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

Cuba and USA are now amigos.

Let´s celebrate it.

Joan Baez singing Guantanamera:

http://youtu.be/MRTC3cfWfGk



the lyrics if you feel like singing it

Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera

Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Y antes de morir yo quiero
Echar mis versos del alma
Guantanamera...

No me pongan en lo oscuro
A morir como un traidor
Yo soy bueno y como bueno
Moriré de cara al sol
Guantanamera...

Con los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
El arroyo de la sierra
Me complace más que el mar
Guantanamera...

Tiene el leopardo un amigo
En su monte seco y pardo
Yo tengo más que el leopardo
Porque tengo un buen amigo


Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera
¡Dilo Compay!
¡Ahí na' ma'!
Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera...

The Most Commonly Used Words In Billboard Pop Song Titles, By Decade


http://www.prooffreader.com/2014/12/most-decade-specific-words-in-billboard.html

I thought (and think) that the assassination of Bin Laden was illegal, immoral, and extremely provocative.

The fact that assassination has been common practice throughout history does not affect any of that.

Now I want lego for Christmas

http://erikjohanssonphoto.com/work/penrose-lego/

Not really news but this caught my eye

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9b0J29OzAU

Yellow Snow warning

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30602834

Yes Do not eat...

Must be one big

"The National Security Agency on Christmas Eve day released twelve years of internal oversight reports documenting abusive and improper practices by agency employees."


http://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/12/26/nsa-releases-report-internal-abuses-christmas-eve/


All the best news is released when no one's looking.

Further reading: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/26/aclu-nsa-documents-christmas-eve-lessens-impact

Ah
A very good day for getting bad news out...


Except for those damn kids on the internets

After reading Baron Grim's link I then turned to this page in The Guardian, about Ricky Tomlinson. Its well worth a read: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/dec/27/ricky-tomlinson-interview-im-a-whingeing-scouser

One of the main stories on the German networks (after the snow in the Alps and the plane crash in Indonesia) is a ferry on fire in the Adriatic. This is not mentioned anywhere on the BBC. I am beginning to lose faith in old Auntie's coverage.

They mentioned it on the radio news this morning, but they said a lot more about the plane.

It's listed in the most viewed sidebar now...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30615721

The ferry fire is highly suspicious; reportedly there are three
separate simultaneous fires in the bow, mid and stern sections.

This may have caused concerns of sabotage or terrorism which
in turn might trigger automatic 'information dispersal protocols'
by the Ministry of Truth.

I'm more worried about the 15,000 folks trapped on the highways
in the French Alps. It brings back images of Richard Burton and
Clint Eastwood in clinically white fur parkas racing a bus down
mountain slopes in Where Eagles Dare.

Then there's the Turkish freighter that sank off Italy last night -
which is being lost in today's busy news shuffle.

~jwf~

Facebook gets lots of complaints about their 'Your Year in Review' feature.

For many, it reminded them of bad times - dead relatives, etc.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/28/facebook_year_in_review_apology/

It was a couple of days ago that I glanced up at
the TV on in the background and saw a replay
of some live coverage of the Malaysian jetliner
that went missing back in March - Note that this
was a replay of live reporting so my first thought
was 'Oh no not again' before I realised it was one
of those year in review programs.

The next day it actually did happen again.
I blame 2legs.


~jwf~

Ebola confirmed in Glasgow

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-30628349

Oh what a quandary for Glaswegians.

A horrendous fatal disease that can only be stopped with soap and water.