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

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk-news/2013/jul/21/michael-adebolajo-repeatedly-targeted

Michael Adebolajo is complaining of being targeted and "He's not even allowed to go to Friday prayers." Excuse me while I take a moment not to care. If he wants to be able to go to prayers with his mates, he simply has to not murder people in cold blood and then stand around boasting about it.

I'm not surprised he's being targeted, if indeed he is, and a big part of my brain is thinking it's a good thing he's having a rough time in prison, long may it continue. It's not a nice thing to say but then we're not discussing a nice person.

Adebolajo's brother is starting to get on my nerves somewhat too. He's making it seem as if his brother is a victim in all of this, completely ignoring the chap randomly and brutally killed for no apparent reason, and his victims wife, child and family.

The normally liberal part of me is rapidly joining you HL.

And I'm really not comfortable with that, but my first reaction was 'shame'.

PP.

"Waiting game: World holds its breath for royal baby"

This is the headline on the BBC homepage.

Are we all really holding our breath....?

Do we in fact care more about the birth of another royal family member than we do about the birth for any other stranger who couldn't give a rat's ars* about our existence....?

Personally, I am undecided

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23402103

I'm decided. I don't care.

In fact I'm finding all the cloying, simpering news coverage nauseating.

PP.

I have just heard on the radio that they ended up in the maternity unit by using the rear entrance.

PP.

New view on church collections. - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23433955

I like this idea:

"A group campaigning to turn disused office blocks into affordable homes wants to raise £632,000 to buy a derelict site in east Bristol."

I am sure Bristol isn't the only UK city to have a lot of empty office space. Not only is there too much unused office space, but developers keep creating more, so perhaps this could catch on.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-23419867

One the real life Corgis has gone to the
Great Dinky Toy Store in the sky.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130419/CARNEWS03/130419960


~jwf~

I'd rather they used older buildings to turn into houses, there's too many office buildings and in Manchester at least they keep wanting to demolish gorgeous old characterful buildings to replace them with concrete and glass cubes because the local council is so useless and (allegedly) corrupt.
There's one firm in particular that seem hell bent on demolishing anything older than 100 years to build yet another monstrous eyesore as a testament to their lead architects massive ego and tiny penis.

Stealing from the people in the name of ownership and personal profit: theft of public art
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23461396
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22741911

Is it public art if it's done on a private property?

Ginger Seal cub bullied by other seals.

http://www.shortlist.com/cool-stuff/photography/ginger-seal-shunned-by-peers

FB

>> Is it public art if it's done on a private property? <<

Are your views public?

Here's some weekend reading. A series of short BBC news stories
under the general heading 'news from elsewhere'. You'll be forgiven
if you start thinking they might be making this stuff up. Mixed laughter
and tears and a sense of wonder are guaranteed. There are more
than four dozen mind-boggling news stories that you likely won't
see anywhere else.

Sample:
"Youngsters in Russia are being encouraged to go to church with a
computer game called Stop Pussy Riot Getting into the Cathedral."

Share and Enjoy.

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


~jwf~

Turkey's Prime Minister wants to sue a UK based newspaper (well, the Times) because it printed an open letter criticizing him.

Yeah, good luck with that.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23474404

Quite a thing when Sean Penn and David Starkey are on the same side of the argument.

Erdogan seems to have lost his mind. Surely it's only a matter of time before one of his colleagues boots him out - Gul maybe?

From Erdogan: "If they truly believed in democracy, they couldn't have displayed such a lack of character to call the leader of a party that won 50% of the vote a dictator," the prime minister said.

What he and other politicians fail to recognise is that being voted into power doesn't give one carte blanche to do anything they want (including corruption, personal profiting from their position of power, ignoring local voices & wishes, reneging on promises etc).

Does Italy have a race problem? Italian politicians have reacted with anger after the country's first black minister had bananas thrown at her during a political rally. ... Earlier this month an Italian senator apologised after saying Ms Kyenge reminded him of an orangutan. ... Correspondents say the slurs and threats suffered by Ms Kyenge have highlighted the extent of casual racism in Italian society.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23480489

Johnny Depp may give up acting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23488712

Um, there is a certain amount of interchangabillity between some of his characters. Mad Hatter / Jack Sparrow / Tonto? I suspect that there is a limited amount of acting going on.

(Awaits a torrent of defence of JD. Please don't get me wrong, i find him quite engaging.)

pp.