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

Escaping the Mordor-esque fires Cats, food for you all and water, cameras & laptop, back-up files, bank and credit info, ID, cell phone, car charger for same and important phone numbers.

"how come no-one has been developing replacement craft for the 30-year-old fleet now on the ground??"

I'm certain that there are people in the know who have been saying for years that these planes are not going to last forever, but as always it comes down to cash, Lil. As with so many other services that people want or need, too many people who could well afford it don't want to cough up the tax which would pay for them. I'm not talking about the super rich who can use all kinds of loopholes and offshore tax havens, but ordinary working folks who will vote for any politician who squawks 'No new taxes! No new taxes!'.

I saw a news report a few weeks ago about a proposition in Portland (OR) to raise money because the local schools are crumbling, and people who have no medical insurance have had their state coverage withdrawn because of funding cuts, meaning that they now have to rely on handouts from drug companies - these are people who will die very quickly without drugs.

The proposition was voted down following intervention from a national anti-tax organisation (can't recall their name) who send people around the country to meddle in local politics and rally support against *any* tax increases Local income tax hasn't been increased for more than 70 years

Sickening

how come no-one has been developing replacement craft for the 30-year-old fleet now on the ground??"
To busy with blackbirds replace ment.(havent the air force tried putting it out by dropping those bombs that suck allthe oxygen from the air and burns it quike a couple of them behind ,maybe just to simple.

suppose better than volcano.
MR i would suggest you do what i did for first flight 70 ish a small
tablet of lsd was inmbibed bournmouth to jersy ,small plain took three of the most memorial hours,but i feel that might not be for you
is it recent events you apprehensive or always diliked flying.

As for what to take laptop maybe most info is also on etherenet anyway
so just the cat creditcards reciepts much easier than possesions as insurence can replace. besides got most stuff packed as moveing at moment 6 cases allready to go

[GDZ]

Hazy morning, not much wind. I have basic changes of clothing packed, the laptop, the antique photos in 4 museum flat boxes, most important papers in with the clothes, and some heirlooms at the bottom of a bag into which I will put all my watercolor paints.

I'll also be able to fit into the car my camera kit, two soft cases of data and software CD's, my LaCie 80GB external hard drive, and a utility box filled with painting equipment.

Round the corners I will stuff bottles of water and any dry goods I can toss in -- comestibles, I mean. You shouldn't show up empty-handed at the mergency shelter!

There's a rolled-up sleeping bag, a small pillow and surely I can stick a couple of novels in there somewhere?

I've run it through in my mind and it will take under 5 minutes to pack the car.

It sounds as if you have been very organised, Lil, I just hope it comes to nowt.

I have stolen a march on the accountant and got the End of Year financial stuff off to him before he asks for it .

Egon, I am keeping my fingers crossed for the third date .

I'm a bit with myself as I've signed a new contract for the gym which ties me in for 13 months and H is interested in joining the smarter one at a nearby country hotel. I can only get out of it by dying; suffering a serious enough injury that prevents me joining any other gym, ever again; or moving out of the area.

[MTG]

ltp, I haven't done that drug in over 10 years, and as I would have to fly with my daughter, I somehow just think that might not be a great option. I gained my fear of flying from a period of 3 years during which I flew from Minneapolis to Montana twice a year. During the summer, it was thunderstorms, and winter, snowstorms. I vowed never to fly again the day that the plane I was on turned sideways about 100 feet above the runway. We landed okay, but it was too close for comfort. I'm actually fine once the plane is in the air, but the take-off and landing terrify me.

ltp, that's quite the remedy for the fear of flying!

Busy day at work today, and probably busy for the next few days.

Thinking of you, Lil, and Egon, and MR.

B

Well the other alternative would not have appealed hang glider.
I can suggest anything else but meditation techniques and the fact that meternal insticts should take over,so you can make it a mermoriable day for daughter, thunderstorms snowstorms from the air have a beauty of there own ,not forgeting very few of the aviation accidents happen at take off, most landinds also apart from the crashes, 10 years eh more than 20 years after my last one guy fawkes night 72.

[GDZ]

Speaking of flights, Spaceship 1 is slated for it's first extra-atmosphere flight later this month. It is the furthest along in teh X Prize competition.

Thinking of you Lil, what a dreadful thing to have to plan for

First day of new job went ok, but didn't have much to do as they haven't sorted out my computer and email access yet. I suppose they have only had 3 months to do it...

Off to do some exercise now
k

Humm tax cuts, let me think what my opinions are on that.. well that too me twenty whole seconds. I've just got my polling card for our up coming local and European elections - I've not got around to voting in European elections before - but I will be doing that in this one. If you want to know who for I'll have to pop across to the place on DNA where we can discuss it.

MR - prescription drugs are sometimes used for specfic phobias such a fear of flying, some doctors are more willing to prescribe them than others, as they all have side effects.

for Lil.

I hope they make it up there. Near here there is a group trying to build a vehicle to challenge for the X-prize. The chap leading it has had quite a number of succeses building bigger and bigger rockets, and also quite a few faliures including one a few years ago where he set a large patch of moorland on fire when the rocket did a U turn on take off. In fact MC mentioned that one of her coworkers is helping out with the building team.

Must get round to going to one of the regular open days they have at the factory...

Hope you don't have to evacuate Lil but put the list you told us on the door so you don't have to think in the event of an emergency

Kelli, I'm sure it'll all be set up and working for you tomorrow

Spent the day (and yesterday) wrangling with a server that didn't like being powered down before last weekend and finally got it working after an almost complete rebuild. At least it's working even though it's non critical (just the webserver) one of the fileservers has realy gone belly up

I got my ballot pack for the euro elections in the post yesterday. I'm trying to decipher what's going on with it. Well even if I post it back today there are several days for the royal mail to lose it between the postbox and the returning officer.

Lil, your situation has inspired me to get more organized. And I think I'll buy some of those space saver bags that you vacuum the air out of.

When we lived in Texas we routinely kept a survival kit of sorts in the trunk of the car because of the long distances that F had to travel - most of it through the middle of nowhere. Prescription medications, first-aid kit, water, peanut butter and crackers, cereal bars, hard candy, canned nuts, flares, blankets, beach umbrella for shade, lawn chairs. It was a big trunk.

Latest news: the controlled burn jumped the Capitan Gap and is now on the West Mountain (western part of the Capitans).