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

So sorry, but the atelier doesn't offer awards for typos. And if we did, they would have to be cheap, plastic and tacky because we would need to buy so many of them in advance.

Good to hear you've got that surgery date booked, Ag. By the way, sounds like your colleague might have Aspergers.

I don't know where I fit in the work sense of humour thing. On the one hand I've had people upset me who thought they were being funny and I've failed to realise a comment was sarcastic, but I've also had people not realise I was joking. Got to be careful in retail because upsetting the customers is a big no-no.

Humor is definitely subjective. I imagine everyone has unintentionally offended someone.

Ag, I'm glad you have a surgery date at last. I'm sure you'll feel much better after you've recovered. And about time!

I'm glad there is no typo award. I'd have a drawer full of cheap tacky trophies.

Yes, glad you have a date for surgery, Ag. Hope all goes well.

Sorry, having now read all the posts posted since last night I've forgotten who asked what, so I'll just give a general answer about the exciting monitor! Thanks for being interested.

The monitor is one of a few tests I've been having/am going to have to see how my replacement pulmonary (?) valve is performing. It's a pig valve that was put in when I was three and I'm now 29, so it's been in there a while, and I and doctors think it's getting a bit tired and may need to be mended.

I handed the monitor back in today. It wasn't too much bother, just three electrodes stuck in strategic places on my chest, attached to a small recording box thingy. Yes, Spacecadette, the stuff they stick it with is quite yucky and leaves nasty sticky grey stuff on you, for some reason! (But not as yuk as the !) ECGs are quite interesting to look at - I always try and interpret mine, but have no clue what I'm looking at, really!

Am feeling like a skiver because I've taken two afternoons off sick to be attached/unattached from the monitor, and am not actually ill. I might swap them for leave when I get back...

Hmm, sense of humour at work. According to at least one of my colleagues I don't have a sense of humour! This is probably my fault for saying (to her) that I don't have a sense of humour. I think I do, really, (I hope!) I just don't find get a lot of the things that other people find funny.

Someone earlier mentioned the film of Northern Lights not having any reference to God, angels, etc...is this true, or am I just confused?!

>>So sorry, but the atelier doesn't offer awards for typos.

Couldn't we have an award for the most typos? Actually, scratch that idea, I wouldn't want to be the one to have to count all of them.

Ag, from your description, it is quite possible that your cow-orker has Asperger's. Asperger's is on the autism spectrum, albeit high functioning, and is marked by an inability to "read" both verbal and non-verbal cues like body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. Sarcasm goes *right* over their heads. People with Asperger's also tend to be quite rigid in their thinking, and highly intelligent. They also like to lecture people on pet topics.

One of my good friends has a daughter with Asperger's, and now that she knows me, she can "read" me somewhat, but I still have to be careful with my sarcastic remarks, because she doesn't know what to make of them. We've reached a point where if I say something that confuses her, she asks me to explain, or I will say "oh, that was sarcasm. Don't take it literally."

Not that he's any less of a pain the tuckus...

I am trying to decide if I want to go in to work today to work on my project sans distractions. There won't be anyone there to distract me with questions. But it is a holiday. What to do?


So far I seem to be pretty lucky. The people I share my office with are both pretty cool even if they do play golf. I am looking forward to the dynamic that will develop.

My hair is kept cut quite close because I can't stand to do much more than put some form of protein based fixative in it. I go with the short spiky look. Many people don't even know what my hair looks like at any rate due to my habit of wearing a hat constantly.

Montanas description sound like job skills for a (insert here0 MP/Representative senator.. ..traffic warden...Li****...Teenager

Third attempt at posting! Wretched machine. Or maybe it's me. All I wanted to do was apologise for my typos in my above post. Hopefully you all knew what I was trying to say...

My hair is longish, but not as long as it was. I think it will be chopped again soon.

Right, will press the button again and hope for the best...

