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

[Amy]

[Munchkin] Who wants to be a millionaire and Weakest Link are British. I believe Big Brother was Dutch originally. Your Survivor malarkey is American. So we are all somewhat to blame.

Interesting experiences; About five years ago at Christmas it went to twenty below for a week or so. I had a mile walk to the pub each night (well it was Christmas) and I lost the feeling in my ears on more than one occasion.
Other fun one was once, hillwalking in the Highlands I went left instead of right on a skree slope and dangled over a thousand foot drop for a few seconds. I had a brief "life in front of my eyes" flash before jumping back. I don't do well on heights these days.

Montana, I do believe that's the particular bit of history that a friend of mine is studying and trying to get PhD funding for.
You could try Oxford, Cambridge or London in the UK. Ok I guess you were wanting to get US suggestions...

Oh, well if we're going to be like that, I'm told the University of Glasgow has a very good Medieval History Department. It probably helps that the university is medieval

My mates at Bristol. I seem to remember him mentioning something to do with John of Salisbury for his Masters Thesis and possibly a Phd.

*The Professor finally recieves a sobering drink from Matina. Just like the stuff Jeeves gives Wooster in the first episode. *

Woah! That worked! Cheers Matina!

Ah, hello everybody! Sorry I was a bit drunk, but becoming head of the most powerful governmental entity in the Known Universe kind of allows for celebration.
I'll write about my experiences in third person as soon as I find time.

I gather that my CompliGram did a little pointing and laughing, and I would have done the same. Please understand, Amy and Sol, that the way we mean it is not at all a form of bullying! If they give us overly puzzled looks, we just explain that it was a joke, and most of the time the people just laugh with us anyway.
Besides, we never point and laugh at strangers, only people who know us and would know we've just having a laugh, for lack of better terminology.

On the topic of quiz shows, they are terrible, aren't they?
The Weakest Link was rather amusing when it started, but I don't think the American version ws quite up to scratch. You lot just didn't get it.

[There is a zap and bang outside. Coming from Mt.Sandeverest, a blue bolt of energy misses the Atelier and crashes, embarrassed, seventy feet away]

Hi there YK and all, not seen you round here for a while.

Time to put the shields up?

Oh, Amy, I got your e-mail, and have changed your address accordingly.

It was me who mentioned lack of free will inside religious communities. I meant that if you are born into a staunchly religious society, of whatever persuasion, you're unlikely to have a choice about your own religion unless you have understanding parents or rhino hide for skin. For example, any forms I filled in here in Scotland would not accept "none" for religion until recently. I had to be either Protestant or Catholic.

Morning all.

As we seem to be discussing horridly cold weather, the worst I ever experienced was in Minnesota. The temperature didn't get above -50 F (would that be about -17 C? I think so...) for the better part of a month and regularly got down to -80 F at night. Amusingly enough, it had snowed about three feet worth of snow the month before, so the snow acted as insullation. (I just couldn't get that last word spelled correctly for the life of me. And I don't feel like opening Word to check it right now. ) Nasty, bad weather. Glad I'm in Colorado now.

I just realized something of trivial importance. Yesterday was the 545th anniversary of Nostradamus' death. I figure that'll turn up in a pub quiz for someone sooner or later.

Matina, some tea please. Thank you.

G7

I'm waiting for my flatmate to come out of the viva for her PhD and it is /killing/ me. I'd rather be in there myself.

On Weakest Link: Americans *do* get it, that's the problem. Some see it, and watch it because it's more ruthless than most other shows, others watch it because it's interesting to guess answers, and some actually hope to get on the show.

As for me, I think I'd have better chances to get money if I went to play on Jeopardy.

Got interrupted.

And so you get stuff like seperate schools for Protestants and Catholics, and they grow up not understanding each other, and the word among your mates is that the other side are inferior, and their religion is wrong, and they kick a football with the other foot...and so on and so on.

And you end up beleiving all this rubbish unless you have the strength of mind to reject what doesn't compute and form your own ideas. But if you don't have this individual strength, you rely on the perceived strength of the community, and then all manner of unpleasantness becomes possible, from bothering people on doorsteps all the way up to hanging people from trees.

I'm just calling for more open-mindedness is all.

On the subject of extremes, I think the most pain I ever experienced was when I broke my wrist. When I got to the hospital it had swollen up so much I couldn't even touch it gently without flinching. The guy who put the plaster bandage on for me wrapped it around as tightly as he could, squeezing as he went (which he had to do of course). I confess I cried.

Allow me to assure you you would NOT rather be in the viva. I hope you are taking her down the pub, or whatever she requires afterwards to de-stress, it will be required. It gives me the wilies just thinking about it

I watched one episode of The Weakest Link. I find that - having watched that one episode - I can knowledgably carry on a conversation about any other episode.

Seriously, it was interesting to watch that one time, and while I find the host's sense of humor entertaining, I can't stand the backstabbing going on among the contestants.

You Don't Know Jack, on the other hand, I will watch almost religiously. And not just because I'm a huge Paul Ruebans fan - despite the ... uhm ... indecent exposure in the "adult" theater.

In terms of religion, I find that it matters a great deal how the specific congregation sees everything. Daddy always made sure that people were making up their own minds on most things. He is currenly the person who leads the most popular (relatively speaking) rosary in Rawlins history - a fact that originally disturbed the Catholics no end until one of them came to it. He also routinely attends Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist holidays and festivals. (Not that there are many in Rawlins, Wyoming. But he tries.) It is through his efforts that I am as interested in all religions and - not meaning to in any way toot my own horn - as open-minded as I am. Thanks, Daddy.

SPINY, Owwwww! I've only broken strange bones (in my foot, my tailbone and one finger), but the wrist sounds worse than any of those. If you want a weird feeling though, here goes: when I was 10 I had a wart on my toe and they froze it off with liquid nitrogen. I made a really strange sound, I'm told - a cross between crying and laughing. I can't honestly say that I remember, however. I tried to block as much of the experience out as possible. I still don't like it when my feet get too cold though...

G7

I made a loud strange sound when a doctor drew a line up one of my feet with a stick (there you go technical medical terminology ) when I was in hospital when I was diagnosed with D. Then again, I've always been quite tickleish!

I cracked my head open once. Went running down a hall - God knows why - and hit it on a door. That was fun.
My parents tell me they can still see the scar, but I never can...

Now in VR I've had more injuries and have been in more extremes than anyone could count!