Be-Witching  Do you know what scares us? Not nosy skeletons (just throw candy). Fake News. The other day, This Editor saw a Youtube in which an IT professional who has his own channel was 'interviewed' by his local Faux News affiliate about illegal parking in his business's car park. The professional published his own annotated version of the 'news' segment, pointing out how many things the programme had managed to get wrong in just a couple of minutes – they called him the owner, he was the manager, they montaged images from different locations. The interview itself was fake: the man talking to the camera hadn't even spoken to the IT guy. He'd made the cameraman do the interviewing.
If they can mess up a local parking lot story, what will we trust them to tell us about, say, an approaching megaasteroid?
Here at the h2g2 Post, we are upfront about our sources. We try to get things right, but do not always succeed. For that reason, we have clearly demarcated areas of doubt and uncertainty, along with the invaluable aid of Suzie Q Ferguson and her cousin, Factoid Fred. Suzie Q, as you recall, is the world's most terrible tour guide. Suzie is clueless, and sometimes makes things up. Fred is better informed – he specialises in drive-by factoids of an unconnected nature. He also likes to photograph informational displays at heritage sites. Let's face it: at some point, all of us have been Suzie Qs or Factoid Freds.
This week, Paige does his best Fred impersonation as he takes us on a virtual tour of Beauly Priory. It's in Scotland. He also invites you to caption the drunk monk.
Amy P. continues her trip down memory lane with Part 7 of 'If h2g2 Never Existed.' (Doesn't bear thinking about, really.)
Awix tells us what's on at the cinema, Freewayriding shows us how not to write English, I tell you how to write 'just right', and we all try to show you a good time. There are cartoons and comics and all manner of photos, colour and monochrome. There's another Halloween story for you, and more of Willem's wildlife to meet and admire. Oh, and there are videos. Mine will make you dizzy, and Sasha's will have your toes tapping.
Are you ready to rumble, NaJo fans? Of course you are. You've been looking forward to this all year, just as the Post Editor has been dreading it. Scarcely have we swept up the smashed pumpkins on the morn of All Saints' Day, which this year is on Friday, but the trick-or-treaters have been replaced by an even more fearsome spectacle: bloggers. Here are the instructions, which you will ignore as usual:
Doing a regular blog? Click on the Create picture below for signup and instructions.
Want to join us for '30 Days in Hooverville', either as spectator or participant? (Heckling permitted.) Click on the Hooverville pic for the homepage. The cast list so far can also be found on this page. Follow the links for NaJo fun.
| ALL THINGS HOOVERVILLE |  | | If you are interested in joining the Post NaJoPoMo fiction-writing project, '30 Hours in Hooverville', see the Post Editor for character assignment and awkward explanations. You are also welcome to kibitz and heckle the players. |
Have a great week, all of you.
Quote of the Week: Invention starts with inspiration. I never would have become an astronaut without science fiction stretching my mind.
Chris Hadfield
Dmitri Gheorgheni
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