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

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18758695

5 year old sells paper Olympic torch on ebay raising money for charity. Of course, morons have made false bids. Also a load of copy-cat torches (which is a shame since they live off someone else's idea).

PP

Clive Stafford on Bush and Blair in today's G2.
"Put simply, when someone does something bloodcurdlingly awful they are pretty much by definition not bad but mad. He would include Tony Blair and George Bush in that category – "Oh yes, definitely, they were psychotic""
http://tinyurl.com/7mkhkay

John Terry racial abuse trial starts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18760180

Took 9 months to come to court and is expected to last for 5 days.

In all probabillity, had it been any of us, it would have been dealt with months ago and would have been all over in a couple of hours.

PP

The Angel of Murkel rides again.
But not without a proper saddle.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/04/us-germany-poll-cannabis-idUSBRE8630DW20120704


~jwf~

Ban sex with animals?
Tickled pink to read down the article and come across this:
"Such a move - already attempted by France - would badly harm relations with Turkey"

Miners from different areas of the north of Spain arrived last night to the emblematic Puerta del Sol in Madrid. They say to be surprised with the solidarity that people have shown them since they started walking towards Madrid, more than a month ago.
Not only Spaniards, English miners offered them their support since the beginning of their strike. They don´t forget that Spanish miners were solidarious with them during those hard times with the Thatcher.

http://www.publico.es/espana/439504/los-mineros-conquistan-sol

Right now there´s a demostration in Madrid, miners want to avoid the unfair and drastic cuts this government wants to apply.(meanwhile a stock of coal from Colombia is waiting packed in harbour in the north, it belongs to Goldman Sachs)

Today also, Rajoy has just announced more cuts that will affect citizens and the economy, which obviously is going to be worse.
No taxes for the wealthiest, no cuts to the excessive amount of politicians, nada de nada, just the same, socializing the loses and privatizing the profits.

Social movilization is the only weapon we have to fight this war against ordinary citizens.

Miners have had an oustanding role in the working struggle and the fight against Franquoism in this country. I hope we follow these miners, we take their example. We need to stop this abuse.

Viva la lucha obrera!

Spanish protests are getting coverage on Canadian TV
which generally does cover real news and not just the
agendas of corporate and political elites.

Or.. maybe they just had a lot of cameras over there
to catch all the gorings from the running of the bulls
which is a popular annual visual on our screens complete
with witty and critical commentary from our presenters.


~jwf~

But those runnings are in the north, Madrid is a bit far from Pamplona.

Yesterday two British and a Northamerican were caught. Nothing serious, but they will be able to show off a souvenir scar on their thigs and backs.

The police have shot rubber balls to the miners, there have been several injuries.
There have been also two spontaneous demostrations of civil servants after they have known the lattest cuts announced by the government today.
You know the song: we borrow money with a artificially swollen interest to save the banks and the citizens will pay it back with their salaries, a dismantled social wellfare system, etc, etc...

don´t you love these brilliant neoliberal fascists?

During the recent tennis at Wimbledon, Andy Murray shot a rubber ball into Jo-Wilfred Tsonga. I believe that he was quite hurt too.

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1109363.1341614834!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/image.jpg

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/676553/thumbs/a-TSONGA-640x468.jpg?4

Every man who saw it would have known how much he was glad that it was Jo-Wilfred and not him.

PP.

Something weird at the BBC.

Today (only, possibly) all the "most popular / read" links on the BBC news pages are a month old.

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



F.

Aha!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18805912

and

https://twitter.com/BBCSteveH/status/223032897446227968 (which doesn't want to appear as a link and I can't be bothered to work out why)

It wasn't just me then.

F

>> https://twitter.com/BBCSteveH/status/223032897446227968 (which doesn't want to appear as a link and I can't be bothered to work out why) <<

It's the fifth letter, the S after http.
Most websites have updated their security
and the S means they are now SSSSSSecure.

Such URLs will not automatically become links
when copied and pasted to emails or chat rooms.

This prevents autobots from trolling them.

But a live human viewer/reader can copy and
paste it into their browser and hit enter.


~jwf~

Some very poignant pictures of the Spanish miners arriving in Madrid
in today's Guardian.
Very reminiscent of the Jarrow Crusade back in 38. Hope the Spaniards
have better luck.

A small article in today's Guardian about McDonald and chips, only
McDonalds can sell chips at the Olympics.
Bit of a cheek really since I thought they only sold fries.
http://tinyurl.com/cqsf4pj
(could only find a Sun page, sorry)

Man in hospital dies and dehydration contributed to his death. He had called police to complain that he was being neglected but although they came, they were sent away.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18814487

I'm quite sure that there was more to this story than has been said, but it is still particulary shocking.

PP

284 million pounds for security at the Olympic Games
and the contractor comes up short of trained personnel
by 3,500 which the military must now supply.

Listening to the sound bites from Parliament was like
an episode of Twenty Twelve, the BBC's brilliant satire
of Olympic planning that has recently been playing here
on the Comedy channel. Oh what a fine line between the
dry comedy of TV satire and the comedy of Real Life.


~jwf~

"Hello, there, Jesus speaking"....

http://www.leparisien.fr/seine-saint-denis-93/le-christ-appelait-la-clinique-toutes-les-nuits-12-07-2012-2087090.php
Sorry, I can't seem to find a link in English.

In short :
A clinic near Périgueux (Dordogne) gets anonymous phone calls every night, in the middle of the night. Nurses complain. The police checks the number, and discovers it's the phone number of the alarm on a painting of the Mocking of Christ, in Chancelade Abbey, 500 kms from there.


... Possibly he wanted to inquire about foot or hand surgery?

John Terry found not guilty of making racist comments.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18827915

The only thing that seems to be clear is that he was found not guilty. Ferdinand is a credible witness. Terry is a credible witness. So there are two central credible witnesses and one of them is being 'economical with the truth'. Other evidence is essentially inconclusive.

In Scotland this would likely have been a 'not proven' verdict.

I wonder what this case has cost?

PP

"UFO Wales: New X-files shed light on 'alien' sightings"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18798862

A not too serious news story about UFO sightings in Wales, described in newly released official documents. Spooky!!!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britain-flooded-with-brand-police-to-protect-sponsors-7945436.html

"Wearing purple caps and tops, the experts in trading and advertising working for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) are heading the biggest brand protection operation staged in the UK. Under legislation specially introduced for the London Games, they have the right to enter shops and offices and bring court action with fines of up to £20,000.

Olympics organisers have warned businesses that during London 2012 their advertising should not include a list of banned words, including "gold", "silver" and "bronze", "summer", "sponsors" and "London"."



corporate greed.