Pastafarians: Get your noodly appendages off that Facebook suspect

Greek Pastafarians staged a protest in Athens on Friday, days after a man was arrested for running a Facebook page that satirised a revered monk. The 27-year-old faces blasphemy* charges over a Facebook page that mocked deceased Greek monk Elder Paisios, using the name Elder Pastitsios (the name of an even better known Greek …

[Anonymous Coward]

Thank goodness!

Finally the Greek establishment is willing to take action to address the state of the Greek economy by clamping down on pasta-related religious crimes.

So long sad times

Go long bad times

We are rid of you at last

Howdy gay times

Cloudy gray times

You are now a thing of the past...

[b0llchit]

Re: Thank goodness!

Of course they need to clamp down. This is revenge for the roman invasion two thousand years ago. No need to have that noodly stuff imported. They are encouraging the export of feta to improve the economy.

Ramen!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Thank goodness!

I think you'll find that it's the current greek establishment who are taking their responsibilities seriously, it's a fairly large chunk of the people who want to carry on as things were, only paying taxes if they fancy it.

Also, not the disturbing rise of far right politics in Greece at the moment...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Thank goodness!

That should have been "Note the disturbing rise of far right politics in Greece..."

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Thank goodness!

> ...only paying taxes if they fancy it.

Which has been pretty much that way for a very long time.

Funny how they only seem to be having massive economic difficulties over the last year or two.

Makes you think that this whole tax evasion thing is a bit of a scapegoat and that enormous over-spending by the government is perhaps actually to blame.

[JohnG]

Re: Thank goodness!

"Which has been pretty much that way for a very long time.

Funny how they only seem to be having massive economic difficulties over the last year or two."

In the past, the value of the Greek currency, inflation and interest rates reflected the tax evasion and a generally lax attitude to fiscal matters, providing limits to Greek sovereign debt and expenditure.

Once in the Eurozone, the Greek government were able to borrow money at low interest rates, set largely due to the EZ's largest economy, Germany. Once everyone realised that banks around the world were being run by a bunch of crooks and/or incompetents, they started looking more carefully at the state of the banks. It then became apparent that Greece (and several other countries) had amassed a lot more sovereign debt than they can hope to repay.

[Fuzz]

blasphemy

Oh those crazy Greeks with their blasphemy law.

Turns out blasphemy was still a crime in the UK until 2008 and remains a crime in Northern Ireland so maybe they're not the only crazy ones.

[Chris Miller]

Re: blasphemy

True, but the last arrest was 20 years earlier and the last successful prosecution more than a century ago. It has been replaced by the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006, it's debatable whether or not this is much of an improvement.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: blasphemy

You're talking like having a chunk of humanity disappear up its collective anus would be a bad thing now. It's almost as if the founding fathers had the foresight to design into Christianity a pressure blow off valve to thin out the lunatics.

[Anonymous Coward]

Without blasphemy charges Christianity wouldn't exist.

The charge of blasphemy is at the heart of how Christianity seperated from Judaism. This charge is made against the founder of Christianity. Check the charges at the famous trial. The first trial that is, before the Sanhedrin, not the second one before Pontius Pilate, where the charges are very subtly changed to suit the politics of the situation. The high priests didn't think the charge of blasphemy would stick with the secular Roman authorities, so they changed it to subverting the state when appealing for a death sentence.

[Jean-Luc]

Re: Without blasphemy charges Christianity wouldn't exist.

That's one way to think of it.

Another is that Rome was a pretty brutal occupier in general and not particularly happy to have revolts.

Which one is more likely?

a) the subjugated religious authorities of a minor state compels the Roman governor to carry out a death sentence.

or

b) Said Roman governor, appraised of the existence of a Messiah whom many Jews see as a potential liberator from Roman tyranny, keeps the peace by any means necessary, which he likely was encouraged to do during his stint of enrichment in the boondocks.

Yay, then of course later it became all the Jews' fault. And we all know how that finished, do we not? Keep in mind, most (all?) of what we know about Jesus comes from the New Testament, not from historical, Roman or other, sources.

