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

Just found out about this one.

'Moby Dick' captain's ship found
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12439656

Oooh

Yeah, it's great, isn't it? I've read the story to my colleagues too. Kept us busy for at least 5 minutes!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-12490862

Great news. Pleased to see this administration won't continue with their mindlessness about our precious wild places. The New Forest is particularly special as its the largest remnant of the great original forest stretching from the Weald of Kent to the New Forest in Hampshire.

I got on the front page of my local rag after protesting against this last week. I don't think we've quite won it yet, but they're badly wounded.

badly wounded?
Or just actually listened to what have said and taken it on board?

I mean today we've had two cabinet ministers (one being the prime minister) stand up and say "we got it wrong, sorry, we won't do that".
I don't that's wounded. I think that's a remarkably sensible and, well, honest reaction. Quite refreshing after the last 10yrs or so.

(and yes, I am aware there is a subtext of "we're the nice guys" under this. But still, I quite like the idea of politicians that listen and change their plans - now if we could get them to do this on a couple more policies that'd be even better...)

Mr. D "
I'm proud to say that I have little idea who Justin Beiber is and wouldn't be able to recognise him by sight or any of his 'songs' if I heard them..."

Yes, you would. They're the ones that make you want to rip your own ears off and eat them, in case you might hear the song again.

and leave Avril alone, she's yummy.

I wouldn't want to be too churlish about the change of heart over the New Forest, but I do think it has something to do with not wanting to anger their natural supporters in the countryside. Even the Royals were known to be opposed..off the record.

I was living in Sussex in Ashdown Forest, for part of the Thatcher era..a very 'blue' area. Oil was discovered below the forest, but all hell was let loose locally about the idea of setting up oil wells there. All political persuasions united in opposition. Thatcher backed down

Ashdown Forest is also a remnant of that original great forest.

This proposed 'sell-off' was cynical in the extreme. This land is publicly owned, much of it ancient common land preceding parliament itself. To expect us to buy it back off the government is frankly shocking. It's not theirs to sell. Cameron's acting like a corrupt property-developing local councillor, trying to wangle it such that he and his friends benefit when it's ventually sold off for housing.

If it is dead now, then we have a few people to thank, but none more so than Jonathan Porritt, who shamed a lot of environmental non-governmental organisations into taking this seriously. See his blog from 5 Feb here: http://www.jonathonporritt.com/pages/2011/02/environmental_ngos_betray_engl.html

"Cameron's acting like a corrupt property-developing local councillor, trying to wangle it such that he and his friends benefit when it's ventually sold off for housing."

Well, firstly I don't get the impression this was his idea and his alone, so lets apportion blame to all responsible, or just the govt. itself.
Secondly, even if he was acting that way - he isn't now. Which kinda argues that he wasn't acting that way cos then it wouldn't matter what anyone said.

Matt thought of the Ashdown Forest when he drew this last week: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/matt/?cartoon=8295054&cc=8295055

re 10658

Reported in the Times today that following the prisoner vote furore and the latest one about sex offenders being allowed to appeal inclusion on the sex offenders register, the Tory party intends to campaign at the next General Election on a platform of pulling the UK out of the ECHR in favour of a British Bill of Rights.

Whoddathunkit.

>the Tory party intends to campaign at the next General Election on a platform of pulling the UK out of the ECHR in favour of a British Bill of Rights.<

Are you 100% sure of that? I mean yes presumably you're sure it was reported in the Times. But if they do and get elected to power, and actually follow through, as a good democrat I'll accept it.

But I think they'll find a heck of a lot of people will argue against it...but we'll have to see. Tories have been known to change their minds sometimes.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/8329348/Common-sense-needed-in-human-rights-review.html

I think there are still questions over who has the final say on issues, especially those as contentious as serving convicted criminals voting. A degree of common-sense could be the compromise required I'll leave that decision to the great and good, that won't be me then

Here comes the sun!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12493980


~jwf~

>the Tory party intends to campaign at the next General Election on a platform of pulling the UK out of the ECHR in favour of a British Bill of Rights.<

I don't really think they would be able to*. But promises don't really cost anything.


* I don't have any expertise to say so. It just looks unreasonable.

"Casse-toi protest earns censure"

http://www.connexionfrance.com/Casse-toi-pauvre-con-egypt-protest-Mubarak-12512-view-article.html

The staple diet of politicians, empty promises

Bear in mind that international law isn't like the law that stops you from burning your neighbours house down, it requires the consent of the individual powers.

Almost every time international law has gone toe-to-toe with national sovereignty, it has lost - nations simply ignore the laws they don't like and there's no-one with the strength or will to enforce most of them. The prisoners votes ruling is just the latest example of this.

Britain could withdraw from the ECHR (though it probably won't - Cameron's euro-politicing has been bad, but I doubt even he'd do something as unpopular as that) but the bigger question is why would it want to? We've shown we're free to ignore rulings we dislike and we'd get nothing but opprobium.

France could have left the euro caused trouble, but instead it simply ignores the rules it doesn't like and carries on as normal

It will be quite funny though to see the absolute firestorm the Tories will find themselves engulfed in as the arguments *rage* and yes they will rage about what should be in the British Bill of Rights..and I mean they can hardly go into the election not telling us what's in it..still it will be funny to see them open that Pandorra's box.