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

*quivers in fear at the news of the library arson*

*wishes Kat a happy birthday*

Apparently, I'm a teddy bear in management style (although I'm more of a supervisor than a manager), and nearly a fox. Being a fox is apparently not a good thing.

David

Good grief Ti. What next? I suppose we should all go out and beat the bushes for something to be offended about. Reminds me of the Sambos controversy years ago in the US.

Why do people burn books? (Or ban them from libraries?) There is an entire set of categories of banned books. But genberally, underlying it all is fear. Fear of new ideas, old ideas, different ideas. Must not challenge our preconceived notions. Must not give people access to different philosophies and religions. Must not encourage critical thinking. Don't offend God. Don't embarrass the government. Don't spread inconvenient scientific theories. Because if any of these things are true, then I have based my life on false presumptions and those things that anchor my life are gone. Better to destroy the offending information and just pretend that it doesn't exist.

And as if this all wasn't depressing enough, now we have political correctness thrown into the mix. Get rid of materials (and ice cream bars) that might possibly offend someone who refuses to take the time to put the situation into context.

The case in India is tragic. A handful of people trying to impose their will on the rest of society. Making sure that no one reads the "offending" texts and going much farther than probably intended and cutting off their nose to spite their face. It's like killing the last pair of breeding tigers. Throwing a childish, selfish temper tantrum and destroying something that can never be replaced. And mankind is forever diminished as a result.

Happy birthday, Kat.

Glad you're better Amy.

[GDZ]

[Ag]

*Agrees with Lil**

Happy day, Kat. And enjoy

Almost weekend - and hardly any w*rk.

- the garden awaits.

Birthday's: Ben, I didn't start listening to the today programme until I was at least 12. But still interesting. I remember thinking pretty much the same thing about something. My birthday was a bigger deal when I was a child.

I think I'm 36 at heart. I'm far too sensible to be twenty three. It's always good to get nearer your spritual age.



I like birthday's because I'm more grown up, it means I'm nearer where I want to be and further away from being a child.

I love being in control of my life, and there are so many really cool things that you can do as an adult that you can't do as a child. Go travelling, get a job, become a doctor, buy a house, learn to fly, have a girlfriend. Oh and you can decide how you want to live your life, which is by far the best one!

I really am frustrated that at the age of twenty three I still sometimes do things differently because of my parents income. I know it sounds silly but we need £100 to register with the GMC so we can start work, most people are getting it from their parents, but obviously I have to acquire it by some other means hopefully work.

But as soon as I start work as a doctor it won't matter any more that I had parents who weren't working! . I'll finally be able to say good by to being the child in second hand clothes, or new ones if we could buy them with school uniform vouchers and getting free school meals.

And I'll pay tax! Which oddly enough I'm really looking forward to, finally I'll be able to feel that I'm contributing something to society rather than being a scounging member of the underclass*

What's really odd is that I've been offered £6.37 an hour for my summer job as a medical secretary, that seems like untold richs to me. I always find it a bit odd when I get money in exchange for work. Where I come from (starving artists) money is something you get from the government to stop yourself starving too badly and work is something you do because you enjoy it. Maybe I should try and keep the same attitude when I grow up for proper. Go to work because I enjoy it, and people need me, not for the money, and be pleasently surprised each month with how much benifit I'll be getting!


So yes. I love being a grown up. There are other reasons as well, but by and large it's great.

If you don't like your life when you're a child there's s*d all you can do about it, if you're an adult you can change it.

[MTG 28 or 97, you pick it]

Clean cups! clean cups!
F38024?thread=625705

Z! You want to pay tax!?! Why?

I have to pay tax because I have a different job at uni than at home, so I get full whack tax! I am waiting for a rebate, but I'm quite enjoying not paying tax

I like being growed up, but at the same time I love doing stupid things that I never did as a kid, like face-painting and silly games...

Er yes, I am. I have a bit of a guilt complex about the that my parents haven't worked since I was born, and I'm 23. I'm actually really grateful to, well, everyone else, for putting me through university.

If it wasn't for the welfare state I'd have had to leave school at sixteen to get a job to support my family, instead I'm on the verge of becoming a doctor, how can I not be grateful?

I presume there is a reason why your parents haven't worked, so I wouldn't say you have any reason to feel guilty [though feel free if you want ]. Even if you think your parents should be working [not that I'm implying they should, far from it!], there are other ways that they will have contributed to society, so feel free to be grateful for the opportunities you have been given, at the same time there's no reason to be endebted to society, because you will be working for a long time in the future and providing a vital service to society.

Just a little disclaimer, this might be incoherent nonsense, as I've been revising all day, and it's turning my brain to jelly

* coughs

tlg - we're over here now.
F38024?thread=625705

Come and join us

I should have posted it, but I didn't want to drag that particular aspect of the conversation into a new LED.

That's me telt.

No, it's worth pointing out!

Sorry, Z - I'm feeling facetious this afternoon. Bad habit, I know.