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

Oft is the case that the person who asserts the universe to be happy and without purpose has purpose in making such statements.

>> UK astronomers to co-ordinate their search for alien signals <<

I find Homo sapiens to be quite alien. Best search and decipher the signals from this alien race first.

Trainload of fuel-oil tank-cars derails and explodes near Montreal.
The video is a scene from hell. Half the town is burning and 30 large
buildings have disappeared. It happened at 1am when folks were asleep.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/07/06/quebec-train-derailment-fire.html


~jwf~

Canada crash also covered on the BBC website:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23212541

Also Abu Qatada eventually deported to Jordan:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23213740

And the San Fransisco crash:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23214513

And finally, a man flies half way round the world to take part in a cricket match and is out first ball:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-23196520

PP.

Brazilian Football
Football referee issues red card to player.
Player refuses to leave the pitch.
Referee stabs player to death.
Spectators decapitate referee.
Match abandoned.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23215676

Well so much for the Whirled Cup and the Olympics
selling enough tickets to recover the cost of the
recent bus fare reductions demanded by the people.


~jwf~

quotes, post 15060,

"I think the universe is quite happy without a purpose."

... But there's always someone, who seeing that wild stallion running free wants to fit it with a saddle or put it pulling a wagon.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23241500

The IMF basically admitting they were wrong. Again.

Regardless of your politics, the IMF are utterly useless and have never got it right. They've been partly responsible for a lot of the financial mess, and yet have the gall to point fingers at others. I do wish that people would stop believing everything they say and just get on with sorting things out.

So when Royal Mail ends up in the hands of a Russian Oligarch, or an Oil Sheik from S. Arabia, or a Media Mogul such as a Murdoch (all wishing to diversify) ... will Royal Mail get to keep its Royal title

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23249466

I've worked for Royal Mail in the past, any sympathy I would have had for it went when I saw the levels of incompetence, mismanagement and union strangulation.

>> I've worked for Royal Mail in the past, any sympathy I would have had for it went when I saw the levels of incompetence, mismanagement and union strangulation. <<

Shame if still true but CEOs of privatised companies can bust a company before you can say one two three in the process of following policies that promise a bigger return / windfall to shareholders / capital. However I would be interesting on others thoughts on whether a privatised "Royal Mail" can hope to maintain its "Royal" name / approval as this surely adds value to the company and hence the shares to be flogged / sold off.

I've worked for Royal Mail too and agree that crap management and confrontational unions played a large part in it's demise. Having said that, it's a business model based on dead tree technology so we're as well flogging it off now while it still has residual value.

SA, that's already happened.

Royal Mail could still be good, but it won't because it won't change it's business practice and management.

In other news...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23252103

Moody's has upgraded the UK banking sector, again admitting it was wrong. When will people stop listening to these so called experts!?

On to more important matters:

'Shopping trolley ridden at 44mph'

"A Devon man claims to have set a new record by "riding" a jet engine-propelled shopping trolley at 44mph (70km/h) on a race track".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-23240734

Back to business which is ultimately what it's all about: US to go ahead with F-16 jets delivery
The US is going ahead with plans to deliver four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt despite the political unrest in the country, senior American officials say ... White House spokesman Jay Carney on Wednesday reiterated that it would not be "in the best interests of the United States to make immediate changes to our assistance programmes".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23265632

Who can forget the following from Cameron after the overthrow of Mubarak and before the Brotherhood were democratically elected.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cameron-attacked-for-egypt-visit-with-defence-sales-team-in-tow-2221695.html

Robert Preston on the Royal Mail Dictate:
"There has been a strong recovery in profits over the past three years - from a loss of £165m in 2011 to a profit of £324m before tax last year.

And here is the paradox. All of that has been achieved while Royal Mail was in public ownership, and yet Royal Mail's directors and the government yearn for the company to flee the embrace of the state.

They believe Royal Mail's recovery can only be sustained by escaping control by ministers - and becoming freed of the constraints imposed by the Treasury on capital spending. For them, the ability to borrow at will as a private-sector business, to finance further modernisation, is one of the main attractions of privatisation.

But the CWU would make the opposite case, that Royal Mail's rehabilitation has taken place thanks to the stability provided by government ownership - even stewardship by a coalition whose ideology is not that of a typical trade unionist."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23249762

Slow news day?

Kitten found on train.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23261505

9/11 Islamic terrorist converts to nighthooverism!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23269437

>> His military lawyer at Guantanamo Bay, Jason Wright,
told the Associated Press he was forbidden to discuss
whether the vacuum cleaner designs existed.

"It sounds ridiculous," he said. "But answering this question,
or confirming or denying the very existence of a vacuum cleaner
design... would apparently expose the US government and its
citizens to exceptionally grave danger." <<


~jwf~

Looking at his pic, you'd think Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's time would have been better spent designing a workable electric body shaver.