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

Iran - North Korea technology swap with China as intermediary:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13402590

But if China is the intermediary maybe it would be better just to
talk to China?

Its the News of the World wot won it.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/notw/public/pub_campaigns/military_covenant/1298035/victory.html

Cameron to muscle in on the Queen's state visit to Ireland.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/cameron-to-pay-first-visit-to-republic-of-ireland-15154461.html


He's getting more and more like a rather inferior Blair figure daily.

(Does anyone else think he regularly makes a twit of himself in the pics?)

No. Probibly because I rarely have (or wish) to see photo oportunities of him making a of himself.

'Authorities in Slave Lake, Alta., hope to get a better measure of the devastation in their community Monday morning, as hundreds of people huddled in evacuation centres, having fled raging wildfires.

Mayor Karina Pillay-Kinnee confirmed that the town has lost its town hall and radio station, and a "substantial number" of homes and buildings.'

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2011/05/16/slave-lake-fire-evacuation.html

Just came across this on the God Delusion thread.
Muslim attacks on non-muslim families in Thailand.
Very disturbing.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bae_1304490155

I notice you've been highlighting a lot of the extremist stuff to do with Islam of late kuz/wg Any reason? I mean we'd so got used to your long bornagain phase.

Some folk let religion go to the head.

"Suspicious package sent to Scottish club Cowdenbeath"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-13412933

My money's on it being a bar of soap.

Every taxpayer in the UK should be given £1000 worth of shares in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, the Right-wing Centre for Policy Studies declared today.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-business/article-23950356-tory-think-tank-calls-for-bank-shares-handout-for-all.do

How frightfully Communist.

I'd have thought you'd be all for it. The people own 83% of RBS but we can only influence the bank via the politcos we elect. This way the little person can directly tell them what to do until they buy us out.

First point I'll raise at the shareholders meeting. Stop sponsering that looser Andy Murray with my money.

Seriously though, it's all part of Big Society Fun, ain't it? Anyone for an RBS street party?

<<
I notice you've been highlighting a lot of the extremist stuff to do with Islam
>>

I am interested in Islam, but I haven't been highlighting "the extremist stuff" for any particular reason beyond the fact that it's there constantly in the news. I do have concerns about Islam as I see true Islam as incompatible with western values of equality, freedom of religion and freedom of speech

Fair dos. It was only that you've made a deal in the past about your bornagain Christianity..and round here, (we have lots,) they are mostly wittering on about endtimes, (Jesus coming back nonsense) or 'satan'..that's when they are not trying to make their minds up about who they hate/fear most, gays or Muslims.

Just casting my mind back to some of your juicier YouTube links..I wondered if this was a change of tack..

I say 'true Islam' because most muslims fortunately do not strictly apply the teachings of the qur'an. (An example of this is the rule about alcohol: most Turkish men would call themselves muslim, but most of them drink.)

Perhaps I should start a thread about Islam andthe west..

<>

You mean round where you live your local born again Christians are going on about Jesus coming back?

Well yes. My local bornagains. Do they think different things in different areas then? Yep it's Jesus coming back around here. But it's a bit like that thread anhaga started recently about the end of the world idea coming in May, that some US Christian sect were claiming. And I asked if that was the end of the world everywhere or just in America.

The leaflets through my door seem to make things pretty clear.

I think if you want to predict the end of the world it's best not to be too specific. The guy in America has said it's going to be on 21st May. The problem with that, apart from Jesus's saying you will not know the day or the hour of his return, is that if you're wrong everyone will laugh at you.

with the coming rapture, unemployment will be wiped out on may 22nd,

plenty of jobs for all, and if it ain't, don't blame that nice mr cameron, it was the christians wot did it

As Britain faces savage cuts, they might be banned in San Francisco

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/19/male.circumcision.sf/index.html?iphoneemail

Six-fold increase in deforestation rate in Brazil, this year compared
to last year: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13449792