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

Sometimes it's just nice to chat and be silly with other people who understand you, know how nasty it is trying to share a bedroom with an older/younger sibling, know that sometimes you just HAVE to play your music really loudly even if it does mean that you have to do the washing up for ever and ever after...

So this thread is for everything else...literally. It's a place to chat, to get to know everyone, to grouch about your day, to ask about how to rollerblade, anything and everything that you want to talk about really!

Yes we even want to hear about that nasty argument you just had with your mam where you said how much you hate her and how you wish you'd never been born

I am Judicator Anole, Head Dragoon of the Dragon House (Join the DragonHouse at U1526866), Dragon of Chaos and War, just call me Anole though. And I am what I say I am.


Is there a point in introducing myself to no one?

I suppose I'd better actually introduce myself hadn't I!?

I'm Kat, I'll be your host around here...

I've been on H2G2 for about 4 years now, on a variety of accounts. I'm a volunteer, have launched, and have helped launch, several clubs in my time. Anyway a bit of basic info about me...

Name: Kathryn
Age: 18 (but I'll be hanging around here a while so nobody needs to worry about being the oldest
Location: England

School subjects: English Literature, Maths and Geography.

Old Skool Subjects: (well it's important to know what I can help you with!) English, Maths, Geography, History, Drama, German, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Religion.

Likes: Reading, All kinds of Music, Films (ranging from serious ones to trashy girly ones), Playing The Piano, Writing, Cooking.

Dislikes: Sharks, Dancing, Textiles, Escalators, Chocolate.

I'm the big cheese around here...I've got around, I know a lot of stuff, and if I don't and it turns out I was just bluffing then I can always find you someone who knows what you're talking about. If you're depressed, worried about anything, finding anything difficult, I'm your person. I've got Bipolar Disorder, which means I'm two years behind at school. I'm also gay so can deal with that, but of course I can deal with any old relationship, I've been there...

If anyone wants to talk to someone but doesn't want the entire world to know then feel free to email me at [email protected]

Kat

And yes Anole there is a point! Other people will come along soon I promise!

Hi! I'm Echo! You can call me Echo. Umm... I'm 15. I live in California. I'm a hopeless nerd and am really into learning stuff and playing quizbowl. If you have questions about music (like theory or classical stuff) history or English I can probably answer them. I might be able to answer elementary chemistry and biology questions too, but don't necessarily count on it.

So, yeah. I'm cool. Hi.

What's Quizbowl? Am I missing out on something?

Anole, Florida, 16. A little above moderate intelligence(at least I think so) in quiz bowl, and chess club. Part of Deviantart (as dragonanole)

Ooh, you're in quizbowl too, are you Anole? Fab!

I think it's more of an American thing, Kat. Basically the idea is you've got two teams, generally of four or five kids, each from different schools, and they compete against each other to answer questions of an academic nature. It's sort of like... ummm... a Radio 4 quiz programme, except with kids. And in teams.

I went with my school to the national Academic League championships last year. I'm very proud.

Ah it sounds a bit like a younger version of our University Challenge...not that I can find you a link currently!!
Do you get on TV or the radio?

Not that I know of.

Aww that's a shame! Especially as you have so many channels! County level or higher should be put on I think. I guess it's easier in Britain because there's so few of us so by the time it gets on TV it's at a high level anyway.

*grumble* I've got work tonight. Four hours of selling alcohol to people. What a worthwhile occupation! THe main problem with this job is that now I've had so much training in alcohol laws and selling and dealing with people, I'm REALLY hot about the fact that my GF always buys drinks for 15 year olds because they can't. She always gets a long "If you're caught you do realise you'll get a fine of around £1000 and..."

Where I live the city finals are on one of the local channels ... which is still showing the reruns, even though the competition itself was in May. So every couple of weeks when I come into school someone says, "I saw you on TV!"

In the northeast US they have a show/competition called It's Academic, which my mother was on when she was a kid - I know some kids that are on it now, too. And in British Columbia they have something called Reach For The Top - my dad was on that one and I see the championships on TV every summer.

