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

Well, it's been subject to some pretty hefty DDoS attacks over the past day or so, anyway...

Those people who claimed we could get free abundant energy through solar power might find themselves in trouble. A woman in Spain has claimed ownerhip of the Sun, and intend to charge for it´s use.

http://www.topnews.in/law/spanish-woman-claims-she-owns-sun-239391

As has been noted by a few, perhaps skin cancer sufferers should sue her.

And that's me telt

>> A woman in Spain has claimed ownerhip of the Sun <<

Rupert Murdoch might have a thing or two to say about that.

RF

I had been thinking all day that it would be a nice thing if there were a return to the days of rag pickers so that worn out clothing wouldn't be just pitched into the bin and sent to the landfill. Wouldn't it be good if it were collected and made into paper?

And then I found this from right here were I live:

'Edmonton’s award-winning waste management system is getting into the business of paper making.

The City is now accepting used clothing and other fabric items, such as towels, linens and tablecloths, at select recycling depots and eco stations.'


http://www.edmontonjournal.com/technology/Waste+management+getting+ready+spin+rags+into+paper/3830606/story.html#ixzz16cmuu28r



green

A sad one today.

The passing of Frank Drebbin.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11860014

PP

'And don't call me shirley'

cue run of naked gun/airplane movies! Happy days!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/theashes/8167327/The-Ashes-2010-Confused-Twitter-star-offered-free-flight-to-Australia.html

Be careful about your twitter name

R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11860014

Saw that too.

http://euobserver.com/9/31376

Swiss voters on Sunday backed a proposal to kick out automatically any foreigner convicted of crimes ranging from "abuse of social aid" to murder, in a move which is likely to put the Alpine country on a collision course with the EU and its freedom of movement rules.

I wasn't aware that Switzerland was in the EU. It still has its own currency, the Swiss franc, instead of the Euro. Maybe the rules aren't applicable to it?

Switzerland isn't in the EU but it is in the Schengen Area and so is supposed to follow rules about free movement.

Much like the French and Italian deportations of Roma, it seems an exercise in futility: there is nothing to stop deported criminals from re-entering Switzerland whenever they want.

Indeed not, but they are part of the Schengen area and do have various treaties with the EU both as part of that and seperately. And it is the freedom of movement stuff that they may be violating. Note, may, EC hasn;t decided yet.

That would be bad news for Roman Polanski, who moved to Switzerland with the hope of avoiding deportation to face charges in the U.S.

Sorry, that should have been extradition, not deportation.

I know you're a cricket fan Effers and I hope you won't take
offense if I sympathise with the poor American teenager who
has been offered a free trip to the ashes. Poor thing has no
idea what's she's missing. Jet lag, cricket, cricket, cricket,
cricket and then more jet lag. She needs a manager, someone
who can help her sell T-shirts to the Aussies while she's there.
It could turn a tidy profit but she'd probably not last through one
complete match. American teenagers just don't have the needed
attention span.


~jwf~

>>It still has its own currency, the Swiss franc, instead of the Euro. Maybe the rules aren't applicable to it?

The UK, Sweden, Denmark and others are full members of the EU and retain their currencies.

Wonder if this will damage our relationship with the US?

http://www.politics.co.uk/news/foreign-policy/cable-u-turns-on-execution-drug-$21385954.htm

Elsewhere backward views have won the day.
http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE6AG0BM20101117

"Discriminatory reasons on any basis"

That's a mouthfu8l!