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

Yay, Friday! A half day, then catching the train down to Newport and singing in the cathedral over the weekend. Lovely.

Mornin All

Ban Collie weekend, yaay, cloudy and trying to rain, whoever switched Spring off would you be so kind as to switch it back on again, Thank you.

I'm due to be working this weekend and I managed to volenteer to work on my days off (hey I need the money).

But hope you all have a good weekend.

[p]

Yay for Friday. Especially this one, it's the last day of term and then I'm off for two weeks. Yay (again)

Pretty dark and dismal today, although forcast to get to better for the weekend. Maybee I'll be able to tackle my garden then. This sunshine and showers malarky has made my lawns, borders and fruit patches rather 'lush' ie rather over-grown

Friday's are great, finish at 4 and slow train home to wife and kids

I don't know if it's wise to comment on self defence here, especially as my lack of home interweb will stop me following up replies with any alacrity, but I suspect Gandalfstwin exagerates. I tried looking up "self defence" on BBC news, and found references to people pleading it, but couldn't figure out if they'd been successful or not.

On a more cheerful conversation, I think my favourite kitchen appliance is my steamer. I like being able to leave stuff cooking while I read a book, watch telly or play on my Wii.

You can use 'reasonable force', although that's open to interpretation.

If someone comes at me with a knife, it's entirely reasonable to break their wrist or shoulder, as that will prevent them using said knife. If, however, I systematically broke each bone in their body, that isn't reasonable.

If you kill someone whilst defending yourself, you might go up for manslaughter, I think. Depends on the threat the attacker posed.

"Depends on the threat the attacker posed."

More on the threat you *perceived* they posed, I would've thought.

It's 4:30 in the morning and gently, steadily raining. I don't know why I'm awake so early, considering how much I did yesterday, but maybe it was the sound of cats ker-FLAPping in through the cat door in the bathroom that woke me up and kept me up. After about 40 minutes I realized I was lying there listing things to worry about and decided to get up. I've nothing planned for my Friday so I can always just go back to bed after the sun comes up!

blimey Lil where are you? it's nearly lunch time hear

I'm in New Mexico -- Mountain Time.

Why did i leave sorting through the kitchen until the day i am moving? I have just been putting it off by washing the dishes. Now i am away back to see what is salvagable food wise. i can see a Tesco trip happening rather soon

mini

nae luck Mini, keep your chin up

Lil that explains the time difference and apologies for the errant 'hear' rather than 'here'

This is the very best sort of rain, all too rare in the high desert -- a protracted gentle soaking that penetrates deep rather than running off downhill to the river.

An example of how self-defense pleas work in the US is found in Bernhard Goetz, who shot four men on a NY subway when they allegedly tried to mug him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernhard_Goetz
But that's also a controversial case. Many people still feel that Goetz went too far. The "assailants" were unarmed, and he shot all four of them. As Irv said, it probably would have been enough to show them the gun without using it.

>This is the very best sort of rain, all too rare in the high desert -- a protracted gentle soaking that penetrates deep rather than running off downhill to the river

I love that kind of rain, there is always a nice fresh smell off the tress and grass (here in Scotland ast least!) that always makes you feel alive

We've had spectacular weather this week so far and should have again today. So, 3 day weekend...3 days of rain in the forecast. *sighs* I'm never going to get the weeding done. They're already as tal as I am. *slight exaggeration*

GT, losing a lung must have been terribly traumatic. Was it a result of disease or an accident? I sure hope the remaining lung is healthy. But isn't it amazing what doctors and surgeons can do these days in crisis situations?

Summer may not have arrived yet according to the calendar, but it is has begun at the old WCPL. We had our summer reading kickoff yesterday afternoon to a smallish but enthusiastic crowd. We booked this musician and storyteller back in January after checking the school calendar and being assured that yes, school would be out at noon and the kids would therefore be available at 3. So naturally the schools decided to use yesterday afternoon as a make-up snow day. We had a great group of preschoolers and some home-schoolers, but our older kids trickled in when it was nearly finished or gave it a miss altogether. Blast.

Looking at my summer/fall programming schedule wears me out. In June and July we have 20 children's programs (half with a meal served), a photography contest, an ice cream social, and 5 evening multi-generational programs with live music. We're doing American Masters. Cole Porter, Rogers and Hart, George and Ira Gershwin, etc. Probably nothing in August. I have to do the budget for next year in August. September (maybe August) will be our health fair and another art exhibit/contest courtesy of an idea I got at the Eden Project. In October we will be having a special program that some of you might be interested in. A mask workshop. And Mystery Night with an atelier-related twist. More information when the plans are in better shape. Guess who is writing the script again?

Hypatia, your library is truly a community cultural center! That's quite a summer program.

Pedro, out here we get a strong smell of juniper and douglas fir when it rains -- and people with allergies seem to suffer dreadfully!

douglas fir is earthy and refreshing