In the news

It's starting:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12400647

I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.

RoboEarth.. FFS.. What a shit name.

enid blyton gets drunk and abusive... again

Most polite robbery ever

[B]Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson hits out at cyclists: "Work hard and get a car"[/B]

http://road.cc/node/30733

Cnut.

Clarkson: “Who pays the road tax?”

Hammond: “Well – ”

His job is to do with cars and yet he doesn't know that drivers don't pay road tax?

How do we let him know this.

Cnut.

http://ipayroadtax.com/

what's more annoying is that 'hammond' (i have a natural aversion to anyone that refers to another person by their surname alone) has clearly been scripted to stick up for 'the cyclists', as he allegedly is one, yet he also fails to get it, thereby ensuring 1000s of viewers who hang on these fools' every opinion now have thier misinformed ignorance reassured. shower of utter twats, the lot of em.

road tax/ved/rego - whatever.

is an argument over the actual term?

No, it's not. It's about the usual contention from motorists that 'cyclists don't pay for the roads they use as they don't pay "road tax"'. The idea behind it is that 'road tax' pays for roads. The problem is that 'road tax' hasn't existed for a long time (there's only a tax on motor vehicles, Vehicle Excise Duty) and roads and streets are paid for from general taxation, which 'cyclists' pay just as much as the next person. Besides, a lot of 'cyclists' have cars, too, and pay Vehicle Excise Duty, anyway. It's just one of those astonishingly ignorant prejudices that survive for decades in the complete absence of any facts to back them up. When someone as intelligent as Clarkson foments such a prejudice, you can rest assured that he is being insincere. (Don't feed the troll.)

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/cork-airport-plane-crash-horror-six-dead-as-belfast-flight-crashes-on-runway-15079566.html

RIP.

People with gun license deserve to be able to shoot more than people with out guns.

People with gun license deserve to be able to shoot more than people with out guns.

Plant pots?

People with gun license deserve to be able to shoot more than people with out guns.

edscoble?

Very true, apologies.
Not a good idea to take the piss about something so sever severe.

Hahahaahahaahaahhaha LOLOLOLOL!!!!!1111!!!one!!

meanwhile in russia...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12413370

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12421000

With a (normally pretty reliable) colleague in Egypt saying he's had confirmation.

Well that was a fucking anti-climax.

yeah, what-a-dick

He has finally stepped down

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12433045

Live footage of real democracy in the making:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/systems-test

I knew he'd go mubarak on his word.

Breaking News: President Mubarak has stepped down after having accepted a position on TalkSport

Really amazing news. The restraint, good humour and judgement the army have shown thoughout this situation can only bode well for their (hopefully temporary) stint at the helm.

It does pose the question though, if the army is so heavily funded by the US, does that mean that Egypt is basically being run (if only more overtly than previously) by America now? I wonder what your average Egyptian thinks about that?

Still, hopefully this next period of transition will be quick and peaceful, If only cos my girlfriend has ten days in Sharm booked in March and i'd been looking forward to the inevitable slide into junk food, porn and binge drinking while she's away.

Anyway, I hope they party like it's 1899 in Cairo tonight. Bring on the mint tea and pastries!!!*

*have you ever tried to get a beer in Cairo? EDIT: it's unpossible.

NEWSFLASH: Apparently chinchilla's tearing up the catwalks at NYC Fashion Week guys!

p.s. how amazingly have nearly every all the egyptian protesters acquitted themselves the media through all this? overall the impression i've got is of a huge majoritry of determined, proud, intelligent, erudite, peaceful, good humoured and ultimately cool people.

i'm expecting at any moment to be told how naive, simplistic and stupid this impression is. i'm sure i'll be told that poverty, persecution of women, muslim extemism and all that engenders are rife in egypt. and i'm sure there is more than a grain of truth in that. i just can't help but think of the discrepancy in behaviour, intentions and overall atmosphere between these protests and more recent ones on the uk over tuition fees et al. and given what was at stake in each case it speaks volumes for the egyptians and their basic values.

go egypt!