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

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Now you can face the Inquisition down at the DSS (or whatever it goes by now) with equamnity, Phil.

Ben, the new job sounds good, hope to hear more about it at the meet,

Yay Phil! Yay abcBen! Good jobs at last.

Seeing as a car is such a lethal weapon, it's a shame they don't have IQ tests for operators.

Next quiz: what bad habit in other drivers irritates you the most?

I have two peeves -- one is tailgating, and the other is people who don't use their turn signal until they're actually turning. The first is dangerous, the second cretinous.

I've got 4 greeting cards designed, and one to go, of "The Many Faces of Billy." The 4 have been approved, and there will be four wannabes and two copies of the Upham tintype in each box, along with an insert of historical notes.

Amy, I couldn't do anything BUT computer work if I had to keep the house clean -- I mean, how can you even get set up for watercolours without arranging the whole room around yourself in a semi-circle?

I had Nora over for lunch, and served up one of those new chicken and roast garlic pizzas, with a salad of fresh spinach & feta cheese. We ate every last bit.


Another part of my website is connected, at last -- the miscellany section, under personal. My wild four o'clocks are blooming and I caught a few pictures. http://www.asterlil.com ...

Wonderful news Ben.

Lil, you're so talented. I stand in awe. You should see my home-made greeting cards. Actually, you shouldn't see them.

Marv, won't they give you an exception so you can take the motorcycle to DMV? If not, how do they expect anyone to take the test? Have a friend with a motorcycle license drive it there for you, I suppose.

Current pet peeve:

When traffic comes to a stop for whatever reason and the driver in front of you doesn't pull up to the stop line or the car in front of them. They may or may not creep up as we sit there. It's sounds irrational, but I can't help it. Traffic is so heavy here and silly stuff like this drives me crazy. At certain times of day I have to sit through 3 or 4 consecutive light cycles to get through a single intersection.

Driving peeve - people who come to a stop before they make a right turn (when there are no other cars in front of them, of course)

- people who honk their horns when they're 5 or 6 cars back - like that's going to do any good

- people who take up 2 parking spaces

- people who talk on the telephone, put on makeup and polish their nails while driving

All of those are good peeves, but there's also:

1) People who leave their turn signal on for miles after they've made said turn.

2) People who drive *under* the speed limit--they're just as dangerous as speeders because they make drivers behind them frustrated and angry and more likely to do stupid things to get around them.

3) People in the other lane who pass on blind curves a mile ahead of you and then nearly end up sideswiping or ramming you head-on in their quest to be in front of traffic and five minutes earlier to where ever it is they're going.

4) People who make right-hand turns from the left side of the lane, so no one else can go around them.

5) People idling in traffic who block cross-streets with their car.

6) People with the inability to merge or let others merge onto a freeway.

7) People who continuously drive on the gravel shoulder of a road and cause a lot of rocks and dust to hit the cars behind them.

8) People who straddle the center line and can't stay in their lane.

9) People who leave their brights on when there is oncoming traffic.

All of the above I've seen in the last week.

[{Courtesy}]
*prepping for the move, will give peeves tomorrow*

My pet peeve has already been mentioned: tailgating. I've already mentioned the country roads round our way. Well, technically you are allowed to do 60 miles per hour down them. But whether that's possible or not rather depends on the road and your car. There was one route in particular, were it was slightly more sensible than other roads - it had two lanes, for example. But it was still a bit hairy in my car, which happened to be a fiat panda. Taking certain corners, I would have the distinct feeling that at any moment I was liable to end up screaming round on two wheels. It was entirely different when I drove my Dad's car down the same route. So, anyway, in the panda, my preference would be to take it a tad more gently. But then I would always get some annoying person in a powerful car with assisted braking and power steering coming and sitting on my backside, clearly itching to get past and take off - at considerably more than the speed limit I should add.

It was particularly irritating as I also agree with fg that driving under the speed limit can be dangerous, but I was never doing a lot less, and while sometimes I enjoyed pushing the car a bit, there are times when doing that was just stupid. It was really annoying when people did that when the road conditions were bad.

I confess to deliberately refusing to push the car an iota beyond what I felt was safe when this happened...

