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

thank-you
i was just about to pop offline for the night when i decided to take one last leap through the online list when i spotted this article of yours and just had to say that it is very well done
i am glad to see someone informing people about something that can be quite embarrassing for them to ask anyone about
we need more of you
monsy

I write far too much humor. I hardly ever write any good, factual articles. That is why I enjoy the guide. I was originally attracted to it via Douglas Adam's fandom. However, I see this as an ambitious effort to create a wonderful myriad of information. The concept of writers all over the world contributing to the reality of this project is ingenious. I wasn't quite finished with the article. I did want to add some interesting tid bits, such as why is called the Clap, but I couldn't find a tasteful way to do that and not take away from the seriousness of this matter.

i understand the writing with humour...i find that i am far too serious in real life and enjoy the ability to sit back and relax in here
as for finding a way to put in why it is called the clap....just put it in with humour to lighten up the article a bit...i do not see it taking away from the seriousness of the article...what i do see is it making the reader a bit more comfortable with it and give them something to respond to that would start a conversation....face it, how many readers are there that are going to come out and say "hello, my name is....and i have had the clap"?.....they would be much more comfortable with the touch of humour and i think it would be a doorway to even more information as the conversation developes
who knows...i've been wrong before but those are my thoughts
monsy

I'm not sure if you've heard of it, since so many people on the guide don't live in the states, but there used to be a product called the Clapper with a catchy jingle. "Clap On! Clap Off! Clap on, Clap off, the Clapper!"

well, believe it or not i live in the states and have heard of it
i used to get a kick out of that jingle
monsy

I doubt those with the Clap get a kick out of it however. ;-(

you never know....i handle stress and bad times with humour so maybe someone else out there does too
of course, then again, maybe i am just a bit odd......
monsy

popping back in again to give you the tidbit of info i just found out about...
crazy me mentioned this article of yours to someone who just loves learning stuff, reading discover and watching learning channels and such....
it was then that i was informed of the painful way this came to be called the clap....
seems that they used to take the males penis and bang it with a hard object to expel the infection....seems that before they had medications for it this was the only way to relieve the discomfort of the symptoms.....once a medication became available they still did this at times for the same reasons...to expel some of the infection...
now i do not mind telling you that when i was told this i cringed...yes, i am female but the thought of expelling infection in this manner just made me feel great pain for the ones who went through this treatment....
anyway, the clapping together of the hard objects to expel the infection is where i am told the name "clap" came from and from what i can tell through a short bit of searching it is correct.....
OUCH!!
monsy

Yep. The bacteria often clogs the uretha, and that is why it hurts to urinate. They used to "clap" the penis to unclog the uretha.

pardon me a moment as i know we are supposed to be a bit more serious about this but ermmm.....in your opinion what would hurt worse?? urinating with the clap or having the infection expelled in this way??? i mean i have seen grown men with much less of a blow to their partials go to their knees...i can just imagine having someone hiting their penis with a hard object from both sides......i am amazed the shock from the pain did not kill them....
once again...OUCH!
monsy

Thankfully there are other treatments now, and such methods aren't used anymore (atleast not in the States). And as painful as the treatment was, I'm sure it was better to be treated so you don't continue to spread the disease. Atleast, that's how I'd see it. However sadly, I am an advocate of responsibility. All those morals bearing down on me and such.

i have two girls and a boy of my own so i find that i tend to preach responsibility to them quite often i just hope they listen to me... yes, i am smart enough to know that they may not practice abstinence but hopefully they will at least be smart and use their heads
monsy

I had a golden rule during high school. I called it the one-day rule. If I was in a position where I wanted to sleep with a woman, I stepped away from the situation for a day. If a day later, when I could think objectively (rather than be influenced by various hormones) that I still felt comfortable sleeping with the person, I knew the opportunity would arise again. It saved me from making many a mistake.

that is a good rule to go by
myself being female used that one and also would step back and try to picture the person in question as the father of my child and facing spending the rest of my life with them as well. if i could do that without getting the willies then it was right. using these tactics i found that i was able to keep my wits about me and do what was right...also with the many diffent things out there these days i also ask my girls if they are willing to die for this person and if not then they need to wait.....no protection is 100%.......
monsy

I have had plenty of fun fooling around with various women in my day. However, I knew where to draw the line. All the flirting and foreplay was fun enough for me. Anyhow, I am a brave student of tounges/languages. In fact, you could even go as far as to call me a cunning linguist!

i must admit that when it comes to flirting i am quite skilled at it
on a side note.......i am beginning to like your personality very good response up there
monsy

::blushes profusely and then chuckles into a half-cocked grin::

Why thank you. I please to aim!