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

Is that Charles Hoy Fort, as in The Fortean Times? It must be! I love this, I get to see pictures of the people I half know about. That's a good quote, I like that. I must learn more about Charles Fort. I used to subscribe to the Fortean Times, but I don't go for it now. Did it get a bit far fetched or have I become a sceptic? Perhaps sceptism isn't the point. Also if I am a sceptic I want to be original about it. 'Accept anything, then explain it your way.' Hmm. Interesting.

I remember reading that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle became involved with spiritualism, after several losses in his life in a short space of time, like a lot of loss, his son, his brother, and a few other family members. I guess to him it was like a faith, a way of explaining things. I respect that, I wouldn't ever let my tiny doubts get in the way of another's faith.

That was a very deep and thoughtful posting wasn't it?

It was.

I think you'll like this story, because yes, Doyle was very involved in psychic research, and although he believed in fairies, he was otherwise a pretty sharp cookie.

May I suggest you google for 'The Edge of the Unknown'? Gutenberg Australia has a free copy. He's pretty perceptive on the subject of Houdini.

Fort's my main man. His point - and mine - is simply that, if you're being inquisitive, you shouldn't be prejudiced in favour of one answer over another. Otherwise, you'll just twist the facts.

Fort said sometimes he thought somebody out there was playing with us.

Yes! I love that! OK, I'll check The Edge of the Unknown. Thanks friend! I've always thought about this kind of thing.

So Charles Fort, interesting.

It came to me today, exactly what you say, why burden my journey with labels like sceptic, or believer, I have no idea what's out there, and The Mystery I have always found to be somewhat poetic. For me, it's good to try to leave my beliefs and concepts in the left luggage office at the station and get on the train with a light heart and a nice takeaway coffee in a cardboard cup. . That's good, I like that. . Train? What train? .

Having been around a couple of major family dying situations in the last two years, I do remember that I spent most of the time staring at the hospital curtains, rather than thinking about is there any kind of afterlife, or not.

The Vast Mystery in the creases of the hospital curtains. Ah yes! I just remembered how to word that ....

Interesting, about Arthur Conan Doyle seeing faeries, I didn't know that, sort of like the Victorian version of seeing aliens, maybe. . I don't know. I never saw an alien, or a faerie. I know people who have though. Hmm

Yeah. Jimmy Carter saw a UFO once.

Really? How interesting.

I know a lady, a very rational, level headed lady, who saw Pan. He was a tiny figure, about a foot high, sitting there right beside a dusty pathway in Greece, playing the pipes and all. Serious.

That wouldn't surprise me. You see strange things in Greece.