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

Amy, it's made out of leather and fur. I went as an Orc

Missed the Oscars, in favour of watching a 3 hour documentary about US Marines boot camp. I looooove the Marines.

d'E, believe it or not, a straw bale house is quite fireproof. Even discounting the stucco finish, building codes require quite stringent fire prevention measures, and the bales are fireproofed with some sort of chemical slurry as soon as the walls are up and before they're stuccoed. The pottery house is good in theory, except that you couldn't hang pictures, and the acoustics would be a bit much.

h2g2 technical guy, Jim Lynn, has been posting the winners as they are are announced at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F19585?thread=173627&skip=0&show=20 Alas, I've been 'helping'

*runs off to join the Oscars thread*

Jim prefers alabaster? Or is it you, Looney?

Guilty

I am back here.
Backlogless though, I'm afraid.

*waves at hati*

narrowly-avoided-but-for-the-grace-of-the-gods-car-accident story for ya, guys...

i was driving home at around 9am today because it was my dad's birthday, and we were going to do some family bonding... driving down the 110, minding my own business, and yes - i'll admit - speeding, as usual. i was just about to pass someone who was moving more slowly than i was when this %*$&% in a honda decides to merge into my lane. unfortunately, i was currently occupying the space he needed, so i slammed on my brakes so not to hit him. my tires squealed and the tail end of my car started to dance a bit.... fortunately i regained control quickly and had slowed down enough to miss the %*$^Y%... i swerved into the lane he was first in (the far left lane) and passed him.... and yes, i'll also admit that i gave him 'the finger' as i passed... i was mad! so the #*%^# changes lanes behind me, then goes around me to my left (on the SHOULDER, which is NOT a lane!) and gave me the finger in return.... which, naturally caused me to swear at him through my window... etc etc... but anyway, he did his testosterone-enraged-gun-the-engine-and-pass-everyone-in-front-of-me thing, and i slowed down to a normal rate of speed to get my head together....

my exit was coming up, so i got into the far right-hand lane and realized that the #@*%^ was next to me on my left, stuck behind a slow moving car! so i glared at him and gave him the finger again, passed him, and took the long way home since he was exiting at my usual exit. i didn't want him following me home!

but, MAN, it scared the hell out of me.... i could've gotten CREAMED.

*sigh*

methinks i used up a lot of karma points on that one... now i need to go do lots of nice things for people to make up for it.

almost makes one re-evaluate one's faith (or lack thereof)!

but i'm allright, and so is my car, thank the gods... gosh, i don't know how i didn't hit him....

That's exactly why I don't like cars and driving.
sea

I'm glad you got away with giving him the finger, sea - but I don't think it'd be wise to do that again (although he deserved it) - there are some pretty disturbed people out there, and that gesture is all the excuse they need to go berserk...

Well done (do I mean that?: congrats, perhaps) on the near miss there. It's not driving per say that is dangerous, but other drivers frequently are.

Sea, you have given the perfect example on why I think you should always buy cars with the fastest possible 30-60mph acceleration as possible (car manufacturers don't generally provide information on speeds above those in the UK) and ABS braking.

Being able to stop quickly or accelerate out of the way are vital on our motorways. Especially the M25, if the traffic jams and speed controls ever allow it to move faster than 50mph, or dead stop. When the traffic is flowing, its one of my favourites.

I do get cut up a lot, some male drivers here still have a problem with women driving at all and even more object to them driving anything more interesting than 15 year old 1100cc car. Sadly this isn't restricted to those males over 50 either! I apologise if I'm being somewhat contentious so early on a Monday morning, but I know exactly how sea felt!

That's why I always drive a big car. Men look at the Antmobile and (a) at a distance assume it must have a male driver (b) recognise that momentum equals m times v, (the v may sometimes be low but the m never is), and (c) conclude I have less to lose in an altercation than they have.

[Munchkin]
Glad to hear you are okay Sea. I don't have a car, but keep thinking of getting one and stories like that make me want to get an old Land Rover or something. May be slow but nobody is going to get too close to you. In my off days I facy an MG.

Land rovers, good cars. They just keep on going. Anywhere.

[WM]

Glad to hear you're OK, sea. I never did understand the need to pass everyone in sight and shave 24 seconds off the journey thing. I do understand the urge to give other drivers the finger however.

Lil, how will the straw bale house stand up to wolves? And will Garius be allowed to visit?

It's when you then catch up with them sitting in the queue at the exit/next set of lights that always makes me wonder about it.

In my advanced age, I've given up getting angry at aggressive drivers and I don't try to get even. If the opportunity arises, I make sure they see me roll my eyes and try to convey my opinion that their behavior is absurd. I've made a couple of drivers look uncomfortable with that tactic.

Oh yes. The Look. You've mentioned that before. I should try it, but I don't have children to practice it on.

You could try it with Zeppo next he leaves muddy paw prints on the clean floor.

I shake my head sadly at aggressive drivers and send them a hex, nothing awful, just so that all the traffic lights turn red as they approach!