鈥淎s a human being, you don鈥檛 see someone in trouble and sit back and just watch.鈥�
Abraham Biggs, whose son committed suicide live on the web, struggles to understand how the online community to which his son announced his intention failed to intervene 鈥� and even egged him on (Associated Press, 23 November)
鈥淭he best tribute we can pay to our ancestors, whatever your religion may be, is to generate clean energy for new generations.鈥�
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Esteve Serret is the director of a Spanish company that has managed to persuade a local community that it is acceptable to place solar cells on top of mausoleums in a cemetery near Barcelona, Spain (Associated Press, 23 November)
鈥淚t would be much better to talk about them, and not about starting blocks, swimsuits and pools.鈥�
Next year looks set to be another controversial year of broken records for swimming, thanks to a new starting-block design that allows swimmers to propel themselves further into pools. Coach Denis Auguin laments that it鈥檚 not all about the equipment (AFP, 25 November)
鈥淎 bunny-hugging mentality that is far removed from the realities of rural life.鈥�
Tim Bonner of the UK鈥檚 Countryside Alliance is not happy with the British government鈥檚 decision to repeal a law that farmers can use to compel neighbouring landowners to kill rabbits if they are causing crop damage (The Daily Telegraph, London, 25 November)
鈥淚 think up here the appropriate words are 鈥榊ippee!'鈥�
International Space Station commander Mike Fincke was rather glad about the successful repair of faulty equipment on the ISS that turns urine into drinking water (Associated Press, 25 November)