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

FG, it wasn't part of that bizarre shooting spree, was it? And let me guess that her plates may have been from Idaho, but she was from down here. At least it sounds like it.

MR - if she was from down here, she would have been reaching for her pistol

Courtesy

[p]

Well, the SUV was a little *too* clean to be that of a Rocky Mountain native. On the way down there, I *did* drive by the spot where one of the shootings occurred just a few hours earlier. The authorities had that area of highway cordoned off and the crime scene investigation unit was out checking the road and the police cruiser that was hit.

FYI for everyone else, we had an exciting weekend in Montana. A cowboy from a ranch in Ennis (the southwestern part of the state) took part in a regional shooting spree early Saturday morning--firing on six young adults (and killing one of them) outside a bar in Ennis, driving 200 miles west to shoot up highway patrolmen in Florence, then making an escape over the Idaho border, ramming cop cars along the way and shooting at some tourists from Washington State. The whole chase was at speeds of 100mph and more with guns ablaze. He was finally apprehended when an Idaho sheriff put down boards with nails in them across the road to puncture his tires. Motive is unknown as of yet.

That was the most bizarre thing. it sounded like a bad movie...in fact, I think it was, back in the 80s.

You're right. Its like something out of a Hollywood summer action flick. The gunman is currently in the hospital as he was shot by the cops at the top of Lolo Pass. The officers that were hit are fine, as are most of the other victims but for the unfortunate one.

Sounds wild, FG. It's amazing the variety of people there are out there, eh?

As for GPS monitoring, it doesn't bother me at all. Why should I care if the government has the capability of knowing where my car is at all times. As several others have said, they're unlikely to use that capability, except for what it was intended for. And besides, even if they did pick me out for monitoring, I have nothing to hide. I can't imagine a misuse of that information.

In fact, I would be in favour of such a scheme. I think it is only fair that the people that use the roads should pay for their upkeep. This is particularly true for trucks. Trucks by far cause the most wear and tear on highways, which are funded by public funds. If they were responsible for funding the repairs their damage causes, then suddenly trucking as a means of transporting goods would be far less economic and more efficient ways, such as rail, would be used. Basically, the trucking industry is subsidised by the public and a GPS system just might correct that.

Similarly, I have no problem with the automatic radar devices that can be used to catch speeders and mail them tickets. Those were proposed here for our main highways, but haven't been approved yet. I really don't understand how people can argue against them - do they claim a right to speed?

A new highway was recently built (well, about 5 years ago) and is a toll highway, but the tolls are all collected automatically. Whenever you enter or exit the highway, cameras take pictures of your liscence plate. Computers then calculate how far you travelled on the highway (based on where you got on and off) and mail you an appropriate bill (or at least they mail it to the registered owner of the car). So, the automatic speeding ticket thing should work.

A question for the s (and other Salonistas): Has anyone ever seen this on their computer screen?

http://hem.fyristorg.com/Titania/misc/face.htm

It started showing up when I exit Windows in order to turn off my computer - and it keeps showing up - after the 'Windows is closing' screen and before the orange text 'you can now turn off your computer' (sorry if it's not the exact text, but I've got a Swedish version, so I've tried to translate it)

...but what is it?

I agree with you, GL.

But there's one image I can't get out of my mind: a computer somehow misreads my license plate and determines, wrongly, that I am a gun-toting cowboy from Ennis.


Last night's company was, except for 78-year-old Nora, an assemblage of ex-potheads. We were talking about the Sixties and back when marijuana was the main selection du jour, and about Hunter S. Thompson and ~his~ idea of a selection du jour (from synthroid to adrenochrome). We were all young rebels, and now... Laren is an ex-Episcopal minister and online professor of psychology. M.L. is a psychologist specialising in counselling children. Drew is an historian and author. I'm the things you all ready know. In short, we're all socially responsible entities.

And we all have to explain to younger ones why illegal substances can be hazardous to your well-being.

Thunder and hail! *runs off to look*

T, I have NO idea what the hell that is, but it's creepy.

Thanks MR - nice to know I'm not the only one to find it creepy!

Ti, I've never seen anything like that. It would make me worry, too.

This morning I paid $1.39 a gallon for unleaded.

Z, hope you have a wonderful trip and get good news about your exams.

Happy birthday, anniversary, hootooversary to everyone I've ever met and some I've only heard about.

Speaking of tandoori chicken, we have a new restaurant called Mother India. It's only been open a couple of weeks and we haven't trried it yet. What should I order? I've never been to an Indian restaurant. I've had curry a couple of times at a friend's house and it was so hot it about took the roof of my mouth off.

Not all curries are hot. The kashmiri and vindaloo curries are the worst, I think. Tandoori is not hot, and neither is biryani.

And a lamb pasanda is to die for.


The air smells of wet pine trees, mmmmmm.

Almost forgot - congrats Z - well done!

I almost forgot as well -- congratulations, Z on passing those written exams!

Sunwarm pine trees are nice too... with a hint of resin...

Hey all, hope you're all hale and hearty........
*saunters in and flumps on sofa*
Congrats to Z and hello for the first time?

Someone cursed me with "May you live in interesting times" !

and someone else started a war! ......again

Eatsmice, good to see you around again

Courtesy

Lil, GL, I am a known environmental activist (I know they know about me because the white house sends me letters on how "wonderfull" the president is for the environment) and I am occasionally active in the anti-war movement. I know that doesn't qualify me as a hard core political dissident, but there are people who have been refused the right to travel on air planes because they are known protesters and for no other reason. If the government can now TRACK known protesters, and pull them over or harrass them, why wouldn't they?

Hello Eatsmice, interesting name, nice to "meet" you,