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

I've got a lot of cacti although I wouldn't say I'm an expert - mine rarely flower. I had a long chat with a guy on a cactus stall at Chelsea but I'm not much the wiser. They need light/sun but not necessarily hot temperatures. Water sparingly in the summer and not at all from October to March. They seem to prefer water with some calcium content and you can buy special cactus fertiliser.

Thanks Amy!

Fredricks a Cristae catcus, which means he's not the normal shape and more of a swirl, which is really quite cool.

Maybe I should get a book on how to look after cacti? Or perhaps I should get a life.

The Cristae cactus is a new one on me, Z. Can you find a picture of one online?

"Frederick"?

*heads straight for the samovar for tea, then into the user lab to do some client website work*

I know that beavertail cactus can be fried up and be quite tasty. I also have had some prickly pear jam.

I also know that certain cacti can really really hurt when you get stuck with their spines. I've recieved any number of bites from them either at home when I was living with my parents (my mother keeps quite a number of them) or while hiking in the desert. Water them sparingly, over watering will kill them.

Ben dear, haven't I introduced you to Fredrick? Yes, I have, I named him in your car on the way back from the garden centre.

All my plants have names..

Freds a borzicactus aureispinus cristate

Much like the first one in this list:

http://www.cactusshop.co.uk/index.html?lang=en-uk&target=d39.html

[mr]

The hardest thing about cactii is having to leave them alone, but they rot away if you water them too much.

Watched the late night repeat of Dr Who and really not sure about it. It somehow didn't seem as dark as I remembered it. Its a bit like chosing your favourite Bond actor. Jon Pertwee was harder, Tom Baker somewhat zany and Peter Davison somewhat ridiculous.

[GDZ]

Patrick Troughton (?), Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker and Peter Davison were the ones I remember. Tom Baker was by far the most enigmatic.

Right. The minutes are done. I better download the camera now.

Yes, I know you introduced me to Frederick, Z. I am just not at all sure about the name yet....

Eatsmice - this is a great series of Dr Who, but what I have found is that the effect is most definitely cumulative. I missed the episodes which introduced Captain Jack, and I am aware that he seems more two dimensional to me than he does to people who saw them. Christopher Ecclestone has decided not to do another series, anyway.

Ben

B, Captain Jack's just about always like this. Some background was given in Empty Child/Doctor Dances, but hardly a big insight into his character. If you want to mourn the fact you missed those episodes, do it because they were really, really good.

Today I've had a double-whammy of standing at the Globe theatre - The Tempest followed by Winter's Tale. Ow ow ow oh blast and damn my poor KNEES. I had sore legs anyway from all the bending a few days ago. I feel utterly ancient about the joints - a very sorry state of affairs for a thirty-year-old. S did the Tempest with us, and then sensibly went home, leaving self and fellow theatre-addict friend to damage our joints in the further pursuit of culture. I basically got home and fell face first into a bowl of ice-cream. I think my knees are going to set solid in the night and I shall have to be rolled onto the floor and winched to vertical tomorrow morning.

As for all the Shakespeare, well, hey, I'm an addict. We are such stuff as dreams are made off, and our little life is rounded by a sleep, so we may as well stuff in as much good literature as we can lay hands on to make what dreams may come worth having. To appropriate from the Great Man shamelessly.

[lil] still being gainfully employed

The question I am asking myself currently is why did I not do a google search on "dr. demento + streaming" a long time ago. I'm in heaven, first time in 12 years I am hearing a new Dr. Demento show.

I can still hear a new episode of it about once a week....of course, that's only if the playlist looks like something that I'd be interested in.

I mean, this week's topic is about fish....not sure if I want to hear that one.

It's a good one Affy, you need to hear it, especially the song "I got crabs from Darth Vader".

*wanders in admiring all the clean cups*

Hey, did I overhear that correctly? Is there FRESH Dr. Demento???

'ning all! Sorry I'm so late...

SC

Morning everyone!

*passes Ag a cold compress for her poor knees*

B