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

Santra, is that Travels in Hyperreality you're reading? I love that collection of essays.

Santra, that quiz has not been in this convo yet, it seems to pop up every couple of convos or so. With that in mind: last time I was Madd James Kidd, this time I am Dirty Tom Kidd of course I fudged all my answers so I would get a different name.

I am rereading the Harry Potter series myself, will finish Sorceror's Stone today sometime shortly after lunch.

I am thinking I might be getting asthma, it runs in my family and I have noticed in the last couple of weeks that I get short of breathe for no apparent reason, must be seeing the doctor I suppose.

I missed the pirate quiz last time round. this time I got:

"Dirty Roger Kidd

You're the pirate everyone else wants to throw in the ocean -- not to get rid of you, you understand; just to get rid of the smell. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!"

Ormondroyd - please go back and read post 1008 again.
I'm sorry if my rhetorical ramblings weren't entirely clear.

I am trying, but failing to stay awake today.

Our heat index today is supposed to be 107ºF.

*pointing out that she has never brought a quiz to the Salon*

If you'll just excuse me ladies, gentlemen and others



I've been at univesity for hours, and I'm going to need to be here for hours more, is it any wonder I hardly have time for a social life, it's August for gods sake, I mean my brother currently whiling his summer away on girls.

Not to mention the fact that my Stepmothers ill and her GPs advised her to go to A+E and my Dad said he was too busy to take her until tomorrow.

Why can't my parents act like responsible adults.

A+E, isn't that the emergency room? Call an ambulance, for heaven's sake!

Well it's not that simple.. she's been ill for three weeks and isn't getting better but isn't getting any worse. She's only been sent to A and E because it's the quickest way to access that particular specialist that she needs to see.

Ah...quickie health care. Quite a few Americans use the Emergency Room because they don't have health care. It's the fastest way to get to see a doctor.

Sporky has been urging me for *years* now to read Terry Pratchett. I guess these days, when I need cheering up in general, I should get around to it. On my nightstand now is Isabel Allende's "Portrait in Sepia", the punctuation guide "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" (I forgot the author's name) and the latest issue of Smithsonian magazine.

I'm not sure that I would leave brochures about the house about pregnancy and cancer, Teuchter. If your daughters see their doctors regularly they know about the dangers and the results of various studies. I think having a child just to avoid a disease is the wrong reason to bring another person into the world. I understand that you're worried and your posting reflected that, but that's a step I would not encourage.

I will be running over to the library today to pick up the latest Thursday Next novel.

Well yes, the problem is that she's already seen a doctor, if she goes to A + E she will get to see another doctor, I doubt whether she'll get to see a specialist, just a doctor working in A and E.

She's not in any fit state to be able to tell one doctor from another, and isn't the sort of person to demand a specialist anyway.

Eats, Shoots and leaves is a fantastic book, it's by Lynn Truss, I would offer to lend it to you, but I've promised it to three members of my family first .

I'm too tired to be a pirate.

Hello everyone - don't come near me, I think I have germs - how are we all? I have no remarks to make beyond a general offering of friendly thoughts to all who want some. Not that anyone will want anything at all from me just at the moment as I am quite sure I am coming down with some stupid cold or other. Is it normal to get severe stabbing pains in one's glands along with a sore throat? It's like being poked in the neck with an unbuttoned epee.

Last time I was rushed into A+E they got my notes muddled up with another young woman's and thought I was pregnant and it took two tests (and me freaking out completely) to rectify the mistake. So I am not entirely sure A+E is the best place for anyone who has anything specialised wrong. Can you phone the Specialist, Z, and will they be useful? Or am I being a touch 'Granny-suck-eggs' (in which case I am sorry, I shush up now and meander off...).

Well I can see what you mean, though that's easily done as things do get very choatic in emergency admissions.

Just because it's choas doesn't mean that they can't find her a specalist when they've finished sorting out the notes. I've advised her to go at about 8 in the morning because they it should be at it's quietest!

I'm annoyed with her for not going to hospital when her GP advised her to go a week ago, as well as with my Dad for not taking her today, and with her GP, because it seems like an incredably ineffiecent way to access a specalist. I can't phone the specalist she's not married to my Dad, so I'm not related to her, but he GP was able to.

Anyway I'd better get back to work..

, GDZ for making me feel a little better for not having seen the quiz-reduction thingy

"Eats, Shoots and Leaves" is a book I'm language-(insert favourite expletive here) enough to want to read even if it's a) not in my native tongue; b) afaik dealing with American English whereas I like to try and keep to British English. Would you believe it - I have even started passing my major blogging/journal pieces through Word for spelling?

Speaking of blogging, there's a related Eats... piece on blogger.com (http://www.blogger.com/knowledge/2004/08/eats-blogs-leaves.pyra). I checked Jennifer Garner's (the author) blog - I find I like her writing.

And the Umberto Eco book is a collection of essays in Danish translation called "How it ends how it begins. Selected essays 1958-1998"...

Nooo Eats Shoots and Leaves is a book dealing with Uk english as far as I know.

Incedently on my way to Waterloo to catch the Eurostar I noticed this sign 'Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital Trust'

'Eats, shoots and leaves' ISBN 1592400876: printed in the US by Gotham

Then there seems to be a book with the title 'Cutting a Dash: Eats, Shoots & Leaves' by same author, ISBN 0563526157

Could it be that it's written in British English but printed in the US? Or is there a British and an American version?

*has just discovered that eB*y is an excellent place to find software, cheap*

"A panda walks into a restaurant, orders a meal, eats it, pulls out a gun and shoots another patron, and then leaves. Seeing this, the proprietor chases down the panda and aks why he shot the other patron to which the panda pulls out an encyclopedia and points out the description for pandas 'Panda Bear: eats shoots and leaves'"

Bad joke, I know.

Hush!

*hastily covers what would be Ripley's ears if unaus had any - any visible ears, that is - before the little guy gets any crazy ideas*