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

Doesn't time fly when we're having fun? I thought I only just started the previous thread.

Things at the atelier are a little more un-normal than usual. Thanks to a discussion about people's favourite recipes, Matina was catalyzed by a stray bolt of static electricity into throwing some sort of androidal tantrum. Affi and Garius effected a fix, but at the moment Matina remains somewhat obsessive about cooking and has had to be ordered to stop baking her specialty, mbougatses.

Also in current events, a small group has followed the landlords down into the sub- and sub-sub-basements of CLI in order to fix a broken gear on something obscure but important. They have been gone for quite a while.

Apart from that, we have had several new faces and a somewhat outed lurker, the learned ddombrow. The new faces are not new researchers, but we are happy to have their company here. I personally hadn't met Galen before and don't know much of his bio, but Galaxy Babe is as well-known in h2g2 circles as it's possible to be where circles aren't generally round.

The other really important news is that we are allowed to post links in our threads! So now I can tell newcomers and those who haven't seen it before that there is a floorplan for the atelier at http://www.asterlil.com/h2g2/atelierhome.htm which will give you links to CLI and other pre-Foop h2g2 institutions, as well as give you a good idea of the sort of place you have just wandered into.

Welcome!

Am I first?

Darn, missed it by 6 minutes! Well done T.

*Matina looks through the butler's hatch and, seeing that Titania arrived first, brings her some in a First-to-the-Forum flute*

Well, trying to keep up with Greebo's quiz keeps me on my toes!

Thank you Matina... *accepts FTTF mug*

...FTTF I mean.... ouch! *rubs head*

Congrats, Titania! I'm just happy that I made it to the first LED for once! I can't remember when that happened last, if ever!

Morning all. going to be a long day so I should get started on it.

Well, at least I made it within the first hour

We were discussing nationalism (among other things!), and Sporky simulposted with my redirective post to the new thread. He said that he thinks Americans can't bear to be wrong, and although it's a terribly broad generalisation, I think we are certainly perceived that way.

Whenever foreign policy is perceived as bent toward furthering business interests, a country is going to be accused of imperialism and worse. The new administration's international emissions policy and response to the Kyoto thing is a case in point. The Third World (or whatever the appropriate phrase is for the other Axes) looks at us and does not see purple mountains' majesties.

Matina would you make a fresh pot of tea? I have to start thinking about taxes. This year I shall be needing professional help, as life was terribly complicated last year.

I think all countries are patriotic to a certain degree. However, this is basically a measure of how good you feel your country is, in relation to the rest of the world. Hence America, having the biggest economy, a succesful military and a decent standard of living etc. tends to (in a horrible generalisation) be very bullish in its patriotism. Britian used to be very overtly patriotic for the same reasons but as those reasons no longer apply, so the levels have dropped. Also, I reckon a lot of our historical patriotism manifested itself in a very racist "Ooh look how we have conquiered the world" sort of way which people are now ashamed of. So we don't have the equivalent of Empire Day any more. Hence the Brits these days tend to be quietly smug about how we invented everything and have all the best literature.

Interesting that current politicians may be playing a little on the Patriotism to feather their own nests. 'The UK continues to try and punch above its weight in global politics, discuss?'

Possibly more nostalgia than patriotism, or even nostalgia for a less guilty patriotism. Hmmm.

*Discreetly removes flag icon from nickname so as not to offend.*

My article on leaf-cutter ants has been picked .

Ah, a new thread. Excellent.

Munchkin, good point about Brits being mostly patriotic about their past achievements. I live not in the past but in the present (and some would say the future, for obvious reasons ). It's due to this that I am an anti-patriot by nature and criticise most things we Brits now do. The state of our public transport is appalling, to mention but one example.
If I lived in the past, I would be really proud of this country, but I don't, so I'm not. I don't want to bash Britain too much (pah!), but it certainly isn't the decent country it used to be.

But then again, I think this whole planet's boring compared to what's out there, so who am I to judge?

I got an E-mail yesterday about dressing up the office int he spirit of the games. I decided to bring in my Canadian flag and hang it up. Many of my cowrkers have gone as far as calling me a communist because I am supporting another country in Hockey this year.

Actually, Lil, the "high horse" comment was directed at Marv's "baser element" jibe. He's a participant in forums that have erupted in general silliness quite frequently, yet I can detect no offense to his sensibilities.

to you, Sol! I was thinking precisely the same things whilst posting in the Sensitive Americans forum. See, that forum, for those of you who don't know (or could care less) was not about an honest discussion of US gov't policies, but an exercise in name calling and generalizations. The initial questions posted by the Brit were disingenuious to say the least. No surprise that anyone, from whatever country, would be offended if the questioner did not take the time to learn about their country, governmental procedure, or history and instead asked "What did the Native Americans ever do to you?" That's like asking Loonytunes "What did the Maoris ever do you?" Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Of course it would be pissing in the wind to point out that the standard of living that this particular researcher (and others like him) enjoy enough to be able to *have* a computer to compose stupid postings is because of the past history of brutality and political repression *his* country has inflicted on others. But that's not too terribly PC right now...

Well done Amy on your entry!

*off to make pancake batter*

The baser elements I was referring to have nothing to do with any forum I have actually posted to as I have learned to keep my mouth shut when I know all it will do is get me in trouble. This is not aimed at anyone at all from this forum by the way. But there have been some dark doings in teh corners of this site that have been made very much worse by uninformed people barging in and muddling up the waters with their opinions. I have stated before that I would have allready stopped coming to and posting to the guide over certain things, these are what I am referring to.

Now FG has had some interesting conversations with myself and with others in the past.