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

Witty, I think that you have happened upon one of the problems with the smallness of our planet. Things happen so quickly that the traditional methods of getting your news are bypassed, thereby letting people formulate their own opinions of matters global. The tradtional press filtered the information available to the masses. Now you can choose whatever source you want with whatever leaning you want. Extreme conservative to ultra liberal and beyond.

[c]

Oh I agree that tribal issues didn't go away at all, it's just that, growing up myself at the tail end of the Cold War, I kinda got the impression that this was the new way of conflict, which would continue in one form or another into the future. Which I realise was a little blinkered, but I do early modern history But the fact that we go straight back to conflicts based on 'communities' of people fighting other 'communities' in much the same way that someone earlier was talking about the two villages who went after each other does not argue well for our growth as a species.

I had this freind once who once said in all seriousness that the people in the next town were "not like us". He wasn't as it happens making an observation based on the fact that, say, the people of the next town had different ethnic majority, or generally followed a different religion, or something like that. No In actual fact the people of the next town - all of two miles distant - were essentially exactly the same, had exactly the same kind of town, living space, nationality and mix of peoples, the same jobs, the same language, watched the same TV etc etc etc. And yet "not the same as us". Admittedly he was about 18 and had probably never been out of our home twon for more than two weeks at a time before...

Now, he wasn't saying this as a prelude to demanding we all go over there and torch their houses, or anything like this, but it's attitudes like this that we are fighting to overcome, I think. And frankly, what with one thing and another (terratorial issues) on top of our natural inclination to think this way, the whole Israel/Palastine thing is doomed, really.

Regarding The Convention: I suspect is that if every country was persuaded to sign it, then some nutter would most definiteltly call its bluff. And to be honest, I would not like to live in a world where 'we' had collectively set out to obliterate a whole people just because some maniac leader had been behaving rashly. Incidently, and on a related subject, I read a book - quite a serious book - which earnestly suggested that the best and only way to stop war was to have every nation give up its right to make war. They could keep all other sovereign rights but that one. A sort of Grand Convention, I suppose, but I was quite dissappointed that this throughly unrealistic objective was the highlight this book had been working up to.

So the USA is a he? That acually sounds quite odd... Uncle Sam, yes, but not the whole country

[Amy]

{[caer csd] I have a nasty feeling that we have done all the growing as race that we are likely to. Apparently we are no more intelligent or compassionate than we were in the Stone Age, so I suspect that unless some far greater threat comes along we shall all be squabbling amongst ourselves like a bunch of kids.

Sadly the 'toys' we have access to are far more dangerous than dolls and toy cars.}

*Affy has nothing to add to the subject at hand at the moment, but instead hits the sign. It now reads "170 down, 10 to go"*

Time for the final countdown!

[Amy] Ten!

{[caer csd] Just back from the Summer Exhibition, we bought two limited edition prints! We both thought the exhibition this year was a great improvement on last year's, this year's committee obviously had taste

Went on the London Eye and as someone had a portable telly, we were able to keep up with the match, yay! Most impressed with the Eye, but as it was a spur of the moment decision, we hadn't got any binoculars, or even a camera so will have to go again!

Walked to the Royal Academy, via Trafalgar Square which was stuffed full with rejoicing fellow nationals and rozzers, all seemed well behaved if slightly exuberant . A thoroughly good day.}

[]

youd never get me on the eye

[montana]

Well everyone, I'm gonna be out of the loop for the next two weeks. I'm gonna attend the North American Christian Convention in Ohio, and the family has decided to make it a cross-country sight-seeing tour. Gotta find my Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses, straw hats and sandals so that I can get ready to annoy the locals of wherever I wind up being a tourist in.


Not that the little details of my game pursuit really matter (and, upon reflection, the fact that I'm playing this game at all is a subject that really isn't worth mentioning), but I'm going to put in one last game update: no new emblems collected, but my Chaos are winning races, and my other characters are struggling in the last few missions. 2 for Chaos, 5 for perfect scores for different characters, and 3 missions that I've not even been able to complete to go.


That's all guys, see ya around!

*Affy opens the heads into the kitchen, opens the fridge, opens the crisper, and dives into the wormhole*

[Amy]

[Affy-found more time to post before going]

{[caer csd] waves cheerio to Affy, whilst still wondering where Summer went, but at least it didn't rain whilst dear old Dad and in-laws were here for a barbie this afternoon}

*idly wonders if affy wll be passing through LA *

[c]

*Waves at the crisper drawer*

Someone mentioned our progress as a species. Does anyone think we have evolved at all? My understanding is that selection is the mechanism by which evolution works. But as far as I can see, selection has been eliminated for humans.

but still random things occur...i know a guy who didnt have a second round of teeth, for example

GL, I don't think selection has been eliminated. But it is different because we are self aware. People make poor choices all the time, just look at the Darwin Awards. We pollute our environment, we put all kinds of additives in our processed foods. This affects our biology, possibly altering genes.

Doesn't evolution depend on the impact our actions have on future generations? I remember reading that an individual creature is considered to have successfully procreated only if their offspring has offspring.

[BB]