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

Listening to CBC's "From Naked Ape to Super Species" I have one main question. Where do I start? The Show is covering a wide range of conversational topics ranging from bio-diversity, information over load, bio-technology and the the next part being the growing control and influence of corporations. So, short of an armed rebellion (very un Canadian) where do I start in fighting the system and making my actions count.

You could join the 'No Penguins!' campaign.

The CBC ran a interview the other night in which a fellow, who restores old photos, was going on about penguins - King penguins, he said - in the Arctic, when everyone (except CBC program hosts, apparently) knows that there aren't any penguins in the Arctic. We have Auks.

JTG

Be sure to send them that feed back.
You can hit them off mny page if you haven't already.
Its the only way they'll ever learn.

Speaking of the CBC, here's a question,
WHAT IS UP WITH REDING, ENGLAND?

Sorry comrade... I don't follow.

The CBC seems to be specializing innane drivel. I can't decide whether that points to something being seriously wrong with them our the culture they supposedly represent.

JTG

Interesting
I like the news and have held them out as my next career move until now, but I can understand the statement.
While we're ranting though, any thoughts on Mike Harris?

Yep... He's an evil puppet of the Ontario power (As opposed to Ontario Hydro - a Harris victim) elite, bent on turning the Province into a frosty version of The Dominican Republic (for example). What're your views.

JTG

Have you heard about Sideshow-Mel Lastman has asked the City Hall lawyers to inverstigate turning Toronto into a seperate province? How about that one?

JTG

If TO became a province, how would it shape up along-side others in Canada? Pretty well, I'd have thought. What's the problem?

Whoah
Sorry for the delay.
A few colleagues and myself exchanged condolences here in Manitoba when Mr. Harris was re-elected.
As for TO becoming a Province.
I hope not.....
Wait a moment.
Yah let it happen. Then bring in an elected senate based on equal representation, and let them really see how much the rest of coutry resents their centre of the universe attitude.
So what else is new out there?

Hey, we're not 'out there'; you folks are.

The funny thing about the way the rest of the country perceives TO and its centre of everything mentality is that the 'unwashed elsewhere' starts about fifty miles down the QEW. Torontonians seem to take a perverse pride in not knowing anything about the rest of the Province.

Happy 2,000th

JTG

On the topic of 2000
IWhy does it all seen so anti climactic?

Do you think so? Depends on your expectations I guess, and how much of the hype you bought in to.

I've rather surprised myself (cynic that I am) by feeling rather excited by it. I've just been reading a comparison between the end of the 19th and 20th Centuries; the gist of which is that a hundred years ago, the world we live in now was unimaginable, and that quantum physics is now poised to take us off to exciting new realms yet undreamed of (minus the world wars, let's hope).

I have a feeling that there is something new - for better or worse - coming down the pike.

JTG

Perhaps, yet while we continue to look at all this technology as helping to make this system better, I'm left hesitant and concerned the world is about to tell us our collective time hear to see what could be accomplished has just expired, and we failed.

Just remember more extreme weather more often.

The way I see it, the worst we can do is leave a lot of complicated molecules lying around for Mother Nature's next try.

I think new gadgets are less important than new ways of seeing things. Every technological leap forward brings with it a social and philosophical one. Take this internet thing for example: The Warlords dreamt it up; but now regular folks like us are using it for gobal chats across the garden fence, which may be a key ingredient in the better world we hope for. If we can tell each other when the bastards are up to something, we might stand a chance of pulling the rug out. And if they come with something that changes the way we see things the way the discovery of x-rays did, not so long ago, it's going to be an exciting tomorrow.

JTG

That Reading, England is another one of the Toronto-based CBC running-gags for positional-orientation; if you've ever heard their idea of humour, you'd probably understand why this is funnier than most...

Fruitbat

Okay, but still Don't understand why this is such a big secret. Did they just pull the position out of the hat, or use a dart. Why is Reading the reference point for England?

I didn't know it was a 'big secret'.....and they've been doing that for about ten years now; I long ago stopped listening to As It Happens, so I don't know what they're doing now, nor where this gag came from.....probably from someone who either was interviewed and was located in Reading, lives in Reading and was speaking from somewhere else, or wrote to the show from Reading.....that's usually how they start those 'gags'.
.....the only other possibility that leaps to mind is that they couldn't afford to use London, and Reading came more cheaply.....(if you want something more accurate or specific than that you'll have to ask them directly; my guessing is as good as yours).

Fruitbat