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

Changes made. Anything else you notice - or if I didn't make the changes right - just let me know.

Many hands make light work.

So the Marines and the Navy are two different groups, then?

bugle class --> bugle calls

Yes, the US Marine Corps is a separate branch of the service.

Here's a timeline:

http://www.marines.com/history-heritage/timeline

Thanks, will fix typo.

During the handover of Hong Kong by the British, Prince Charles, dressed as a captain of the Royal Navy is surrounded by dignitaries holding umbrellas but he remained rained upon. I thought it interesting when watching it at the time that it might be possible to be too senior to notice the weather and now have more insight into the reasons. Chris Patten (the governor of the colony) also got wet but he was wearing a suit.

Aha! Thanks for the titbit. They're still on their dignity, it seems - and getting wet.

Either that or The Divine Right of Kings is a matter of mutual obligation and, more pertinently, one of scheduling. God doesn't place rain where the prince sits. At least for now, because the prince will be reigning later.

The Queen of the UK regulsrly carries an umbrella.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2112488/Queen-Elizabeth-The-secret-Queens-bespoke-umbrellas.html

Nice entry, Dmitri.

If I'd written it, I'd have included this modern example:

England football (soccer) manager Steve McClaren famously endured taunting for his use of an umbrella. His team were eliminated from the European Championship football tournament on a rainy day at Wembley in 2008.

McClaren's use of an oversized golf umbrella while his hapless team lost 3-2 to Croatia earned him much press ridicule (they labelled him 'the wally with the brolly'). He lost his job too.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2236344/Steve-McClaren-Wally-Brolly-defeat-Croatia-year-anniversary.html

Page Turner:

Entry: Real Men Don't Carry Umbrellas: From Wellington to Obama - A87841380
Author: Dmitri Gheorgheni - U1590784

<BB<

I love the Queen's umbrellas.

Icy, I saw that controversey about the football. As I said, I'm sticking to the military people - but it looks as if somebody should take up the quesstion of British umbrellas more extensively. There's a lot there.

Absolutely - you stick to what you've written.

It's just that over here in Europe, football is as close as we get to war these days. Did you read about the Serbia-Albania match this week? No umbrellas this time, but it did involve drones and an impressive punch-up:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2793384/the-scale-albania-s-brawl-serbia-impossible-believe.html

Balkan football.

This is great, except that I'd love some pictures of men going into battle carrying umbrellas!

I didn't follow the logic of the piece about Tatham Warner. "the umbrella had a practical purpose beyond keeping Tatham Warner dry. He was prone to forget passwords and, as he said 'only a bloody fool of an Englishman would carry an umbrella into battle'" It sounds as if he carried an umbrella with a handle stuffed with password cribs! Is this what you meant?

I don't think so - apparently, the umbrella just made him more recognisable, and they wouldn't shoot him if he forgot the password.

That's what I understood it to mean - the umbrella proved that he was English.

Of course! The password you'd give to a sentry. This is what comes of living in a time when everyone has so many passwords they have to write them down.

'Advance, friend, and give your username.'

You may not enter! The password must have upper and lowercase letters, digits and at least one punctuation symbol.

Can't remember the password? Don't worry, we'll mail it to you.

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