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

Anyone would think she was an inept politician with plunging approval rates, who was to distract the country from the fact she's running the economy into the ground.

It's all just a little bit of history repeating.

Are you saying that she is no "Evita Peron"?

Cristina Elisabeth Fernández, the president of Argentina, is not what could be called "indigenous" as defined by another thread; daughter of Eduardo Fernández (of Spanish heritage) and Ofelia Esther Wilhelm (of German descent).

Capello quits as England (football) manager http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16941457

You know, I was watching the BBC news about the Redknapp case earlier. The reporter was standing outside Wembley and mentioned that Capello was inside having a meeting where it was likely he'd receive a mild reprimand. My immediate thought was "Capello's going to quit". One of those "Wish I'd put money on it" moments.

So Redknapp for England boss then?

Only if Spurs let him go and why would they? They're in the Champions League places, challenging for the Premiership title (for now at least until the Manchesters run away from the pack).

Spurs have got 'Arry under contract: they'd be looking for serious compensation to let him go.

9/4 on

Let's face it, the media have wanted "our 'Arry" to get the job for ages.

Ouch! From Twitter - "Capello not the first Italian to abandon a sinking ship this year"

French court to decide if sex toys are porn

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/french-court-to-decide-if-sex-toys-are-porn/story-e6frf7ko-1226266328387

Giant snail invasion in Florida

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/29/2610615/fight-is-on-against-giant-african.html

Got a drink problem? Sue the brewers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16976700

"Alcohol is outlawed on the Oglala Sioux Tribe's reservation and the nearest town which allows alcohol is 20 miles away, where there are four beer shops that sold nearly five million beer cans in 2010 despite having only about a dozen residents. The lawsuit alleges that beer makers and the shop owners knew the alcohol would be smuggled into the reservation for consumption or resale."

Oh boy, have education standards got so bad now we need signs like this?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-16983788

Blame the immigrants.
It says so right there:
"The informational posters were produced, for use in both male and female facilities, to help address cultural differences that were unfortunately causing damage and hygiene issues.”

~jwf~

It says nothing of the sort Squiggles... that's what the Daily Mail is for (who'd also probably try to claim that squatting to use the toilet causes cancer).

<> and the BBC

"A university spokeswoman said: "Swansea University is a multi-cultural campus community and the informational posters were produced, for use in both male and female facilities, to help address cultural differences that were unfortunately causing damage and hygiene issues."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-16983788

Well, no... the BBC are quoting someone. The Mail would just directly blame immigrants.

The BBC tried to be fair and balanced I suppose:

"In some countries in South East Asia where people squat
to use the toilet there are posters informing Westerners
how to use them.
"In parts of the Middle East where plumbing systems cannot
cope there are posters informing people not to put toilet
roll down the toilet but in bins."

So I guess it's only proper to put up posters to inform
the forriners how we do things in the West.

How about one that says:
"A bidet is not a shower for gnomes."
And in fine print below:
>> bidet
1620s, from Fr. bidet (16c.), of unknown etymology.
Originally in Fr. "a small horse, a pony," thus
"a vessel on a low narrow stand, which can be
bestridden for bathing purposes."
<<

~jwf~

Personally, I didn't find anything strange, amusing, offensive, bizarre, etc. about the toilet notice. Just because a minority of the world has different plumbing experience from most of the world doesn't make most of the world's expectations strange, amusing, offensive, bizarre, etc. Good gravy! The first time I went to Paris as a teenager I was faced with plumbing outside of my experience, plumbing such as most of the world knows how to use. I worked it out. A sign would have been nice, but I worked it out. Seriously. Look at a toilet through the eyes of someone who has squatted all their lives. Is it obvious that it's to be sat upon? Is it obvious that the seat is to be lifted for (male) peeing? When you sit, which way are you expected to face? It *isn't* obvious. We in (parts of) the West have been taught from childhood how to use the thing. Non-Japanese Westerners often mock Japanese techno-toilets. On a visit to friends in Japan, my nephew told me of simply not knowing what to do with the toilet in his friends' house.

I'm actually shocked that this housekeeping notice was ever considered news.

I can't believe that Western education has decayed to the point that Westerners don't get the reason for the notice.

http://eightsolid.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/17.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-16991511

Basically, some nutter said he had a bomb in a restaurant so armed police besieged the building.

What's funny is the police had to extend the cordon a couple of times because Glaswegian lads were shining laser pens through the windows of the restaurant, emulating the laser sights on the police sniper rifles.