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

Sol? Anyone heard from Sol?

Ah. This is bad. But sporky and Lil, I think at this point, Shrub's gonna have a hard time making this look good.

That does sound hopeful, Amy. You deserve some good luck. If anyone has paid their dues, it is you.

The news continues to be bad. Wish I could reach all of our UK salonistas to give them a hug.

On the home front, I learned that it wasn't just my AC that took a hit. The furnace is fried as well. And I thought I had a $500 deductible, but it turns out it is $1000. The good news is that I'll have a completely new central heating and air conditioning system. Unless I have another lightning hit, it should last me for a long time.

Mr T is safe and well - and celebrating his birthday. He's been told to wo*k at home tomorrow since the Underground system is totally disrupted.

*also worrying about Sol

for all those horrifically injured or killed

Amy - that does sound rather optimistic. Hope you get a good contract sorted out.

Hyp - AC AND furnace taken out in one fell swoop . Still, as you say, brand new replacements which should do you for years to come.

GDZ - I'm impressed by those high marks.

I'm having a few moments at work just now. Some of the most awful mouths I've seen in a long time. It's very sad.

Can't think of anything to say, except that I pray everyone's okay.

I've been allocated a room, not far from my old lab in the corridor where the robot Amy the Ant took her first baby steps and, conveniently (if you'll pardon the pun) opposite the lady ant's loo.

Sounds good, Amy. Mind you, that far into the EC Stoner Building was pretty much Terra Incognita to us mathematicians, so I can't really comment.

Sorry for keeping you in suspense, guys. Me and mine are fine. Was a bit preocupied today with crisis management - thankfully of the administration side of things regarding what to do if no students showed up for afternoon lessons and what we'll do tommorrow if all the trainees can't make it in tomorrow than anything more serious.

I am a jinx. I have no sooner to move into a city than somebody tries to blow it up.

Good to hear from you, Sol I'm having a mix of two emotions about this - just watched the 9pm news telling a lot about it to the same 5 minutes of video coverage repeated N times. I'm sad and deeply so - but also angry. Maybe even mostly angry.

I am glad that everyone is ok, I didn't hear anything until I was in class this morning. I'm quite over this.

On the lighter side, congrats on the Olympics.

It's so very strange, yesterday I watched the whole of the 10 O'clock news bulletin (which I never normally do) to see all the wonderful London 2012 Olympics reaction, and fleetingly wished I was there to share it.

And then today.



Lil, do we do group hugs here in the Salon?

Mol

I'm believing all our Salonistas in London and surrounding area are all accounted for and doing well enough, under the circumstances. My sincerest hope is that none of our regulars have been directly scathed by this senseless violence. My second fervent hope is that the world at large has just about had enough of this insanity.

[/short rant]
We must be close to 'mad as h*ll, and we're not gonna take it anymore', it would serve us well to buckle down and ferret out all these trouble-makers. I see no great loss in holding these individuals to task--harsh task, at that--and possibly even culling them out of the gene pool could be a good thing. If only the authorities could get more serious about hunting them down, positively identifying them, and then dealing with them appropriately.
[/end short rant]

Has anyone done a thorough head count of Salonistas? I see we've been attempting such a thing by the previous posts. Let me back-track to see for myself. Back in a mo...

B4thedaytakesevengloomier

Seriously, I don't think ferreting out troublemakers is as easy as that. How do you know someone's going to plant a bomb?

Just been watching Undercover Teacher on Channel 4. I wonder if Amy would recognise any of those disruptive pupils. Should be easy - they've all got grey blurs instead of heads.

Whilst I realise that support from the management is important to combating disruptive behaviour, Alex's (the eponymous teacher) recent Classroom Management course seems to have taught her to say, "Stop that, boys. Boys, boys, boys. put down that fire extinguisher. Please put down that fire extinguisher," before turning away and trying to get two other kids to stop throttling each other in a similar manner.

*apppears out of seemingly nothing, rather abruptly*

Sorry, I had intended to go through all the backlog before posting here, but what with the recent events I wanted to see some familiar faces around...

*pulls out a rather crumpled backlog exemption pass received but never used*

Not having checked any backlog yet, this might have been mentioned already:

There's an 'official' entry where people can post about the attack ( A4387836) and - in specific - there's a thread named 'Roll call - could all you london shaped researchers please post here' found here:
<./>F2192011?thread=679203?thread=1</.>

Since I didn't say it before, group and individual s for all those as needs 'em...

B4wegetallchokedup

I think you're wrong, MR. Sporky and Lil are on the right track. The currant occupant of the White House will be using this tragic event for his own political purposes.

But how? How can he twist yet another...oh sh!t. Okay, this sucks.

Amy, congrats on your good news.

Sol, ya had me worried there, girlie. Glad you and B are both okay.

group

I was wondering how long it would take you to realize that the Pres could spin this his way MR.

[MTG]

*Z wanders in slightly the worse for wear*.

I was lucky as I was already at work when It started, and by the time I left Birmingham was Open again. I listened to one news bulliten but then got on with my work. I was really glad of the distraction. I try to avoid watching disasters on TV. I watch the news enough to know that it's happened but I don't sit in front of the TV for hours, not when I can't do anything. I don't see the point.

I'm glad you're all ok. I have to admit I didn't worry too much, given that London is a city of about seven million, the chances of any of the London Salonista's being involved was fairly silm.

My first thought was 'great, now G8 aren't going to give in to Make Povetry History because they'll just hide behind another war on terrorism.

For s sake, lets not have another war on terrorism.

If they were sucide bombers I don't see how we can fight against them. It doesn't take much resources to strap a bomb to yourself and blow up a bus. All it takes is depseration and hate. You can find the knowledge and the materials easily enough on the internet.

The war again terrorism only breeds desperation and hate. Every father killed in Iraq leaves a son who could go on to be a terrorist.

What would be weird, if I was the sort of flaky person that believed things are linked, is that 9/11 also happened shortly after I had surgery.

All we can do is get on with our lives, be vigilant and not f***King relatiate.



Z

Whilst this is a tradgedy for the famlies concerned and abserloutly terrifing for people who can't get hold of loved ones, do remember the same number of people were killed on Britians Roads last week. That's also a tradedy for the same amount of famlies, but they won't be getting the public sympathy. (OK I read somewhere the BMJ I think, but I can't remember where that ten people are killed on the roads each day).


Oh gosh I hope this post isn't tactless.

*worries*