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

The Duvel Wears Prada

Is the word "dummkopf" commonly understood in Belgium?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8652861.stm

Belgium doesn't currently have a government. Who is passing this law?

RF

It's just a guess, but I figured their government must be formed from members of their upper house, not the lower house as in ours.
I've a spot of insomnia so I'm not gonna try reading their constitution.
Whatever the arrangement it doesn't seem that not actually having a formal government is regarded as a reason to not get on with the business of voting on bills. However illiberal, arbitrary or daft they might be.

Long interregnums aren't uncommon. The Czech Republic disn't have a government for several months circa 2003. Or at the moment there's Iraq.

Interesting article on The Need For Speed from a coalition. Germany's response to Greece is currently being slowed as the await the outcome of a state election that could affect the balance of power:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/28/act-like-germans-bond-markets

Meanwhile...

'The Poireaus of the Caribbean'

No. 'poireau' = leek.

'The Poirots of the Caribbean.'

It was the last thing the parliament did. Don't ask me why.

When the king makes his mind up, the government will be in caretaker mode, and can only take day to day decisions.

Don't know about reading the Belgian constitution, but did you know that the 1830 Belgian revolution was started by an opera?

(People were easily motivated then, not like today's apathy...)

sprout

So the bidding has begun(see post 22 or something):
http://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2010/05/David_Cameron_National_interest_first.aspx

However, the LibDems are in a much weaker position than I had hoped, worse even that I had expected, without between a dozen and a score extra seats, seats that have instead put the Cons in a strong position, as such the alternative to working with the Tories looks a lot less like a credible government.
So the Cons are coming with a low bid:
"So I believe we will need an all-party committee of enquiry on political and electoral reform." - Cameron

Too low. For me at least...

There's rumours they turned Labour's opening offer down flat.

Labour was offering them flats? seems reasonable to me, better than a duck house anyhow...
Its the poor TV and radio presentors I feel sorry for... all these programs coming on, where they were hoping to discuss the outcome of the election... and there isn't an outcome... well not one that can hold much attention until after the lib dem bods have all met up for tea and jaffacakes tommorrow to decide on their plan...

Copying the Tories again...they sold off all the council flats...

Tweet from Mitch Ben:

The one upside of a Liberal-Conservative coalition would be watching Americans trying to fathom the very concept.


Geggs

The original title of this thread got me giggling!!

Why???

A tale Blaster Bates related on one of his LPs...

Went something like this.....

'I was sat one day, tearing a piece of paper off the end of a roll....Well, sounds better than saying I was having a sh*t at the time. The wife was out, and there was a knocking on the door. I quickly finished what I was doing, and ran downstairs in case it was a job blowing up tree stumps for his Lordship or whatever.

I opened the door, and there were two chaps stood there, all dressed in black.
"We're Mormons" said one, and I burst out laughing. I thought he said morons!!

Then I asked him if they were that advocates multiple wives.
"We are!" said one
"You aught to be bloody well hung" says I

































































"WE ARE!!!!"





GT

Way-hay...another Blaster Bates fan!