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

I only wish that this was an untrue statement. I was in traffic next to a highschool and I saw about twelve students jabbering on the phone. When I was in school a pager meant you were dealing drugs and all personal electronics were prohibited. G7 I like the idea, I have enough LEDs in myroom to light it up like a christmas tree. I think I will be playing with a bit of tape when I get home.

*waves to Affy as he leaves - precumably to return the time he borrowed *

I don't really mind the cell phones, OP. They make sense in some situations and can be quite useful. Pagers, however, seem to be nothing more than electronic tags. That is, perhaps, what bothers me most about them...

G7

*floating in from library, with Springie hanging like a pendant around her neck*

Cell phones? Well, good in emergencies, and unexpected situations - but I DON'T want to listen to teenagers talking loudly on the commuter train.... 'and then he said....and she said...oh, really?'

I have a company cell phone, but I don't use it much myself, and usually others aren't in so big a hurry to reach me it can't wait until I've arrived at w*rk... It was quite easy really, to teach them to wait... I just simply turned off the signal, forcing them to leave a message - which they rarely did, because it was seldom an emergency - and I blamed my reluctance to answer on the poor reception in the train tunnels... (it's true, there's absolutely no reception in there, but then, I'm not spending ALL my time in tunnels)

*drifts out on terrace, to enjoy the beautiful weather, with the champagne bottle in one hand, and a in the other*

It is a well-known fact that most of the young population of the UK owns a mobile phone, and use it virtually all the time. IO however do not have one. I personally don't see the need to shell out a few quid to pay either for monthly bills or even for those call cards, let alone the phone itself.

Incidentally, I've got a load of sound files based on that 'Popcorn' tune by Hot Butter I mentioned. I've got several MIDI files, a heap of MOD files, and a couple of MP3's.
The strangest thing is though that I can't find the original tune /anywhere/ - not even on N*pst*r!

It's amazing the things that aren't on that site. A friend of mine was trying to find an older song from Rhino Records, and it wasn't there. It was just a simple idea, "Also Spach Zarathustra" (you know, that music from the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey), and it was played on kazoos. Fortunately, he found that tape, and is making several recordings so that it might some day find its way onto the Internet. Ah, the classics....

I'm actualy quite surprised that a number of ancient tunes or soundtracks I know/knew are on there. But the thing that dumbfounds me is that
a) the song is /so/ famous and popular that there should be loads of instances of it on N*pst*r, and
b) as soon as I submit my search for 'Popcorn' or 'Hot Butter' it immediately says it can't find anything, even though it takes a while to search for other things that turn up unsuccessfully. Hmmm... a conspiracy!

Anyway, I've gotta go.

Toodlepip all!

Personally, Prof, I'd check with Audo Galaxy. I've had alot more luck with them than I ever did with N*pst*r.

G7

Cell phones. The joy of turning it on and hearing it ring. Answering it, you get a message telling you that you a voice message. To hear this message call 123456. You call 123456 to hear the message which turns out to be the sound of someone hanging up a phone. At the end of the month you get a bill that includes a 70c charge for listening to the non message. Technology, don't you just love it.

Let's try this sentence again.

Answering it, you get a message telling you that you have a voice message.

I like it... My phone beeps at me to tell me I have a message. I then go to a different phone to call in to retrieve the message. Of course I am a phone junkie I admit, but I never use it in the theater or restraunts etc. I have a headset for when I am driving and other than that it is a nifty pager and way for me to call other people. I do not get a lot of calls on it inbound. My friends know I won't answer when at work and I am with the most likely suspects when not at work.

I think it suprised everyone when sms text messageing took off big time. It seems the way to communicate is not to speak on the phone but to snd crptc txt lukng msgs - l8r op

or even crptc lukng txt msgs

*bounds in, looking positively radiant*

Hullo, all. Just having a wonderful day, even if I am bogged down in finals and whatnot. The weather is just SO gorgeous!
Took my last test for Middle Eastern Nationalism today...I said that Pakistan was not a real country, but a *ahem* nocturnal issue. (Hope that doesn't get moderated!!!) Frankly, I had a hard time wrapping my brain around both Pakistan and Afghanistan. I just keep thinking, let the women run the country.
Or maybe I'm just on a feminist kick lately. I did that presentation on the feminist response to St. Paul, and my bubbling feminist came to the top. A bit strongly, I might add. The other day in a class, we were arguing the death penalty in conjunction with a 18th century writers' thoughts, and I stated that I wanted to see Timothy McVeigh drawn and quartered. Everyone was horrified. I took one look at these scrubbed and earnest men (none of the women but myself took part in the discussion), and realized NONE of them were parents. So I think maybe that's part of it. Don't get me wrong...I think someone sentenced to death should have every opportunity to prove themselves innocent, but when it can be proven absolutely (i.e., when they admit it), that's it. Particularly for someone who killed 150+ people and calls them "collateral damage." Children are collateral damage, excuse me? Yikes.
Sorry for the rant, folks. Just a little on the ARGH side. Finals and all that!

Oh, Chris...can I have some of the calling card mulch? My hydrangea needs it!

Quite opposed to the death penalty myself. I don't see the point of it - get the b*****d off the streets, and we're all safe, so why go further? And since in no other cases do we advocate an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth, and would even argue that to do so would be brutal, cruel and unusual, then why a life for a life?

I used to think that, too. But the person who murders someone sets themselves up as judge, jury and executioner. Why should they be allowed to do that without some form of retribution from society as a whole? And I re-state what I said earlier....the death penalty should NEVER be used when there is ANY question whatsoever of doubt. But in a case like McVeigh's, what is the point of me paying taxes to keep him alive? At some point, what a killer has done to society requires the (forced) removal of that person's liberty, and their life. I also think there is something about killers like McVeigh and Bundy, who express no remorse at all...it's some sort of sign that they have no humanity for us to remove. Yes, I think the death penalty is barbaric, cruel and brutal, but so were they. And until we live in a society without emotional reactions, we have to go by those. Rationalism is all well and good, but it doesn't satisfy the need to do something about killers. And life in prison, with food and shelter and t.v., well, how punishing is that? Parents who lose children to killers are condemned to lifelong suffering...why should the killer get off any easier?
d'E, dearest. Please don't take this without a heavy dose of salt. Some of what I've said is just blather. Frankly, I agree with you, but for some reason, Timothy McVeigh makes the barbarian in me just want to rip him to shreds.

Sorry, all, about the above rant. Just got a little carried away...stepping down off the soap box now....

I have soap boxes attached to my shoes. Comes in very handy... plus, easier to reach a few things, here and there

As I understand it, McVeigh wasn't aware there was a children's creche in the building. Reportedly, if he had been aware of the children then he would have targeted another government site. In his warped opinion he was exacting revenge on behalf of the 80 men, women and children murdered by the FBI at Waco.

Ironically, it appears another FBI stuff-up will delay his well-deserved execution.

[Amy]

*going to The Towers today *