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

forgot to say: have fun

Oh. We call it ESL. Have done more years of that than I care to admit to....

I used to do that in Germany and Greece. Great way to travel and get paid (a little) for it. (Just research the country thoroughly first. Two places I never went - and was glad afterwards - were Nigeria and Lebanon.)

And thanks, it was great. We drove until we ran out of road. No lie. We were in a cabin down (and up, and down again) on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Not really expensive...the town is very small, all the tourist catering-to is done by local folk, not flashy.

We were cut off from civilisation (viz, no internet, cell phones don't work out of town), but it was great.

It would be lovely to travel but I'm not prepared to travel alone.

Ah that sounds lovely...mind you I'd miss entry making after a while.

Finding a travelling companion is definitely the way to go.

That way, you always have somebody to whom you can say, 'Remember the time when we...?'

The folks who rented us the cabin are waking up to the need for internet. Said they were working on finding out how to set up the cabins for web access.

I agree it would be nice to have a travelling partner but as things stand that's not really possible. I wonder whether I should join a tall boat and act as a crew member and see some of the world that I've not seen. Perhaps I should do an NCTJ or NUJ as I'm passionate about writing and would love to be paid for it. Unfortunately, that would mean doing the course and renting accommodation at the same time. Then if I were to be successful jumping at the first journalist jo that came along, while still renting accomodation.

It's a shame that the cabins are going to be converted its nice to get away from cyberspace now and again.

I suppose one could just ignore the internet connection.

NCTJ? NUJ? Tell me about this, please.

Tall ships sound fascinating. I saw one of the Jamestown ships in Philadelphia, and there's one in Delaware...do you like to sail? I think I would be too clumsy to make a good crew member.

Please elaborate on your first comment.

I can't work out whether the usage of smiley is a reference to your first comment and thus you already know. confused.

Personally, I like speed boats. My bf has lived on a tall ship once but got sea sick. Think I may do the same.

Sorry to be confusing.

I meant:

1. If the internet connection in mountain cabins is distracting, you could just pretend it wasn't there, and enjoy nature.

2. I didn't know what those letters stood for, and wanted to know more about these journalism programs you were talking about. They sounded interesting. That's what some of us use for - to ask for more information, and indicate interest. (Maybe the smiley should be ?)

3. I think I'd worry about seasickness, too. I was seasick only once, but it wasn't fun. Everybody was seasick on that Greek ferry that day, except for my gf's dad, who was an ex-Navy man. Seventy years old, enjoying the beauty of it all, while the rest of us were trying not to lose our lunches...

That's

1. It's great to be able to unwind and get back to being just one with nature. When I take the out for a walk across the fields it gives me chance to reflect and think how lucky I am to be able to experience the countryside with its hills, green grass and animals.

2. Ah to me makes me think that you're rolling them as if you know the answer really. I guess the lack of smileys must let one down see the internet does let one down unlike nature. Anyway NCTJ is National Certificate of Training in Journalism and the NUJ is similar except I think its a membership body rather than a qualification.

3. I can picture it now him standing in the middle of the boat while you all wanted to jump off.

I remember being on a hovercraft when I was young and not feeling well at all. Coming back from Ireland the waters were a bit choppy but I stayed calm with sudoko book in hand, while my bf wandered about too much and was so much for him having a sail boat hey.

Amen to being one with nature. Although my dog wasn't too sure about it all - he's a city dog.

Aha. There's a smiley, too, you know. When I don't find a smiley I just write ...

And . That was about it, although the old gentleman was sitting, drink in hand. We got to Samos, anyway.

And for you. You might like that tall ship after all.

The journalism program sounds cool. We need a licensing programme in the U.S. Obviously. To keep people like Rush Limbaugh out.

My sole training in journalism came at university. I wrote for the university paper. The rest were journalism students. I was acceptable, apparently, because I unconsciously wrote in an 'inverted pyramid', whatever that was.

This was in the Dark Ages, oh child of the new millennium, when we typed on MANUAL typewriters, put -80- at the bottom of the article (or was it -30-, I forget?), and the editor, to be cool, affected an eyeshade and cigar.

Then I started a small journal, for which we did layout with glue and an exacto knife.

The computer at that time - you will scarcely believe this - took up an entire city block.