[Naughtyhorse]

bollocks!

it's all made up, gullable fool!

[Greg J Preece]

Re: blasphemy

Turns out blasphemy was still a crime in the UK until 2008 and remains a crime in Northern Ireland so maybe they're not the only crazy ones.

So we got rid of a stupid law, and they enforced it, and that makes us as nuts as them?

[Loyal Commenter]

Re: blasphemy

Blasphemy is also still on the statute books in Eire, and still, controversially, prosecuted. Sometimes it is necessary for this sort of thing to be highlighted to the right-thinking people of the world, to get things changed. Hopefully this case in Greece will be high profile enough to get the law altered, as it has been here in the UK, and to a lesser degree in Eire.

[Chronigan]

Re: blasphemy

Gotta love that phrase. Right-thinking people. Notice how they always agree with you?

[Naughtyhorse]

Re: blasphemy

norn iron..... Noooooooo

(apply brain bleach liberally (both senses) until images of the fuckwit formerly know as paisley are washed away)

i know there is a paisly jr, and he is indeed an asshole of the first water, but he is as nothing when compared to his dear old daddy

[RICHTO]

Re: blasphemy

Not half as bad as that terrorist Gerry Adams.

[OrsonX]

Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

Blasphemy is STILL a crime in the UK, they've jus re-branded it as "inciting racial* hatred".

*racial here being a euphemism for "religious nutter of your choice".

Much in the same way that we are not attacked by Muslim Fundamentalists, but rather by "terrorists".

Why can't we just send all the believers off on the B-ark already?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

OrsonX: If you're the voice of reason, tolerance and general right-thinking, I can see why we need these laws.

[RICHTO]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

He is right though...Get rid of the Muslims would mean most of the terrorists gone.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

Not speaking for Britain, but in the US at least, more than half of terrorist attacks in the past 2 decades were right-wing domestic terrorists like Kaczynski and McVeigh. Breivik in Norway would be a non-US example. Not Muslims. Muslims win on body count because of 9/11, but not by as much as you might think.

[Andy Christ]

Who you calling a right-winger?

Kaczynski was pretty much an anarchist and certainly NOT a right-winger.

[Psyx]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

"Not speaking for Britain, but in the US at least, more than half of terrorist attacks in the past 2 decades were right-wing domestic terrorists like Kaczynski and McVeigh"

In the UK it was mostly Protestants killing Catholics and vice versa. The body-count far outnumbers the Tube Bombings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_troubles

Yet oddly, it's only been since 9/11 et al that the Government seems to want to jump up and down on our individual freedom... almost like it's a convenient excuse...

[Naughtyhorse]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

lol

typical of _someone_ to go letting the facts get in the way of a good story!

[Alpha Tony]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

'more than half of terrorist attacks in the past 2 decades were right-wing domestic terrorists'

Yes, but in Blighty our right-wing extremists don’t like to make such a fuss. They generally content themselves with sending a strongly-worded letter to the Daily Mail and renewing their subscription to UKIP.

[Ack Im Dead]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

To be fair, American and Coalition forces win on body count. Not Muslims.

Actually, Chinese military vs ethnic Chinese and Tibet probably does a better job than the million or so killed in Afghanistan and Iraq so far.

What I'm saying is that Muslims are way, way down the list for folks who have killed other folks over religion, ethnicity or politics.

[TheRealRoland]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

Um, you trolling, right?

That's what so dual about all this. Not calling the anti-abortion killers terrorists. Not calling the McVeighs terrorists. Think about that for a minute. No, of course, that's different, because that is just fighting the government.

What about the Rote Armee Faktion, the Jackals, the English natives that bombed the subway, the Spanish that bombed their subways? The Moluccans hijacking the train in the Netherlands in the 70's.

getting rid of the Muslims solves it. Yeah, right

Ignorance.

But so easy, huh? Point a finger at something that doesn't fit your frame of reference, or uses a religion (not yours, of course) to justify all these acts of violence.

