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

Quick Plug: http://www.h2g2.com/F19585?thread=98809 A Forum Entitled 'Europa: The European Union' .

Well the UK is in has Foot & Mouth problem & the Chancellor has just made his budget speech - any comments ?

Depends. What did the Chancellor say in his budget speech? I haven't been bothered to look yet.

You ca find a summary over at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/in_depth/uk/2001/budget_2001/newsid_1207000/1207851.stm

Ah. Hmm. Well, as usual, I don't understand it what it really means, but I get the impression it's up for some and down for others... just like always!

I thought on balance that there was no great change, a 'steady as she goes' type budget, with the surpless bing used to help pay off the national debt, rarther than a pre-election giveaway.

Which makes sense - surely we should be doing as much as possible to pay off the national debt rather than throw it all at something that really isn't worth spending any money on (remember the Millennium Dome?) Obviously not at too much expense to the general well-being of the public services, but...

Well in principle, I agree (just wish you had chosen a different example, I quite liked the Dome). One of the figures I heard was that the money the chancellor has already paid will save the nation 3 Billion a year in interest payment. If any one is wondering why it is important to pay off the national debt just take a look at the interest rates in Japan.

Saving interest is good... £3billion a year is excellent! But is that an American billion (1,000,000,000 or one milliard) or a British billion? (1,000,000,000,000). I hope it's a British billion, because then it's a lot more... although somehow I doubt it. I think the American billion is becoming standard now over here

I'd imagine a US Billion (or more correctly a French Billion) as that's the one accountants seem fond of.

It looks a lot more impressive, that's why...

Damm French

Damn accountants, you mean.

No the french came up with the short billion, and thrust it upon the world (accountants have there own sins to worry about )

Oh well... now all we need is an official proclamation from the Home Office as to what billion is supposed to be used in this country, thus creating large amounts of confusion as people look around and say "What? I didn't even know there was such a thing as an imperial Billion".

The Germans still use it, by the way.

A certain on-line dictionary that I can't put a link into in its dfination of a billion states the british billion is th big one. - we had a big long debat about all this in the h2g2 Astronomy Soc e-group.

It's all so confusing... why couldn't they just have different words?

Thats the french for you (or the 'code Napoleon' to be exact) for you...

So will it be May 3rd ???

Reckon so. Given the posters already up etc., I think it'll take a major escalation in F&M to knock TB off the date.
I can't remember when the decision date is, but it's only a few days away...