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

LOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOL

You crack me up!

More power to you, keep fighting the good fight.

Ah. An asteroid joke.

I would hate to be the butt of one of your jokes.

Actually, that was really asinine.

Don't be an @ss, just get to the rear of the queue. Leave it all behind.

Gee. I guess post 3840 got completely lost.

I've been thinking: the question keeps coming up "is Iraq going to be another Vietnam?" (obviously not to the Vietnamese). But I have to ask, was Vietnam another Canada for the Americans? Why do the Americans have a habit of getting involved in tiny conflicts that they get bogged down in an lose?


I'm sorry I made the Klingon joke.

Get thee behind me, Satan....

http://www.badastronomy.com/info/logo.html (Badass-tronomy?)

"was Vietnam another Canada for the Americans?"

That sounds like one of those questions on Mensa tests. "If canned-goods are as piano-tuning is to scuba-diving, then shoulder-pads are as____________ to sharpshooters.....".

carbuerator adjustment.

D'oh.... So obvious!

An aside... I will be very glad when the Ontario election is finished (and thrice glad if ANYONE but the Conservatives win) if I never have to hear Ernie Eves' annoying voice nasal whine propagandising ever again.... Just an observation, as I have just had to listen to at least three in the last 15 minutes.

as just another aside. Everyone raise your hands if you're surprised by this:

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/09/22/camerman_shot030922

"A military spokesperson says the investigation
concluded that the incident was regrettable, but that
the soldiers acted within the rules of engagement.

The spokesperson said the military would not release
the report to the public and refused to give any details
about the findings.

He also refused to say what rules of engagement the
U.S. military personnel followed in Iraq. "

and, for interest sake:

""The fact that a few
wicked men or women commit murder in its name does not make a cause any
less just. Nor does it relieve us of the obligation to deal with legitimate
grievance.

"On the contrary, terrorism will only be defeated if we act to solve the political
disputes and long-standing conflicts which generate support for it. If we do
not, we shall find ourselves acting as a recruiting sergeant for the very terrorists
we seek to suppress" Kofi Annan

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=8315&Cr=terror&Cr1=



And, another small example of the sacrifices that UN member states are willing to make, here are the statistics for a tiny peacekeeping opperation (look at the ratio of fatalities to personel): http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unikom/facts.html

Hmmmm, why all the "yank bashing"???? Speaking as a definite fan of the US, there is an inherent problem with the way your politians in particular come across in the media.

It might help if your president could actually pronounce half of the countries he decided to wage war on!

Seriously though, the US tends to get vilified I feel becasue it is an easy target, and patriotism in the US does sometimes overspill into sickly self indulgence....just an observation.

Having said all that, I LOVE the place, and the people (those I have met anyway!). But can I ask you one favour......NO MORE STUPID AMERCIAN SHOPPING CHANNELS ON OUR TV PLEASE!!!!!!!!!


Have you seen "the office" yet??? a superb comedy.

All the best from England

Spike

Hmmmm, why all the "yank bashing"???? Speaking as a definite fan of the US, there is an inherent problem with the way your politcians in particular come across in the media.

It might help if your president could actually pronounce half of the countries he decided to wage war on!

Seriously though, the US tends to get vilified I feel becasue it is an easy target, and patriotism in the US does sometimes overspill into sickly self indulgence....just an observation.

Having said all that, I LOVE the place, and the people (those I have met anyway!). But can I ask you one favour......NO MORE STUPID AMERCIAN SHOPPING CHANNELS ON OUR TV PLEASE!!!!!!!!!


Have you seen "the office" yet??? a superb comedy.

All the best from England

Spike

I am trying to figure out how the US is "an easy target".

If by easy target, you mean it is so very easy to find ample and glaring examples of American aggression, blundering, and blind patriotism, I couldn't agree more.

If, on the other hand, you mean that the US is the "savior of the free world" and any complaints are just sour grapes on everyone else's part, I urge you to read this thread from the beginning.

The only reason it is "vilified" is because it tries its damndest to do anything and everything to enhance its reputation as a warmongering, xenophopic, "our way or the highway", "what's your's is mine, and what's mine is my own" country.

On more than one occasion I have complained to the relevant authorities about unbalanced reporting during recent events.
The yank bashing is fashionable with the chattering classes.
regards
Oetz

*relevant authorities..........unbalanced reporting*

Are you talking about the italics and our posts or the FCC and Fox News?

RE ZOOMER

No Sir I am not.
Your geography is wrong.

73s Oetz

You were rather vague about "powers that be"..... Since CNN and Fox are notorious for their unbalanced reporting, that's who I would be complaining to.

Again, we would point out that what the bulk of the postings refer to America not Americans. And again, the conversation was started by an American.

I am not sure why pointing out that America is not the "world's greatest country", that blind patriotism is not a good thing, and that America has been known to be underhanded (to say the least) in its dealings with other countries is considered "Yank bashing".

If you would be so kind as to point out some "fer instances", we would be most grateful. Are you referring to us or are you referring to the un-named "powers that be"?

On another note. I find it interesting that Bush's admission that there qwere no WMDs has gotten no more than a line buried between the sports page and the want ads in most papers. I guess if he had been bonking a White house aide, we MIGHT come close to calls for impeachment.

However, I suppose that when you have allowed someone with the mental capacity of a bag of rolled oats that you didn't elect drag you into a war on the pretext that there were all these weapons that no one else could find and told you so, you kind of just want it all to fade away.

I am surprised that Bush didn't look at Tony Blair's squirming over his government's crying "Bogeyman" to justify involving British forces. Were it me, I'd sort of slink quietly back to the treehouse and hope that by dinnertime everything had blown over.

Bush, however, is of the "But he started iut...." school.

sorry "relevant authorities" not "powers that be"....