Think about that hypocrisy when you vote in the US, this November. Don't forget to point out to everyone within earshot that Barack Husein Obama is a Muslim. And vote for that Mormon instead. Because at least that's a western religion, right? Those people would never resort to viol nce against their fellow Westerner.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

In the UK the vast majority of terrorist attacks have been pIRA or "Catholic". Of course you'll notice the inverted commas, they're about as Catholic as the people who blew up the tube are Muslim.

Sure you coil get rid of all religious groups and we'd get rid of some terrorists, but we'd miss others such as the RAF.

Your comment is utterly ignorant.

[A J Stiles]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

s/muslim/theist/gi and you might be onto something.

It's religion in general that is the problem, not one specific religion. Once you have successfully persuaded someone to believe something as absurd as "an invisible man in the sky is watching what we eat and who we have sex with", you can persuade them that said invisible sky man wants them to behave in ways they would ordinarily consider reprehensible.

[A J Stiles]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

"Why can't we just send all the believers off on the B-ark already?"

Because we've got believers in charge :(

We can't kick the Muslims out until we have kicked the Christians out. I know there's no difference between Muslims and Christians, you know there's no difference, hell, most normal people know there's no difference; but one of the things believers are noted for believing is that there are good believers (i.e. them) and bad believers (i.e. everybody else).

[Naughtyhorse]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

"Why can't we just send all the believers off on the B-ark already?"

follow that train of thought... and by next year we can expect to be wiped out by a virullent disease caught from an iPhone 7

what _is_ six times seven?

[magickmark]

Re: Fuck you God, Zeus, Vishnu, Odin.....

Do we all want to die of a virus from an infected phone! Remember the problems that caused?

Oh the folly, will we never learn from history?

[JDX]

When does this feature in post-deathmatch-pub-food

Or whatever it's called?

[Francis Boyle]

Time to break out

the Greek strategic reserve of hemlock.

[Flugal]

I, for one, am touched by His noodly appendage.

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

Sir

By-Jimminy - I think he's got it!

Too soon?

[Andus McCoatover]

As a migit...

I'm happy to be held on earth by His Noodly Appendage.. However, no-one's gone for the IT angle, and looked at the undeniable relationship between the number of pirates diminishing, and the increase in Global Warming. Does this mean sunbed-makers should welcome our Somalian Pirate Overlords???

[Anonymous Coward]

Great timing

Just before lunch so I can go to the supermarket get all the ingredients and have Pastitsio for supper. In fact, the more I think about it the more likely it is I'll sneak off early.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Great timing

Congratulations ... if you're boss reads El Reg, you'll either be screwed fro getting off early ... or you'll probably have to make extra. What does your boss know of your culinary tallents?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Great timing @Michelle Knight

She knows enough to know she won't get food poisoning so no problem, I'll just have to make sure there are some leftovers.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Great timing @Michelle Knight

Heh, heh ... giving your boss leftovers :-) Great imagary!

[Maty]

Re: Great timing

'... if you're boss reads El Reg...'

Grammar:

The difference between knowing your shit and

knowing you're shit.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Maty Re: Great timing

"...Grammar:

The difference between knowing your shit and

knowing you're shit..."

Ooh! —i'm nicking that one!

[Will Godfrey]

Re: @Maty Great timing

<AOL mode = "on">

Me too

</AOL mode>

[Spoonsinger]

Re: Great timing

"pastitsio" basically looks like a "what you have in the cupboard dish" combined with that on sale mince and bottle of sauce you bought while surfing the isles for milk.

Paris - because I can't see another appropriate icon but thrush comes to mind.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Great timing

>In fact, the more I think about it the more likely it is I'll sneak off early.

Have we discovered the root cause of the Greek economic situation?

[Anonymous Coward]

It is at times like this...

...that I'm ashamed to have Greek lineage. Blasphemy ... in this day and age.

"Oh ... I could smash a plate." to paraphrase childrens programming.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: It is at times like this...

You're lucky. I've recently, through a marriage, become related to the French. Oh, the shame, hence anon.

