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

Like you, dear friend, I prefer this most tenderly prophetic analysis if world affairs than the apocolyptic one which I missed in last years and which received such acclamation from the new Editor.

I would have quite honestly just lain down and died had you not given us that link, and had I not continued to read even after I was so startled by the volcanic outburst of disdain. Thank you for writing in one of your posts that you preferred this account than the one which has received such acclaim.

At least one can still be optimistic even if annhilation is near at hand. !!

I am glad that you are not like Voltaire, who so so despised his fellow French philosopher for always looking on the bright side of things.

Anyway, I must awa' and do my memory exercises. I forgot yesterday and have not managed to do them today - a rather taxing day which has near exhausted me until I found your delightfullly tender prophecy.

CME

Hi Christiane

You make me a feel a bit of a fraud because none of these pieces completely reflects what I think. They're all the product of moods rather than convictions. Above all here, I try to write better, and to test myself.

It is true though that with hindsight I like the more optimistic piece better.

The nice thing about having some 200 Entries under my belt since 2001, I can find something on nearly any subject, and most seem fresh because I've forgotten how I felt as I wrote them, and many are tangential enough to be interesting.

You don't like Voltaire? I'm a little surprised. Candide is wonderful. It mocks the optimism of Pangloss, sure, but finds a better one. I guess I venerate the visionary curmudgeons of that time. Blake is another.