, you're really a super-spy aren't you? International Mistress of Mystery tasked to keep an eye on us weirdos just to make sure we don't get too out of hand

>>My bet is that is was just some thick white guy<<

I've not ruled that out. After over 2 years in this city nothing would surprise me.

<>

if he was he would not have 'blacked up'

turns out he had a full beard under that scarf over his face

can't have been very well covered???

>What makes you assume he was white rather than Asian, Effers? < Mrs Zen

I don't assume he was. I added a because I was sort of laughing at HI's assumption of >Indeed, the BNPtards will probably have a field day over this.<

But yes explaining these things kind of loses the humour

I read the description (six feet tall, full beard) and I thought 'hmm. that's me (and a great many hootooers as well).' Except for the Asian bit (which would mean 'Chinese', 'Korean', or 'Japanese' to me).


You lot over there seem to lump a lot of different ethnicities into the term 'Asian'. What do you call somebody from Kamchatka or Georgia?

asian has been hi-jacked by india and the neighbouring countries

china and japan are oriental

this has come about due to pakistani becoming shortend to pi and becoming offensive

just like canook

I would call someone from the Indian sub-continent 'South-Asian'

and, funny, 'Oriental' is mildly offensive around here.


Okay, so if a Pakistani is 'Asian', what's an Indian or a Bangladeshi? Or where they all once, with great ethnic sensitivity, referred to as pis?

I'm having trouble understanding all you Germans over there in Europe.

I think to most of us over here Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans (and maybe Afghans) are referred to as Asian, while Koreans, Chinese, Japanese tend to be called by those names.

It came up a few times when I was dating a Yank and we'd agree to go out for Asian food: to me Asian food was from the subcontinent while for him it was East Asian.