[Richard IV]

** Surely the other way round

So far as I'm aware the only noodles with holes down the middle are suffixed with "doodles".

[ukgnome]

Re: ** Surely the other way round

You are wring (I believe)

Noodle Doodle was a person who actually went to a town with lots of straight spaghetti

He twisted it around and around and this is what you getty

Noodledoodledoodledoodle trains,

Noodledoodledoodledoodle houses,

Nooodledoodledoodledoodle aeroplanes,

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek! Noodle Doodle mouses!

[ukgnome]

Re: dammit typo

*wrong

I simply must stop typing with my massive nose!

[I ain't Spartacus]

Re: dammit typo

You made another mistake too. I think you'll find it's noodledoodledoodle butterflies (not trains).

What's worse is, that song popped into my head before I'd read your post and I'll probably be singing it all day now. Oh the shame!

[Avatar of They]

Re: dammit typo

No there is more versses because he also said noodle doodle trees on the down beat of the chorus.

[VinceH]

Re: dammit typo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtaICQt2zF4 :)

Best line (because of the way it's delivered) is "Oooh! Doodle doodle ladies!"

[I ain't Spartacus]

Re: dammit typo

I hate you now. You forced me to look up the song on Youtube:

NOT SAFE FOR BRAAAIIINNNSSS

Turns out we were all wrong. it's:

motorcars

houses

butterflies

mouses

At least in the 1st verse. I wasn't even aware there were more verses. Now... I'm scarred for life.

[ukgnome]

Re: I am so so sorry

Words cannot express how sorry I am.

[Martin Budden]

Re: dammit typo

When I was a kid I had that song on a 7" single. It wasn't normal vinyl, it was a thin flexible plastic which scratched far too easily (without adversely affecting the annoyingness of the song).

[Imsimil Berati-Lahn]

Re: dammit typo

Ah well.

Typo aside, (actually, didn't notice it mate).

PMSL at the documentary style delivery of the noodle doodle commercial

Thank you.

[Eddie Edwards]

Re: ** Surely the other way round

Damn it, you made me Google the difference between pasta and noodles. I am now a wiser but sadder man.

However, I believe that pasta with holes can still be described as "noodly" without inconsistency, since the consistency is similar, even if the topological genus differs.

[Michael H.F. Wilkinson]

Deary me

Those "Golden Dawn" ultra right wingers and the church are taking themselves WAY too seriously,

Oh, wait.....

Maybe it is mandatory to undergo a full humourectomy before joining either

[Alien Doctor 1.1]

Every time...

I hear "Golden Dawn" mentioned I can't help thinking Crowley and Regardie have been reincarnated as Greek fascists.

[Nev]

Re: Every time...

Every time I hear "golden dawn" mentioned I can't help thinking the Greek fascists like a bit of water sports....

[Tom 35]

Re: Every time...

It sounds more like dish washing liquid to me...

[Anton Channing]

Re: Every time...

Which is odd. Because by the time he mentored Israel Regardie, Crowley had long been kicked out of the Golden Dawn. Although Regardie did join an order that had a lot of the by then defunct Golden Dawns documents and subsequently published them.

[Boris the Cockroach]

when is he being

stoned then?

"Look , all I said was that piece of fish was good enough for Jehovah"

[magickmark]

Re: when is he being

What did you expect? Spanish Inquisition?

[Valerion]

Re: when is he being

> What did you expect? Spanish Inquisition?

No-one expects that.

[RICHTO]

Re: when is he being

Actually they got 30 days notice of that...

[Naughtyhorse]

Re: when is he being

golden dawn....

Splitters!

[Turtle]

Oh clever.

"These hi-jinks prompted complaints from supporters of the neo-fascist Golden Dawn party as well as the Greek Orthodox Church. Golden Dawn recently gained its first seats in the Greek parliament."

So here we have yet another case of a half-wit, incapable of "thinking things through", deciding to ridicule a Greek saint in such a way that the authorities are going to prosecute him and the extreme right is going to be able to politically capitalize on it and, ultimately, rallying people to the very cause which he is ridiculing.

