Interesting article thread

[MrTwosheds]

Hmm, 1 mile diameter would be more like a speck of bird poo on the rim.

[Psychedelic Rhino]

Hopefully without being redundant and boorish, but this also is a scale thing. The earth ingests tens of thousands of tons each year from meters and dust. Certainly not hundreds of billions of tons, but over the eons, the net gain is indeed in the hundreds of billions. . .or more. Orbital mechanics-wise, the earth would not notice a one mile metal asteroid.

[Iron_Maiden]

Never hurts to try and build an empire again, that'll get people employed:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17866382

[Iron_Maiden]

Or are you jsut happy to see me?:

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2012/04/27/ ... ans-pants/

[Iron_Maiden]

When all else fails, blame Germany:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comm ... urope.html

[Psychedelic Rhino]

When all else fails, blame Germany:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comm ... urope.html

Yea, sort of an intellectual version of the Greek population rioting and tearing up their cities because the freebies are over.

They really don't want to piss off the Germans. They'll take their freight train full of cash and go home.

[MrTwosheds]

They really don't want to piss off the Germans

Well they probably do actually. In its current misconceived form the EU is a Union of unequals. It is this that has resulted in some of its members getting themselves into economic problems. Fiscal Union removed their ability to adjust their economy via their own currency's. Some Nations now need to relearn how to support themselves via their own efforts. Having the Germans bail them out, won't actually help their underlying problems as their ability to do just that is a part of the problem.
As ever the solution to poverty is to earn more, not go round scrounging off richer folk or spending more than you earn. Unfortunately due to the political nature of the EU, this is unlikely to be permitted to happen.
Imagine a bunch of mixed class drunks, buying each other drinks as they can afford and staggering home supporting each other, slurring "I love you...." occasionally. Greece is so poor he had no lunch, and is now completely pissed and throwing up. Germany is trying to be friendly, but is actually fairly sober and fed up with always having to buy the drinks. The Uk is fairly drunk but only because he was always mysteriously absent, when it came to buying his round and still has the bottle of vodka he's been secretly drinking all night. France is considering walking away from Spain as he appears to have got stuck in the ditch where he went for a piss. Everyone is wishing they'd had some of what the Netherlands had taken as she is still standing but no longer appears to know where, when or who she is. Italy, as usual, has fallen behind due to having to negotiate with the local police...Several other hangers on are following them all in the hope of being invited to a party at someone else's house and there will almost certainly be a small scuffle or two before they all get home.
It would be ungrateful to blame Germany for the state of this sorry assemble, but they did buy most of the drinks.

[Red Spot]

They really don't want to piss off the Germans

Well they probably do actually. In its current misconceived form the EU is a Union of unequals.

Exactly that. We payed enough for others to be lazy, enough is enough ...

[Psychedelic Rhino]

We have our own Greece here in the US with California.

Hearing you've run out of a stranger's money can be a very painful revelation.

[Iron_Maiden]

You just have to read this:

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/04/30/ ... -erection/

[GSH]

Deliberate plane crashes, in the name of 'science'.

-- GSH

[Red Spot]

You just have to read this:

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/04/30/ ... -erection/

I am going to sue some horses, they made my b*lls hurt for days on end after 'driving' them ... oohh, wait, I got to sue the manufacturer ...

In all honosty, you'd almost not want to sell your goods in the US if you see some of the claims people make .. and get away with ..

Deliberate plane crashes, in the name of 'science'.

-- GSH

And how long do we use those Alu cigars now? Nice they finally go out and see if it could use some airbags .. err ..

[Iron_Maiden]

Does anyone really care anymore?:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-3 ... may-1.html

[APCs r Evil]

I feel a mix of pity and sympathy toward them. Does that count?

[Iron_Maiden]

Meh, kinda.