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

Fuzzy blue trousers that make me look like the cookie monster? In July in Missouri? Oy.

Wilma, I have been blogging. For my physical health I had to make a choice between my blog and conversing on hootoo. Honestly, I was planted for hours in front of my computer and I was getting repetitive use injuries from typing. I left a link to my blog over on my personal space.

Now, you read this answer, and you will see how I chose blogging. I have a hard time making the cogent answer, I like to write long tales. also I had a hard time keeping track of all the different threads of talk that were going on. So I went over to Wordpress and have told long stories, posted pictures of my gardens, etc. ad nauseum.



Now I have my internet addiction somewhat under control, I thought I'd return and see how it goes.

Marv, you very well might like this book very much. It is pretty long. Which makes me wonder how in the world it was condensed into a twelve hour audio book, Hypatia? I can't believe the whole book is on that tape.

This all makes me want to read it again.

Can not say that i have read any christian litrature and never will . I do try to read at least one classic a year , ie Hardy , Dickens , etc ,I have not picked this years book yet and the year is over half over . A trip to the library soon I think .


best fishes ........tod

Marv, my issue with Rand is that for a woman who benefited greatly from social welfare programs in her early life, she's rather spitting in the eye of those who helped her.

Well, that and she writes for people who really, truly need the sledgehammer approach.

Poking around on the Internets earlier I found a little gossipy blurb to the effect that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will possibly produce and star an upcoming movie version of Atlas Shrugged and will be playing John Galt and Dagny Taggart (the leads, natch).

Huh.

My husband was a libertarian, and adored Ayn Rand. I can take her or leave her. The secret to reading her books? When you encounter the inevitable soapbox (and, believe me, there will be No Doubt), skip ahead 8 pages. The story will conveniently continue there.

My husband was an architect, and first read "The Fountainhead" not long after he decided to become one. The film of it was a classic, with Gregory Peck and Patricia O'Neal; I enjoyed it a lot. Atlas Shrugged (the book), not as much, but it has a *few* good ideas.

HMH, there's a picture of the Itchy Blue Pants out on the web somewhere, I'll see if I can find it...trust me, you'll never be late again!

Morning All ,

Thanks for the literary critque. I knew I could rely on the Salon to guide me, away from the 1168 page, small typeface monster that is lurking on my desk. A tad heavy methinks for holiday reading. A spot of Julie Myerson and Will Self should suffice.

Just got home from the latest Harry Potter movie. The IMAX is totally worth it, as the last 10 minutes or so are in 3D. Very cool.

Was the storyline any good MR?

I've never read any modern Christian literature, although I have read CS Lewis, and som evangelical guides to relationships, which can be amusing. Given I have other books to read, particularly ones relating to history, I'll steer clear of them. At the moment I'm part way through Chronicles of a Curate and a biog of John Lilburne (Puritain radical, and thorn in the side of successive governments.)

[]

I've never heard of Aydn Rand or christian litterature for that matter. Neither will be my first, second or third choice for reading, I think.

In another discussion here on h2g2 I've discovered that there is a huge cultural difference between USians and Danes at least - maybe USians and Europeans as such. Our definitions and understanding of political terms differ and thus we are talking beside each other. Pity that.

I see a society, a collective, like a family. Some need more support at certain times or maybe all the time - for instance when they are babies, goes to school, are ill, old, handicapped, drives in a car (infrastructure) - and they give other things than money and muscle power to the 'family' - and as the younger/ill/handicapped get older, educated, well, better at coping etc. they keep the 'family' going while 'the once strong ones' can enjoy the rest of the life at half pace.

What we must consider is that we are not in any society born free and equal. We do not have an equal point of departure in terms of for instance the family's economical status, parental stimulation and love, health and possibillities for education. My neighbours kids at the same age as mine, have different points of departure than mine. Each of our actions or non-actions limit other people's 'freedom' whether they are close by or on another continent.

