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

Regarding the silly "I grok Spock" reference, I've found many folks these days just aren't familiar with "grok." (Particularly anyone born after about 1975, including self-professed sci-fi fans.) Grok is borrowed from Robert Heinlein's *Stranger in a Strange Land* (1960/61?). In it, the central character -- who was raised a Martian, sort of -- describes his sort of ultimate, transcendent understanding of something as "grok"-ing it.

For better or worse (probably better), its use fell out of fashion by the mid-seventies. Still, it's fun to use in conversation sometimes just to see who smirks in comprehension (usually accompanied by a subtle rolling of the eyes) and who looks at the remark as if you're from, well, Mars or some place.

I can't tell you how glad I am that I'm not the only one that noticed that. *rolls eyes, smirks*

I recently scooped up a battered paperback copy of "Stranger in a Strange Land" from my local charity shop and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I'm left with a residual side-effect of not being able to walk over grass without wondering whether it minds and thinking that I "grok" it! Help!

Hi Gwennie,

Firstly, I hope you scooped the edition of because that's the one that's got ALL the words that Heinlein wrote - not the truncated edition that the first frightened publisher produced...and that adds tremendous depth to the story.

Secondly, I think the nature is grass is that it's flexible; it has to contend with all manner of beasties walking over it and doing worse besides....if this really concerns you, maybe take a lesson from Michael's time in the pool and adjust yourself so that you can levitate over the grass, or tune yourself in to ask it....

Fruitbat

Thanks for the advice, Fruitbat!

*Wonders if the levitation will work when she steps on the bathroom scales...*

I can't find my copy of "Stranger" at present, but I think it was quite a new(ish) paperback and wasn't too yellowed with age!

My pleasure, Gwennie,

As for this: *Wonders if the levitation will work when she steps on the bathroom scales...*

My suggestion for my water-brother is to follow Jubal's advice/behaviour and take personal responsibility for what the scale is telling you.
(This has become required of me as I'm adjusting my diet to accommodate diabetes type II)

Fruitbat

Oh. I've taken personal responsibility and have one pair of scales that tells the right weight and another that reads about half a stone lighter than is correct! (The latter were my late grandfathers's and I can't bring myself to part with them!)

Sorry about the diabetes type II by the way...... Rotten luck....... I hope it's not too "inconvenient".......

Two sets of scales is certainly an interesting way of dealing with that....

The diabetic situation is actually a blessing in disguise: I'm forced now to exercise regularly and have discovered I like the feeling (I work my head far more than my body, most of the time); I'm having to create an effective diet (I always knew my existing diet stank and didn't care); and I have to drastically reduce my refined-sugar intake (I MAY be able to modify this one once I get my blood-sugar under control; so far I'm far too lackadaisical about it). The upshot of all this is that now I'm FORCED to act more sensibly and really notice when I screw up.
Learning to care about my health is an agonisingly slow journey, however....I'm slowly getting more interested: cause and effect is a wonderful teacher.

Thanks for asking.

Fruitbat

I actually find that the idea of grokking something can be very useful, if you are not too religious in your interpretation of it.
PS a warning to the diabetic. It will be very inconvenient. I have a freind recently who needed to have some "elective" surgery. The first place he went to got him to pay a lot of money to go to the other side of the country, only to tell him that they don't treat diabetics on principle. They could have told him that on the phone. Later when he did find the right surgeon, the clinic said that there ws no problems beith diabetic, so he paid them. When it came time for the op, they made such a mess of inserting the canual, that the brusing is still there 7 days later. As you can imagine, this hurt like hell, and as he is squeemish about pain, he fainted. when he came around the anethatist said "eek, it's a diabetic problem, he's hypoglycemic". This was promptly refuted by proving that the blood sugar was 7.4, but they still insisted on cancelling the operation.
The moral of this? most places that do medical stuff haven't a clue how to treat sick people. They treat well people with a single problem, so be careful, and double check everything, and woe betide you if you ever need to use the mental health services, as they insist that you get your blood sugar to the level that they think is right, not what you think is right, before they will let you out of the place.