Staying safe, a good idea
How about those sections of motorway where you get two speed restricted articulated lorries overtaking each other. As they're both doing theoretically the same speed (55mph) the overtaking manouver can take a long time (especially if it's going uphill). This creates a long queue behind them as there is only one lane available to get past both trucks now

Caer, the DSS (Dept of Social Security) is called the DWP (Dept for Work and Pensions) these days. Not sure when the government decided on the rebrand. The job centre isn't a plain old job centre either. It's a job centre plus! Though what else they do that they didn't do before is a mystery to me. I guess it's because there a fancy electronic trminals to use to search through the job vacancies these days.

Well, in the early '80s we dropped the D whenever we were referring to it! ;-) That may have had something to do with the rebrand. Oh, and Work and Pensions is s-o-o-o much more positive doncha know. Like the Ministry for Truth and the Ministry for Peace. I haven't got the job yet... So hang on in there with the congratulations. And I was working out the money in my head this morning. It really *isn't* good. (I have an expensive Private Life - all those trips to Sweden, I have issues with making him pay for the entire relationship). However, the more I think about it, the more I think that the career benefits are huge. So I am still determined. Btw - I assume that you are all aware of: F19585?thread=288228&post=3811340#p3811340 The subsequent italicised announcement is here: A965252 The longest thread off that page is: F114453?thread=299261&post=3811332#p3811332 I am trying to shift the debate to the Hub - there is a good reason for this, because people who don't post here do post there, and I would welcome cool discussions in the following thread: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F94020?thread=299503&post=3809703#p3809703 Ben *Extremely worried about the tone of what is being done by and said within and outwith the community*

btw - I am going away for the w/e and won't be on site.

B

{[caer]} off to the gym, joining in a circuit training class for 'ladies', so not sure if she is qualified

Hi gang! Back from the short spa-vacation - and I'm *not* looking like a raising despite spending several hours in the water!

Let's see - backlog, backlog...

Puppy withdrawal? d'E, I thought Zeppo was a big dog now - or is his behaviour still a bit puppy-ish? On the other hand, one never grows too old for a good tummy-rub - right Zeppo? *squats and starts rubbing, shakes head in attempt to rid her mind of the melody of 'Puppy Love'*

Nice car, Caer!
Name it? Definitely! Bluebird?

Talking to neighbours - not very common in Sweden if you live in a block of flats - sometimes I think I have no neighbours, because I can walk up and down the stairs without ever meeting anyone!

Passing my driving test? The theoretical written exam on first attempt, and the practical test on my second attempt (I was way too nervous the first time, not sure why)

*dives into the backlog again*

Years ago I lived in Sussex near a village called Ripe.

Every Wednesday, in the Village Hall, the "Ripe Ladies' Keep Fit Club" foregathered for a little gentle exercise.



B

*pops up momentarily to get some air*

B4 - I think all driving schools in Sweden have the secondary brake - as well as gas - system...

...once during a driving lesson on a highway my teacher told me to overtake(?) the car in front of us - I didn't want to, since we were already going faster than I had ever driven before. He simply stepped on the gas and told me that if I didn't overtake, I'd be driving right *into* the other car - so I did it! It was a pretty good teacher, who would not accept his pupils to be *too* careful, never experiencing any stressful situations - oh yes, there was the time when we drove into a very narrow and curving dirt road, and he told me that I mustn't go slower than 70 km/hour (43.5 miles/h) - I didn't like it at all at the time, but I learnt a lot about curves and gravel and things... Managed to stay on the road though...

Congratulations Phil!

Good luck ben!(well, it does sort of look like a four-leaf clover, doesn't it?)

I'm sitting here primly being tidy again .

Lil, I don't make much of a mess in the house when I'm painting. I tend to go outside to paint.

They lied! That curcuit class wasn't gentle at all . But I did it and may well make it a regular thing.

*adds Bluebird to the list*

Thanks T, I am getting more and more impatient and want the car 'now'!

Hi Lil, just popped in to say hello. I think this is what you mean by a quick greeting rather than starting a new thread or a 'bookmark'? anyway, ive got to walk my dog so see you later,
sil xxx