Clever.

[Captain Underpants]

Re: Oh clever.

Yeah, Turtle, that's it, the problem is that this guy didn't "think things through", not that there's a dodgy and apparently fairly corrupt establishment abusing laws to silence critics or opponents...

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Oh clever.

Show a Greece that is bankrupt now a German charity case and highlight it on international media to be the same 3rd world dictatorship with corrupt police and politicians that it was in the 70s

I would say he had done this rather effectively

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Oh clever.

Greece has been a bankrupt German charity case* for 15 years or more.

*Charity case in a tax evasion sort of way. You can't become an white goods superpower without someone to sell too...

[Jean-Luc]

Re: Oh clever.

>ultimately, rallying people to the very cause which he is ridiculing.

Definitely is. Dumb losers in Tunisia and Egypt get all upset about some idiot blasphemy about the Prophet!

Oh, wait...

This is Greece. European. Human Rights & all that.

And this is Christianity, presumably a lot more tolerant of free speech than Muslims. Though it took our democracies a while to get it that way.

Twat!

[Thomas 4]

Bitter diappointment

I swung by this protest for "Free Pastitsios" and came away hungry when there weren't any.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Bitter diappointment

They wouldn't be protesting for free pastitsios because there were free pastitsios.

[Chris Hunt]

Religious Affairs Minister?

The fact that Greece even HAS a "religious affairs minister" (with, presumably, a ministry of civil servants to do his bidding) speaks volumes.

Since the Greeks are a bit short on cash at the moment, here's a money saving tip - sack the lot of them and let the God-botherers look after their own affairs.

[Dimitris Andrakakis]

Re: Religious Affairs Minister?

There are many many Greeks, myself included, who would welcome this but, as always, things are not as simple as they seem at first glance.

The main problem is, as always, money : the church has given the goverment substantial sums over the years -and this goes as far back as 1900 and has happened quite some times- in return for its tax free status and the obligation from the goverment to pay priests' salaries.

The church's main arguments are basically :

a) we gave the gov all these money and we have the contracts and

b) there's no church tax in Greece (as happens e.g. in Germany or Switzerland)

While I must, however reluctantly, agree with the first, the second is disingenious : in these countries everybody is free to declare their religious status to the tax authorities and pay or not the church tax.

[OrsonX]

obligation from the goverment to pay priests' salaries

I despair.

[Colin Millar]

Pasta based religious war?

The acolytes of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster are arming themselves with hot bolognaise, meatballs and buckets of melted cheese as we speak, preparing for a death struggle with the false prophet Pastitsio.

[Naughtyhorse]

Re: Pasta based religious war?

the crack commando regiment has already set off, mounted on a magificent herd of invisible pink unicorns

[Richard 8]

I'm amazed nobody has set up a site for Christos Papastitsio yet :)

[David Pollard]

Pussy Riot appeal?

Is this background activism to encourage support as their appeal comes up next week?

http://action.amnesty.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1194&ea.campaign.id=16482

[bitten]

Re: Pussy Riot appeal?

Yes, and I am planning my 33" of fame at the next Oscar nominations, by showing more than the stars themselves, free speech for everyone.

[Triggerfish]

Offensive

I think the worst bit is that a member of a party that openly identifies itself as racist and nationalistic facists, can have the cheek to put in a complaint because they have been offended by what someone has said.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Offensive

Those people who feel compelled to tell others what they must do - always seem to be quick to take offence even where none is intended. It is called "the victim card".

[Triggerfish]

Re: Offensive

I always thought it was called being a twat.

[Galidron]

Re: Offensive

Something I enjoy about "the victim card" is that the "crimes" don't even always need to have actually happened. They can just be some fantasy or extrem misinterpretation of something.

[ppp.an]

Jesus and the donkey

Well then, what message are we sending when we print cartoons depicting Mohammed in a bikini yet with the other hand arrest a man that compared a Greek monk to a pasta dish.

