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

I'm sure you'd have time to parachute from 2km up.

I was about to say "what"

...but then the Hitch Hiker in me twigged!

Parachute failure always has the penalty of you ending up as a tent peg

Van Gogh Experts Authenticate Unusual Painting

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=9938735

http://www.english.rfi.fr/france/20100224-police-fear-cheese-robbery-epidemic-thieves-nab-700-kg

Thieves steal 700 kg cheese!

Bakers and wine sellers fear theft of 700kg bread and 7000 bottles of wine

Gromit hot wired the alarm system.

Well, I got busted smuggling cheese into Sweden once.

On another subject, and not really a news item as such:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527483.600-hey-green-spender-the-truth-about-ecofriendly-brands.html

What it says in the URL - an item in the New Scientist on the truth behind eco-friendly brands. It surprised me. A lot.

Ben

Libya's Gaddafi urges 'holy war' against Switzerland

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8537925.stm

he aught to send a gunboat and bombard a few costal towns.....always worked when we had a problem with johnny forigner

The row began after the arrest of Mr Gaddafi's son Hannibal

not the best name to have in the alps.....Hannibal

next it will be

"switzerland retaliates and confiscates the contents of his numbered accounts"

"He ought to send a gunboat and bombard a few costal towns.....always worked when we had a problem with johnny forigner"

I know where you're coming from on that one Taff, however it generally ends up with me getting my legs slapped and a stint on the naughty step

this is bad

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8538060.stm

And here I thought -42ºC/-43.6ºF as a cold record for Sweden this winter was bad enough!

'They say a slowdown in the production of this water could result in colder winters in the north Atlantic.'

it's not good at all, the conveyors will be knacked and the gulf stream will disappear

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/7322754/Giant-iceberg-could-disrupt-ocean-currents.html

Whilst this is an interesting story in itself, what struck me was the new units of measurement being used: an area "the size of Luxembourg", and an area "the size of Singapore". Are these new international measures to be used instead of the traditional "the size of Wales"?

RF

How many double decker buses can you fit into Singapore then?

About fifty football pitches.

RF

There's a link to anothe BBC news story - the Most Unfortunate Names list...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7909561.stm

Definitely worth a lunchtime giggle...

Jenny Taylor

I have to admit, that one made me laugh out loud.

Working in a hospital lab, I see lots of names that would match that - sadly I'd lose my job if started repeating them in public

Blummin' patient confidentiality laws!

Brilliant reminds me of a guy I used to work with, second name Ring, who called his daughter Isabella, wonder why we were all like Guffaw, guffaw
I'm sure there was a music hall comedian who's stage name was Nosmo King.