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

Heard on a Fox news report about a tornado in Houston yesterday.

*THE SCENE* A church which has all but been demolished by high winds and fallen trees.

"The sign for the St. James Episcopal church here in south west Houston - all that's left standing of the church, and perhaps an indication of the strength of the people who worship here."

Eh?

Maybe it was an extremely heavy sign,
and it took a lot of strong people to put
it up?

If it is to be taken a a sign (no pun intended.... well, maybe) from God I think I would be a bit worried......

Maybe God is an Ecopalian
(scared the piss out of Him

Oh brother....

hahahhaaaa...

What do you get when you cross a Unitarian with a Mormon?

Someone who comes to your door and doesn't know why.

Who was the first rock star to have a personal computer?

Jim Morrison. He figured if he was going to have the Doors,
he might as well have Windows, too.

I wonder if I should tell that shaggy dog story about Michael Caine and Jim Morrison et al... I don't think it would get past the moderators

It's one of my favourites

I don't think I know that.... I am sure I can find it online.

True story...

A guy in my office, whose daughter was born recently,just received the birth certificate. As he has a Swedish version of the name Chris, it has the thingies over the I (diacritics?). Apparently, the Province of Ontario's system can't handle the little thingies over i's. He is listed on his daughter's brith certificate as "Christ".

You know the one I'm thinking of then Number Six?

Woah....

This will have profound implications
for Christianity, Mudhooks. They'll have
to change the Trinity to a Quartet:
Father, Son, Granddaughter, and Holy Ghost.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3256348.stm

"I will not myself be distracted from standing up for the people of the Rhondda." <laugh

Don't people listen to waht they're saying? Who writes his script? I really wish the h2g2 'foot-in-mouth' smiley didn't look like someone trying to make themselves puke - it would be perfect for this story

I am always appalled by the failure of reporters and commentators to use good grammar. I can understand the average person making errors. But they are paid to get it right.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3297623.stm

"Bounty Killer has chickened out and dared not show his face. He knows what he is doing is wrong, and he is terrified of facing a gay rights protest. His macho bravado is in ruins."

Oh come on Peter, who writes your script? Do you really think that someone like BK is so scared of a few people waving placards outside a theatre that he'd actually not show up? Whatever I might think of Bounty Killer's views, whatever I might think of your views, I really don't think you're doing your own cause any good by coming out with such utter codswallop and balderdash.

Eminem seems to have homophobic views, too, from what I've read (I have not heard any of his music). Anyway, where is the line that separates artistic expression and incitement to violence? Do the audiences for these performers have a responsibility to remember that these are just songs? Or do law enforcement officials have a valid concern?

That's a good point you raise there Paul. A lot of people in other parts of the world are astonished at the way that any American citizen with unpleasant views can claim First Amendment rights to say whatever they want, no matter how nasty, and even more astonished that people can use the First Amendment to *do* whatever they want. It all began with one particular Supreme Court judgement... fraid I can't recall any details - I'm remembering this from one of Alistair Cooke's 'Letter From America' broadcasts I heard on Radio 4 a good few years back. He lambasted the way that someone can twist the First Amendment to be allowed to do something that in normal circumstances one really shouldn't do. I wish I could think of an example

And yes, the people who listen to the likes of Eminem do have a responsibility to think for themselves, but very few of them do. Most will be in their teenage years when one is looking for a system of beliefs (political, spiritual, religious, social) to follow, if one hasn't already been brainwashed by parents and schoolteachers.

I'm afraid my generation has gotten a reputation for the kind of laissez-faire childrearing that leaves teenagers pretty much on their own when they need a steady hand the most. They were called Latchkey children when they were younger. Now they go in for all kinds of stuff that no adult even knows about. There's a new book about the networking that teens do--the book was researched at a high school in New Jersey. Some of the students who know the students who were profiled claim that even the researcher didn't get it right. Whatever.