EU: Repeal all these blasphemy laws now : Laws that Greece are free to re-enact if they untangle themselves from the EU ;)

[Stevie]

Bah!

Gordonos Bennetos!

[Severen]

Re: Bah!

Bono estente!

Yakkitiyak venito toncilaitis thranticillio go-go-gohgggh!

A fe fe fe a fe fe fe, Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

[Naughtyhorse]

Re: Bah!

scorchio

[TheRealRoland]

Re: Bah!

Cumulonimbo ?!

Chris Waddle.

[mickey mouse the fith]

My sky daddy can beat up yours

Why, in the 21st century, are there stupid laws based on nothing but folk tales and fairy stories designed to control people through fear of the unknown?

If you want to believe a book containing talking snakes and supertanker sized arks is describing actual historic events, go ahead, just dont use your position of power to force more sensible people to conform.

Church and state should never mix, ever.

Please, for the sake of humanity, just stop it.

Amen

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: My sky daddy can beat up yours

To be fair they do have a reason to be cautious.

The last time the Greeks pissed off the Gods lots of people got chained to rocks, impregnated by swans and spent a hell of a long time trying to sail back from turkey.

[Armando 123]

Re: My sky daddy can beat up yours

Because people are stupid, politicians depend on stupidity, and politicians make the laws and fund the schools.

[Sloppy Crapmonster]

An answer to the Jesus Fish

Saw this on a car in town the other day:

http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Spaghetti-Monster-Car-Emblem/dp/B000ER24EY

I prefer my own car with as few stick-on bits as possible, but I Approve.

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

Re: An answer to the Jesus Fish

I like it, I also liked some of the alternatives to 'the fish' design as well - however was disappointed not to see one with a line and rod (Especially liked the 'N Chips one).

All hail his noodly appendages and may his sauce spread through the universe forever.

[Vic]

Re: An answer to the Jesus Fish

> http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Spaghetti-Monster-Car-Emblem/dp/B000ER24EY

Bah. Amazon.co.uk hasn't got any :-(

Vic.

[Trokair 1]

Burn the life preservers for warmth!

I'm glad to see that stupidity is alive and well in that sinking ship of a country. We are in desparate need of a tragedy to bring humanity together so we can forget all of this religious/racist/elitest/nonsence. Cue Dr. Manhattan?

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Burn the life preservers for warmth!

On the other hand it's always nice to have some stupid foreigners to laugh at - especially with the cold winter months approaching.

[RICHTO]

Re: Burn the life jackets for warmth!

How old fashioned; they are called Life Jackets these days...welcome to the 21st Century...

[jake]

Daft thing is ...

... anyone who proclaims anything "blasphemous" is automatically living a blasphemous life in the eyes of a good portion of humanity.

Blasphemy is a construct, designed to herd the sheeple.

[GrantB]

Re: Daft thing is ...

I really just don't get the basic concept of anything being "blasphemous" at all.

If something was really offensive to your almighty God/gods, why not let let the gods sort it out the blasphemers with a lighting bolt, flood, turning people to pillars of salt, or (FSM) smiting people by turning them into little human shaped pasta bits?

Thats what they used to do right?

If your god isn't turning blasphemers into smouldering heaps of ash, maybe your god doesn't really mind and therefore maybe you shouldn't either. That or .. maybe your God doesn't exist?

In any case, why would anybody, religious or not, support having government enforced laws against blasphemy when it implies that either you god doesn't exist, is impotent or just doesn't agree with your concept of blasphemy.

[Thorne]

Re: Daft thing is ...

"I really just don't get the basic concept of anything being "blasphemous" at all."

Hear hear.

Personally I can't figure why a being who can create the whole universe needs so much money. Since he can't smite blasphemers or evil I must conclude that god isn't omnipontent, omniscience and is really crap with money.

[peter_dtm]

a traditional dish involving ground beef,

ere - what's 'ground' beef ?

is it the cow who earthed the electric fence (allowing the other cows to escape)

or is it something Old Trafford (a football ground with a beef) might say - 'I wish I was the real Old Trafford where they play cricket '

just wondering; and how on earth do you get either into a traditional dish ?

