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

Welcome to the Aroma Café's new thread. The atmosphere is pleasant, spacious but somehow also cozy. IIEM --The Infinite Improbability Espresso Machine (With NEW repairs and BETTER THAN EVER accuracy) -- blinks idly at the far end of the counter. A bottomless pot of freshly brewed coffee (don't ask how a bottomless pot can be freshly brewed! You didn't question the IIEM, did you?) sits on the other end. Teas, soft drinks, and every kind of coffee drink imaginable is available here, whether it's on the (not yet updated) menu board or not

*Irving wonders whether anyone will catch his continued reference to the Lord of the Rings in the Thread Subject*

Sorry I've been gone, everyone. Recently a tragedy has befallen me -- the cord to my keyboard broke, rendering it useless! I could use my mouse, but I couldn't type ANYTHING, so I just left my computer off from friday afternoon until just now. On the bright side, I got a lot of reading done.

I promise you that THIS keyboard will last quite some time. Now, if anyone wants me, I'll be reading backlog.

~Irving

*strolls in*

Good to see you, Irv.

*picks up the First to the Forum mug and fills it with freshly brewed coffee from the bottomless pot*

You are familiar with the FttF races that Lil started over the summer, aren't you?

Hi Irv, I did wonder where you had got to.
*slips a couple of lychees to Ook*

I'm soon to be off on my big business ( ) trip to New Mexico; I'll be gone between 17 September and 1 October. Wish me luck and a favourable reception for my restoration!

IIEM, anti-coffee please.

Good Luck, Lil! And soon I'll be wishing YOU a bon voyage, instead of the other way around. Maybe we'll have a similar party

Yes, WM, I am familiar with the races. And congratulations on winning this one!

I have to confess that I did NOT read all of the backlog -- RL attacked just before I figgured out where I left off Oh well, I suppose I'd better make things ready for the next shift -- I'd call them the night shift, but it'll be morning in the UK soon.

*Hit's the IIEM and gets the teapot set out for BB*

*gets up from his seat, walks out of the cafe, and walks back in again, just to make sure he's in the right thread...*

Hello Irving!
And how's things today?
I think I'll have some of that bottomless coffee actually, to celebrate the (closing) end if the blockades!

*drifting off, leaving a [t]*

(sorry, busy)

{Beep, beep. Telepathic activity detected. Source unknown.}

Shush Watch! I come here to get away from my incessant technological advancements...

{Sorry, Sir.}

OK...just check up on the Secondary Labs security file, will you?

{Affirative. No interference from Staff, Public, or any other entity. All systems shut down. Reported good.}

Good, good....

Hell! My dratted RL W*rk Experience keyboard is playing up with its m's again!

*finishes coffee and returns FttF cup to the counter*

Well, I must be going now. See you later.

Toodlepip!

*waves from his seat..*

I wonder how long it will take for the country to get back to normal?

Well, since the protests seem to have stopped, some estimates say a few days, and other say a couple of weeks...

The country itself will be back to normal in a few days I think, but it's restocking the petrol stations that'll take a while...

Oh, and restocking the food stores as well....hmm....

It seems to have flared up again... someone just told me that they had RAISED the taxes by 4p/litre and that the blockades were back in position... they were probably lying.

There hasn't been a delivery of food here for four days...

Yeah, they were lying - I saw the news just after you posted that and no mention...

Yeah...they'd best by lying!!
I don't think they can just suddenly rais it can they? God, I hope not...

IIEM, Canfrieda Wine please...

I'm having some at the Atelier right now, but still...

IIEM an intravenous injection of pure caffeine please - about two litres...
No, they can't just do that. One of the principle reasons the stand off lasted so long is that Blair has been insisting that the government can't alter tax rates in between budgets - which is perfectly true. Of course, that's to assume Blair is actually sticking to a principle...

Ach, weeell, back draivin' mai tractor, then, ai suppos.

Food and petrol...putting the big squeeze on the public. I'll bet someone somewhere is getting very rich from all this.

That should read 'one of the *principal* reasons' of course...
God, I'm suddenly becoming illiterate...

There's always someone getting rich from something...

Probably ISP's in this case...people have been using the Internet more now that they couldn't really get out much...

And the local shops were doing tremendously well before they ran out of stuff...seeing as people couldn't get to the supermarkets...