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

Note: Seed is not the past tense of see nor should any implication of sowing be read into my typo.

~jwf~

It wasn't taken as such (here, anyway)

I'm meaning what O'lyly said on his own show, just before he said to Williams 'don't you agree', to which Williams responded 'Yes'.

Then he went on about being scared of Muslims on a Plane.

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is that the sequel??? and does it star Samuel L Jackson???

No, it stars Samuel al-Jackson.

back to Juan Williams for a moment:

When Helen Thomas made her comments about the Jewish citizens of Israel, she had to quit. Now Williams has put his foot in it about Muslims.

You reap what you sow (especially if it's fire).

So do we live in a tolerant and enlightened society?


Or one where the consequences of a careless word are all around so people keep their thoughts to themselves?

All I'm saying is that if Helen Thomas had to apologise and retire because she stated her opinion (in private, BTW) then it isn't really fair to protect Juan Williams' very public statement that he agreed with Bill O that Muslims are the greatest threat in the world today.

>agreed with Bill O that Muslims are the greatest threat in the world today<

That's not true. Stupid people are the greatest threat in the world today.







And yesterday and tomorrow and the day after that. But not forever, I'm still an optimist.

>>That's not true. Stupid people are the greatest threat in the world today<<

"But not forever, I'm still an optimist."

Obviously a comment on the prevalence of stupid people.

Once again, Wikileaks shows up the rest of the media by irresponsibly getting out the facts everyone should see that everyone responsible said no-one ever should.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/22/iraq-war-logs-military-leaks

Is anyone surprised that we have been to about lied about the official death toll of these military adventures? The use of torture for which there was no investigation even attemted.

Really? Anyone?

Biting the hand that feeds me now, but am I alone in finding the analysis of The BBC more than a little chastened, if not to say timid, possibly servile?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/2010/10/pentagon_tries_to_plug_the_lea.html

Where, for instance, is the outrage?

Ah yes.

Taken from us 28th January 2004.

No surprises here, Clive.


I'm just glad my country didn't (officially) get involved, although our present Prime Minister, when he was in opposition, passionately wanted to.

What authority did the US/UK forces have over sovereign Iraqi agencies? As I understand it, once Iraq had it's own government in place, ISAF acted in support of Iraqi authorities.

If British troops saw a German policeman abusing a prisoner in Munich, could they arrest him? And under what system would they charge him - UK civil law or UK military law?

I guess it would depend on whether it was 1946 or 2006.

International law one would presume. Except the US is notoriously bad at ratifying and respecting international law.

This single line in U.S. sporting news certainly caught my eye:

'Vladimir Guerrero drove in three runs before Nelson Cruz hit a towering, two-run homer and the Rangers beat New York 6-1 Friday night in Game 6 of the AL championship series, the biggest victory in the franchise's 50 seasons.'

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/story/2010/10/22/sp-mlb-alcs-yankees-rangers.html#ixzz139muVgvX


Just for a moment, consider the names of the athletes involved: Vladmire -- quintessentially Russian -- dare I say, 'Soviet'? ; Guerrero -- quintessentially Latino; Nelson -- quintessentially English; Cruz, Latino again. . . .


If it quacks like a multicultural society . . .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11606537

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<<"The truth is there are jobs. They may not be absolutely in the town you are living in. They may be in a neighbouring town.">>

we get people coming from all over the world, traveling in dangerous and appaling conditions to find work in this country

the last big publicised round of imigration, the poles travelled 1000 miles to work in brittain

why cant our own, travel up to a couple hundred miles to get a job??

Anhaga - that's not multiculturalism. It's an example of immigrants integrating and becoming part of the host culture.

If you had said there had been a Russian sports tournament, a Latino sports tournament and a British sports tournament taking place in the same place at the same time, *that* would be an example of multiculturalism.

>why cant our own, travel up to a couple hundred miles to get a job??<

Of course they can. But it all depends how much you value local 'communities'. The Thatcher government clearly didn't.

It's not just a question of theory, like people are part of a capitalist machine. If you've built up relationships in area, built up contacts with all kinds of local organisations, friendships, family etc, just moving away from that is horrible for many of us.

You give the example of people coming here from other countries. Yes, a few will, but I doubt the majority back home will, because they value being part of their community more, and those that do come, will certainly suffer a big sense of emotional loss.

My own father was that type. He wrenched our family from an area of a semi rural community, certainly egged on by my mother. They were consumed with bettering themselves financially. My dad certainly did that. When he left school his first job was shovelling manure on a farm. When he retired he was the financial director of a multi national company. My parents are now very rich in their retirement, and certainly regularly help me out..they can easily afford it.

But I can tell you to this day I still cry at what they snatched from me a child and my huge love for the countryside and all the many children I roamed the fields and orchards with. After we moved I never made friends properly again. I was too scared too, because of the pain. I stopped sleeping for a while..and really ever since. Panic attacks started. The loss is still a deep wound.

Without saying 'poor me', these are *facts*

People aren't *machines* There is often a huge cost to pay for some of us.

So yeah plenty will have to get on their bikes. I may well, cos it seems like London will just be for rich people more and more.

I'm utterly depressed about the future now...