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

Entry: Australia - a Cultural Perspective (Update) - A20283572
Author: Matt - U168592

Thought I'd do this one too. New links added and a general tidy up.

Sorry - Original Entry is here: A721243

Oh, and again, one of the Original authors can not be credited so have added an Additional Research credit for U183072 Farging Barstige

The first thing that leapt out at me was the bit about the Republic referendum (and here's hoping we get another shot at that one day soon). Leaving the Commonwealth was never on the agenda; could you sort that out please?

I'll have another detailed look later when I'm not doing three things at once.

Done

You're not far wrong, Matt. Good stuff!

Typos & queries:

Capital City - Canberra 3rd para: Australia's Republic Referendum was held on 6th November, 1999 (how time flies), so it's not exactly recent even now. Also, do you think it worth the extra few words to say that, by a narrow margin (55% - 45%) the Aussies voted to retain the Queen as head of state?

Capital City - Canberra end 4th para: [fat-free]

Capital City - Canberra 1st line 7th para: [Story- telling]

The Inhabitants Dislikes: Whingeing poms?

Victoria Beer 2nd para: [into]

Capital City - Perth 1st para: I know (now) that these are cute little wallabies - do you think they're worth a note?

Capital City - Sydney 1st para: <Sydney Harbour Bridge(aka the Coat-Hanger) Space needed between 'bridge' & bracket.

Capital City - Sydney 9th para: [onlooker]

Capital City - Canberra 3rd para: [If you miss a turn-off, it can]

Capital City - Hobart Beer 1st para: [while]

Conclusion: (and their most palatable beers)? - the 'of it' sounds a bit ugly to me.

Conclusion 7th dot: [opencast mine]

Thanks Rudy

Have tidied up those things you noted. And Quokkas are definitely note-worthy! Come on, what else is there in WA...

Except:

Capital City - Canberra 1st line 7th para: [Story-telling] (I've double-checked and it's spelled either 'story-telling' or 'storytelling'...deffo!]

Conclusion 7th dot: [opencast mine]

Sorted

For retitling, see here: F149889?thread=3928736

I haven't looked at this entry for quite some time, it's a nice little clean up you've done - but a few things.

Actually, the 1999 referendum went down by about 1.1 million votes, so it was hardly a "near run thing" (and "near run thing" sounds quite clumsy, imho). Either way, I don't think this addition is worthwhile or necessary.

Not sure about the addition of "whingeing poms"...... as I recall Farging Barstige and I had put something similar in the initial draft, but decide to drop it (can't recall why). Side note - the man who was Farging Barstige, and a very close friend of mine, actually died in 2003.

I like the addition of "barbies" - should have thought of it myself!

Not sure why you removed the reference to "P**s" and "P**s Weak" in the Victorian beers area. Can you clarify why you removed it?

In the area of Western Australia - please do not use "This is the friggin' desert". The very good friend of mine who actually made the comment did not, nor would he ever, use the word "friggin'". You can use it with regard to the Formula 1 driver, but please, not in this instance.

And does it really need the reference to "not legalized marijuana use" in the Canberra part?

"inbreds" for "b*****ds" - six of one, half a dozen of the other - I just wanted to use "b*****d" in there somewhere - there's something quite poetic about the way Aussies use the word.

Hey Roy! Nice to hear from you!

I'll sort out the rerferendum bit, I'm still not happy with the phrsnig either.

As for whingeing poms, I'll gt rid of it, and the marijuana bit too

Now here's the tricky part. I had to remove the 'swaer' words because of a little thing called the profanity filter, which disallows Entries with any types of words that could be construed as swear words. I'd love to be able to put b******ds in, but I can't!

And I'm very sorry to hear about Farging I can't unfortunately add him as a Researcher for some reason, but I'll put a note of some sort in the Entry to give him a higher profile - and one which he deserves

We're calling McDonalds a "restaurant" now? That's stretching the truth a bit, isn't it? Oh well, 'never let the truth get in the way of a good story' and all that.......

I may have a solution to giving my friend the credit he deserves. I will be away for the next few days, but when I return I will setup a new user called "Farging Barstige" or "Farging Barstige R.I.P." or something similar and you can then link to that user (rather than putting a note in the entry itself). It will also give me the chance to put up some of his favourite quotes, though the "profanity filter" may have something to say about one or two of them.

BTW, the name "Farging Barstige" came from the 1984 movie "Johnny Dangerously", in which there was an Italian bloke who continually mangled the English language. Thus, "effing b*****d" became "Farging Barstige". I thought about suggesting using "This is the farging desert" and "these smug barstiges" in the entry itself, but people would really need to know the movie/joke to understand it.

I suppose that the profanity filter is also responsible for the removal of "P**s" and "P**s Weak" - pity, it really is a good (micro-brewery) beer.

Should "Fosters Lager" have a capital "L"? It is a brand name, but I'm really not sure if it should or shouldn't. You be the judge, Matt.

You might also want to change "internationally renowned Formula 1 driver recently parked his car" to "internationally renowned Formula 1 driver once parked his car", because that was quite a few years ago now as well.

"Whingeing Poms" can stay if you want it to (I still can't remember why we removed it). It is, after all, true that we don't particularly like them.

Hey again Roy

I've fixed up the bits you noted, I put Fosters Lager, as the other brand names in the article are capitalised too. Changed the 'recently' to 'once' and managed to add the P**s Weak etc. in, apparently the profanity filter DOES let that word through!

That's a mighty fine idea for Mr Barstige A nice way of honouring his memory too I'll take off the bit at the end and the Additional Research, then once you've a U Number I can add to the Researchers box, I'll pop him back in where he deserves to be

That's funny, I used to hear "wingeing pom!" wherever I went...

Crikey, doesn't that Rudy ever stop moaning?

I've popped it back in for now, it's fairly common to hear from Aussies, both at home and abroad

This can't really be Updated until the matter in Post 15 is attended to.

Both myself and one of the original authors (Evil Roy) feel that Farging Barstige needs proper credit, and until a new account has been set up to honour him, this needs to be put on hiatus

Ok. New user created over at U7744318........

And the gentleman in question has now been added to the Entry, back where he belongs

Roy