Oh, the days of yore...

good job my isn't in the city she's frightened of thunder and lightening so goodness knows what a noisy city would be like to her bless.

oops forgot that. Good idea.

I've never heard of Samos sounds a bit like it comes out of the children's book Five Children and It. Samead wasn't it?

Hmm thats debatable. Remember the hovercraft.

Ah so that's where you hail from I don't know who Rush Limbaugh is I like the sound of doing one but they aren't close to my home. Do you think I'd make it as a journalist?

I've never heard of an 'inverted pyramid', but wrote for my University paper and graduated with a degree in Media and English. I've also written a few things locally and possess a nice shiny badge on my ps reflective of the number of entries I've clocked up so far ...

Your days of yore sound odd but interesting

The thunderstorms on the mountain were fun. But Ariel hates them, too.

Samead - I think that's right. That was a great book...Samos is an Aegean island, home of Pythagoras. Lovely place.

Hovercraft go too fast - a sailing ship might be better. I've heard hovercraft are bumpy.

Do not be sorry you've never heard of Rush Limbaugh. Be glad. Be very, very glad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHPm_TEQ0PA

He makes an obscene amount of money, this man.

I think the three main qualifications for being a good journalist are:

1. Curiosity about others, and the energy to go and satisfy that curiosity.

2. A commitment to exactness, both in getting the facts and in expressing oneself clearly.

3. The ability to listen.

Media and English sound like good backgrounds. If you're interested in honing a few writing skills, why not send us some essays or short fiction over at the AWW? There are some cool folks over there who are great prose critics. We have fun steering each other through the rewrite process.

Odd but interesting - sounds like the reviews I got from my students back when I was teaching college.

That's an interesting name does the turn into a mermaid when you aren't looking

I think I preferred watching the movie to reading the book. I guess some books were meant to be played out and others read better from the page using your imagination to conjure up pictures.

I going water skiing and riding in a speed boat. A tall boat would not get the adrenaline buzzing.

for the link...not sure whether to watch it or not

1. I finding out about events which are on, people and places.
2. You could rate that one
3. I think I've got that one.

What does the AWW stand for?

wasn't sure what to say.

Ariel=Lion of God. Actually a man's name in Israel. We named him that because he's a Shih Tzu. This is Chinese for 'lion'. Very funny, because he weighs 16 pounds and is not at all fierce. We get a lot of mermaid remarks.

Tried to watch that movie, but the DVD was broken, never got another. I liked the book, though.

Ah, speed boats for speed. I get it. I think sailing ships get the adrenaline going - especially during storms...

Sounds like you've got the makings for starting out on journalism, then. The rest is practice and experience...

AWW=Alternative Writing Workshop. Not Guide Entries. Fiction, poetry, essays, opinion, whatever...but the people over there are passionate about good writing.

Some of us are UnderGuide Miners. We help get stories onto the front page and into the UnderGuide.

Here's a story I just wrote about my Ariel: A35862168.

I'm now thinking of those Tibetan Lions ...not 100% sure why

oh dear... I like the actor who played the voice over for the samead and was the children's father I've heard him in other children's things and he's so amusing playing a sunburnt koala

Although my bf was on the tall ship he was invited back to prepare the food. He didn't return.

for the vote of confidence

I wonder whether I would get confused.

I like the story.

Those Tibetan lions are fun.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll try to get that film again. I was trying to watch it for Kenneth Branagh. I'm a big fan of his work.

The AWW can be confusing, but also helpful. Glad you liked the story.

It's a great shame what is happening in the world today

Just did a search and it's Eddie Izzard that did the voice over I think he is wonderful and if you heard his stand up you'd probably not contemplate putting hi in any children's show.

I will have to have a look sometime. I'm currently really tired although I shouldn't be and I'm starting to get the panic attacks back I think.

Yes, it is a shame.

Eddie Izzard - I've seen him somewhere, I think. Will look him up, thanks.

And I hope you feel better soon.

I think its because I'm struggling to find a job thats right for me that I'm having these issues

That can do it. Don't let things stress you out.

Think about it for awhile, then lay it aside, and do something relaxing.

No-mind is good, sometimes. (Telling myself that at the same time - I'm back at work, and it's massive crunch time.)