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

I decided to borrow the Libary's software, install in at home and now I can work on reports here. I always said I didn't want to do that, but the more I think about it, the more sense it makes. I'm at the age where I'm awake half the night anyway. I may as well do something constructive. My printer at home is really slow. But I can wait until I get to work to print if I have very much.

I've been trying to think of how I could get away with inviting Marv to give the invocation when we dedicate the new library. He would be perfect. He likes libraries. He actually reads! (I don't have a single clergyperson as a patron. I have one who comes in to use the copy machine and is always complaining because I make him pay for the copies like anyone else.) And unlike the priests and ministers we have here, I like Marv.

Ladies and gentlemen, please rise. Our invocation today will be given by the Archbishop of the Church of the True Brownie. I have a dear friend who is a Pagan Priest, but I don't dare ask him. And before you ask, yes we have to have an invocation. This is Bible Belt country. At public meetings we have a prayer, salute the flag then smile sweetly and hypocritically rip each other's throats out. It's the American way.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Pats Hypatia gently on the shoulder.*

There, there, Hypatia. You are in good company. It happens to the best of us. Now stop that or you will give yourself a .

Matina, bring Hypatia a nice , please.

Thanks. There's always tomorrow and all that stuff. *blows nose loudly* I was sort of starting to like him. Well, RIP Dan. Gone but not forgotten. *blows nose again*

Next time.......you'll never find out. Bwaaaahaaaahaaa!

[{Courtesy}]

Looking over my equipment prior to putting it away, I notice that my remore shutter has a lock. I wish I had known that the other night when my thumb was cramping from holding the button down.

Some friends of mine came over from Brum to holiday at my place back in '86, and during that time sensei Parrish's daughter was married. Keith, a black belt, deputy sheriff and justice of the peace, conducted the ceremony. Gill and Dave kept repeating, incredulously, "The vicar's got a gun in his boot! The vicar's got a gun in his boot!"

Glad the art project turned out well, Amy! I'm getting quite involved with the latest illustration I volunteered to do, although most of today I've been away from the computer, painting, while it was doing a Mojoworld test render.

I really need to get a second computer that can be my render box while I get on with business here... Something cheap and fast with OpenGL and 2 GB of RAM.

[Amy]

I've found that choosing a different skin than I usually use (plain, with Jim's goo-blue stylesheet) for my aliases helps keep them apart - but I've messed up a couple of times even then... don't worry Hypatia, I'm sure it happens to all of us eventually...

*Ripley nods sagely, since he's been involved in some of the mess-ups*

Off to the gym this morning then paperw*rk.

I'm trying to decide what to make of the this whole EU constitution thing. Are we being sold down the river or is it a Good Thing? Why is Tony Blair not letting us have a referendum? Are they really 'tidying up the loose ends' or stitching us up? Perhaps I'm more paranoid on Mondays.

I don't think we Europeans are in close enough harmony yet to be one big happy uberstate. Recent events in the Middle East suggest not. But on a personal level I do like the single currency as it makes cross Channel trips a lot easier.

We're having a referendum on the EMU thing (now, that would be short for... uh - European Monetary Union?) - but Sweden's prime minister has announced that he's definitely for it, and that if people vote no, we'll just have another referendum, and another, and another, until people choose 'right' - can you imagine?

All this (lack of) referendum stuff, and the spate of bombings across the world leads me to diagnose a global outbreak of selfishness. No-one cares for anything or anyone else except themselves, and their own wishes and aspirations. President Blair knows better than I do, and allies us with a moronic gun-slinger. [Oops, perhaps there are rules of conversational decency here? If *that* didn't break them.... ]

When my age was tallied in single figures, I remember what would happen in school if we (as a class) were less well behaved than we should have been. We had to sit in silence with our hands on our heads, and demonstrate that we could behave acceptably before the teacher would let us go home. I now know there were good reasons for that, one being to establish and confirm that the teacher lead the class, and not the other way around.

Now where did that come from, you're asking yourself, and what has it to do with anything? OK, here goes:

When the Israelis tell the Palestinians they must stop all attacks before their brutal 35-year military occupation can end, it reminds me of that classroom. How dare they insist that the Palestinians submit (in the sense of rolling on your back and exposing your belly) before they will act? To end the trouble, Israel must withdraw from Palestine. They should and will get what they want in return: peace and security. And a lot of people across the world will give thanks for the outbreak of common sense.

Sorry if I'm waxing too political for this forum. I think you tend to discuss anything and everything here?

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

I don't like that our elected leader chooses not to listen to the general public at all. I just hope he gets the message come voting time.

I'm shuffling books round today, we have arranged to have enough bookcases, so that the books are not all jammed in. I still like Phil's idea of ceiling to floor books & a little ladder

Unless he declares a one-party state, I rather think that's unavoidable. All that concerns me is that people will have forgotten by the time the election comes around.

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

P.S. In this delightful forum, what would I mean if I typed

[Pattern-chaser]

or

[{Pattern-chaser}]

??? TIA.

ug!
Am I awake - I think so
Am I still hungover - I think it went while I sleeping last night.

A good if wet at times birthday weekend. BBQs in the rain (and sun as well ), dedication for you. Far too much to drink, oh well never mind.

What can I remember from the blog?
Congrats Z. Hello Pattern Chaser. Nice photos Lil - The points are random stuck pixels I think rather than stars or other creatures. Well done Marv, sounds like a good kind of way to do a wedding.

You'd be leaving a calling card, Pattern-chaser...

People sometimes do that to indicate that they haven't got anything to add at the moment, or that they're too busy, or simply bookmarking after having caught up with the backlog, or bookmarking *before* attacking the backlog, or...

I have to tell somebody!

On Friday, I sent my CV to a to a few of the local breweries, first thing this morning, I got a call from the nearest, saying they do not need anybody. Fair enough thinks I, but worth a try.

Then I get a call from one of the others, they are expanding, and need more folk, would I mind popping over to have a chat with them tomorrow? It's only an interview, but I really didn't expect to get that far

Well done! Good luck!

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

*keeping fingers crossed for Toc*

Excellent news Toccata
Hope it goes well for you. When you get that job, you'll have to let us know who it's for so we can try some of your

A job in a brewery! You should put that in this week's Talking Point, Toc.