Each of us in the Western world limit the freedom and enhance the inequality of the 15 year old Somalian boy in a fugitive camp whose parents are dead from AIDS and who has sole responsibillity for the survival of four siblings. We do it by our lifestyle and political systems, our exploitation then and now, our protective laws etc. His freedom and equality, his possibillities, his point of departure is nothing like Marv's or mine. He will probably never have enough to eat let alone have time and opportunity to learn to read even though he'll take upon him huger responsibillities than Marv and me put together and work harder all his life.

What is objectivism? As a journalist I know that even the 'purest' intended communication of facts is never objective, it is always interpreted by or filtered through the communicator who sees the facts with his or her limited bagage of life experience.

Freeborn John himself. A true radical just for asking to be spoken to in english (in court when presented with a set of charges). There was a great live show of a musical version of his life that I saw a couple of years back at Beautiful days festival in Devon. It included a minor skirmish from some civil war re-enactors. All jolly good fun

Right then, time to go and listen to some political and protest songs I think.

/* Collapses in a heap on the floor, with Zeppo and Gummo pouncing on top of him, and sends a small number of the many pictures he took flying across the salon (these from the town where my great-grandparents came from). */

http://picasaweb.google.com/jdelaphant/CampobassoFerrazzano

[GDZ]

Great pics! (loved the one of lunch!).

Yes! Smashing pics. I could eat that sandwich right now. It looks like the direct ancestor of the hoagie.

The doorknockers are cool, too.

I am sure the West does contribute to Africa's problems, and the 15 year old son of Aids victims problems, however Africa also contributes with its corruption, refusal of some leaders to allow the use of condoms to fight Aids, the never ending circle of African wars, the gangs who cut the hands off children, and even the misguided Africans who think having sex with a virgin will cure their Aids. Mugabe clearly is causing more harm to Zimbabwe and its people than any western country.

Great photos. You even managed to find a kitty. The old Italian towns are so picturesque. I could almost smell the bread baking.

Strangely, I know many systems and individuals have been and are responsible for whichever circumstances you, me, a Somalian boy and an Afghan peasant have. I was just giving an example of how we do interfere with each others lives for good or bad whatever we do, how we (in my opinion) are dependant on and responsible for each other and how we do not have the same possibillities from birth. To me it is logical, human, to compensate for the inequality to give all individuals a chance to survive in a way *they* think is good quality of life for them. Like we compensate in families: The baby gets food although she is not working. The teenager has more food than the grandmother. The ill is not shifted out in the cold for his uselessness. The breadwinner does not have the total power. The ones with the greatest strenght doesn't leave it to an 8 or 80 old to lift heavy stuff etc.

I think in most families we live by 'to each according to their need, from each according to their ability'. I would like to apply that to societies. In my experience, by far the most people want to contribute (to be useful and needed) than seeing themselves as a burden to the rest.

As you may know I have been writing about social issues for 30 years and I have witnessed how a change of outlook and how reasonable compensation for an inequal start can alter individuals positions and actions from victims to winners - to the benefit of the family and society.

Yesterday I was called by a firm which wanted to make financial arrangements to reduce my taxes. 'No thank you", I replied. "I want to pay more". I don't need more money. Granted, I cannot take a month off and go visit Hyp, just like that. But I could cut down on cigarettes, coffee, butter, books, car driving, music and other luxeries, and in a year I could save the money.

i went and saw harry potter last night in a non-imax theater - the image was fuzzy and as i was stuck against a wall i sat through the whole film with my eyes watering up from having to watch people step in and out of focus.

that being said, it didn't really take away from the film. overall, i was incredibly disappointed in this film. i liked the feeling of it when the movie started, and then it all went downhill. i was also perturbed by emma thompson's bait and tease - they give us a little and have us expecting more and never deliver.

too much cut out, too much focus on the teaching bits. blah blah blah.

I think both Tartaronne and Strangely have good points. Africa's problems were created by our colonialization, our continuing support of dictators, and our lust for the continent's natural resources (like oil in Nigeria or diamonds in Sierra Leone), but at some point Africans need to take responsibility for allowing these horrible conditions to persist or worse, degrade into genocide.

Great photos, d'E? I love the one of the cat in the courtyard. Who is the lovely lady in green and the two children?