Would have liked to have my hair a bit shorter before next week - the camp will be pretty much the Dogma versions of scouting so I guess I won't see a hot shower through most of it. And short hair helps. But alas, no time to get to the hair-shortener. And a DIY 3 mm machine thing is rather too short for my liking...

Will wear a hat, though

Ag, that cauldron thing was priceless . with the date & to go.

Oh, and over that Bowman Lake thing. It's made Danish newspapers' travel sections a few times and I've noted it as a "dear me, I'd like to go there" kind of place!

My hair - well - some of you have seen the photos or me in person. Long, brown, very untidy, and decidely not straight. At the moment, a bunch of fresh baby-hair is growing in, so I look like a dandelion clock at half-past-four.

I suppose Humourless Colleague may well have Aspergers. It'd explain a lot. Not that it stops him being incredibly irritating. My sister has Aspergers and a very good sense of humour. Only, not a very good sense of other people's humour. And when we're joking and she doesn't get it, the poor girl GETS SO MAD. But she doesn't sniff or burble. Sniffing and burbling is not compulsary.

I'd completely forgotten that, Ag. My apologies. Could be he has a touch of OCD on top of it? I work with an Aspergers gal, and she's just about as irritating as can be, because unlike my friend's daughter, and your sister, she is all about her disorder. Do something she doesn't like? "I have Aspergers". Same if you say something she doesn't get, etc.

Okay, so I have issues with the victim mentality, can you tell? We all have things in our lives that make us victims of one sort or another, but d@mned if I'm going to be pasted with a label of this or that. The people who wallow in their victimhood, or who wave it in people's faces like its a panacea for their behavior, really, really bother me.

Could be, Ag, that nobody has ever told this guy quite how annoying he is. Have you thought about just looking right at him and telling him that he's annoying, and how? Maybe right before your surgery "vacation"?

Evening chaps and chapesses

Happy 4 july to all the USAians!

Heart -warming news from Gaza .Alan Johnston said he's not returning.A reporter with common sense.

Ag:- Must amit I thought your colleage had Aspergers too.My daughter has some Autistic tendencies and doesn't *get* a lot of humour,certainly never sarcasm.She also mumbles to herself and has some very irritating habits.Mention to him that ,on occasion,when he is "sniffing,mumbling"etc,that you will clear your throat to get his attention and hold up your index finger(to your lips maybe) as a quiet,non-verbal signal for him to stop doing the annoying noises.Tell him that if he continues,he will force you to shout "shut up" at him loudly instead.Ask him which he would prefer.

for the surgery.Maybe your workmates will lift and carry their share of journals whilst you're post-op,and get used to the idea.

It's stopped raining!!

with the surgery, Ag.

It's stopped raining here, I've just brought my washing in, soaking wet, natch and put it back in the washer. Harumph! Blue skies now! How dare it

Aaah... *enjoying Ag's posting no. 97 humongously as the very master piece of eloquence and whining combined into a blissful whole*

Go Ag, go!

Sol, I don't see how "trainee" is an insulting way of describing someone who is training- I can't really see your boss's logic there. The people I'm in charge of at work are training, and that's what I call them, and no-one's complained yet. Mind you, I'm not in this week, they might be saying to the person standing in for me "for god's sake, don't call us trainees like that clumsy, condescending berk we normally have in charge of us"

Berk? What a nice word.

We just had a - planned, mind you - last-ditch-before-the-summer-camp-planning meeting. It went well - we do believe there will be a summer camp, come Saturday

We've set the bar rather high this year - "throwing" our scouts into things they haven't quite tried before. Like embarking on a week without knowing more than "We're refugees of some sort. We don't know what we're fleeing, where to or why." The invitation says: "Saturday at 10am at the Scout house. Back next Sat at 14 same place "

Oh, and it adds, "it will be wilder rather than milder!"

We've had a parents meeting in thge spring where we explained the plans and got their OK, and once the scouts have left on Sat - five patrols on five different directions! - we'll give them the info on where we are when, and approximately why.

It'll be fun. Hard, but fun