(yes; of course I know they use the term across the pond when they mean MINCE or minced beef)

[Gavin King]

Re: a traditional dish involving ground beef,

I was under the impression that it was referring to some steak that had been dropped on the floor.

I then tried to read the police report to find if it had any details, but it was all Greek to me.

[jake]

Re: a traditional dish involving ground beef,

"Ground beef" is beef that has been run through a meat grinder. "Minced beef" is (usually) beef that has been run through the smallest die on the grinder twice.

Die one: Chili grind. About 6mm (also good for rustic sausage).

Die two: Burger grind. About 2mm (also good for "refined" sausage).

Die three: Pâté grind. About 1mm (only good for Pâté, IMO).

Run it through the smallest die twice, and you can make a burger that British dental work can manage to gum its way through. That's minced beef. Me, I use a pair of cleavers when mincing meat. Faster, and the cleanup is easier.

[I ain't Spartacus]

Re: a traditional dish involving ground beef,

'Ere waiter! This beef tastes like mud!

Well sir, it was freshly ground this morning.

---------------------------

[I think I'd better get my coat...]

[johnwerneken]

Insults including blasphemous ones are no big deal

To blaspheme something, it has to be holy. There may be holiness in the Word but not in anything Earthly. The whole concept of blasphemy is stone age.

[Tank boy]

Golden Dawn?

May want to rethink that name...

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=golden+dawn

[LeBeourfCurtaine]

WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST LOVE EACH OTHER?!

[csmac3144]

Aspergers/Atheism connection?

Virtually everywhere on the web one finds a crowd of noisy atheists one also notices a strong prevalence of the so-called spectrum disorders (virtually any gadget/tech site is probably made up of at least 50% of such people). Autistic personalities have trouble processing emotional information. It seems like they aren't even capable of having spiritual experiences at all. I was an atheist for years, but I never lacked for what I now better understand to be a spiritual dimension to my life. I certainly never felt the need to lash out like a frightened (albeit high-IQ) child against religion in general.

[jake]

Re: Aspergers/Atheism connection?

Wrong connection. It's critical thinking/atheism.

Aspergers folks happen to be good at critical thinking (for the most part).

[RICHTO]

Re: Aspergers/Atheism connection?

The only spiritual dimension with any basis in reality comes in a bottle....

[The Jase]

Re: Aspergers/Atheism connection?

Interesting attributions.

Have you published your findings and have they been peer reviewed? Or are you just trolling?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Aspergers/Atheism connection?

I've noticed a correlation between user names beginning with "c" and necrophilia.

[Jean-Luc]

Re: Aspergers/Atheism connection?

You know what? I am agnostic, but don't particularly agree with bashing or baiting religious folk. Atheists can be just as stridently annoying with their views as the rest of them.

But... there is a big difference between doing something not particularly clever and getting strung up by some bizarre blasphemy law. Surely you can see that the Greek behavior here isn't particularly enlightened and in fact is precisely the curb of free expression that we criticize in some Islamic countries (in fairness I doubt Mr. Pasta-baiter will end up getting lapidated for his sins).

Having said that, you may be on to something because the only mention of _this_ story I am seeing anywhere in Google News trawling is... in the tech sites. Could it be a hoax?

[Thorne]

Re: Aspergers/Atheism connection?

"I certainly never felt the need to lash out like a frightened (albeit high-IQ) child against religion in general."

And I have never felt the need to shoot a 14 year old girl in the head for wanting to go to school in the name of Allah.

Religion is all about letting other do your thinking for you. I prefer to do my own thinking

[Local G]

"I say it's spinach..."

"and I say – the hell with it!"

[Trustme]

Greece frightening!

Pasta - it's real, you can see it, you can touch it, you can verify it's existence and it has never wiped out the entire planet - save for an old bloke and some animals - in a fit of pique for not being worshipped well enough. I think they prosecuted the wrong guy....