Oh - you should check out my entry on Academic League, the type I play: A3881379

Anole, do you mind me asking what part of the world you're from?

It's good that you're conscientious about the whole underage alcohol thing, Kat. I know people my age who drink and it's really weird to think about that. Granted, our underage drinking laws, are probably more stringent than yours, but you still don't want kids to get into bad habits they'll have a hard time getting out of.

Well I think it's a lot because I had a lot of alcohol problems when I was younger. I don't have a problem with teenagers drinking in itself. I think that if people could be introduced to alcohol at a younger age, in the safety of their own home with their parents then the whole mystery and excitement of being able to buy it legally would be dispelled. Thus less teenage binge drinking etc...maybe?

I don't know. Alcohol has always been something in my house that I was allowed to try and grew up learning about and when I turned 18 it wasn't exciting at all to be able to buy it. At school however, there are kids who constantly want me to buy them drink or find it weird that, because I'm 18, I'm not in the pub day and night.

I didn't have alcohol problems because I was allowed to drink from a young age or anything. For a long time I didn't want to drink purely because I had been allowed to try it at a young age, hated it, and wasn't in the environment of teenagers egging each other on. Even now I may have a few drinks socially but won't get plastered like everyone else because I did that on my own when I was younger. Now I associate alcohol and vomit smelling of it with my own depression.

Gosh that was a bit serious Sorry! I hope it all made sense too!

No, I completely see what you're saying.

I approve of alcohol being served in the home in a responsible manner - my parents have allowed me to taste their wine or whatever. I think that getting used to the idea of alcohol when you're young will certainly lessen binge drinking and that sort of thing.

But what makes me nervous is kids who won't drink responsibly or who have no idea what drinking responsibly means. I have a friend who told me that when she was thirteen she would just go home before her parents got home from work and get drunk off her parents' vodka. I overheard a conversation today during gym in which kids were discussing the various merits of different kinds of drinks. They acted like they just went out and got drunk every night - maybe they do. But how? Are their parents that irresponsible that they don't know what's going on? And am I really so much different from the rest of the world, that all the alcohol I've had in my life amounts to maybe a glass or two of wine? Am I really the abnormal one, leading a way sheltered life whilst everyone else is going out and drinking of a weekend? It's just kind of weird, and I wish kids had better control over their lives.

I think a lot of teenagers feel a need to appear "grown up" and an obvious way of doing that is to drink....apparently. Obviously drinking so much you throw up everywhere just makes you look childish but never mind, it gives the illusion of being a college student perhaps.

Going home and drinking before your parents get home...well that sounds like getting a kick out of doing something you know is forbidden, in a way that makes you feel grown up. I mean, in my house it's forbidden to drink more than two glasses of orange juice in a day. Now I could go and drink six cartons...but I'd just feel a bit silly really. I'd be doing something naughty but orange juice isn't exactly hard-core

Talking about it in school...there's a BIG fear of appearing boring and uncool. Everyone I know talks about drinking loads too, or if not drinking every week at least the last time they got so drunk they threw up all over their friends and passed out on the floor. I've always been very embarrassed about doing that sort of thing

Is there anyone else lurking around here? What do you all think? Doesn't matter how old you are, what do you plan to do when you're allowed to buy drink? What do you think about the kids who are older than you who drink? Are you allowed to drink a bit at home? What do you think of this whole drinking malarky? Except that it makes us all loud and stupid?

Kat

<>

Why???


I know there must be something bizarre about me because I still think scenes in movies with drunks can be funny. People I know who drink or who have seen their friends drunk tend to say, "Drunk scenes are *never* funny." But can't they still be? If no one actually ends up hurt or throwing up or doing anything illegal?

Drunk scenes can still be funny I think, precisely because they DO happen in real life. Often the funniest things we see in films are things that we can imagine happening in real life.


The orange juice thing....well you see we're all mad orange juice consumers and so we'd go through 2 or 3 cartons a day given the chance. We just don't have the money, and besides, it's apparently bad to drink so much acidic stuff We're forced to drink weak lime squash instead...thereby consuming a lot of tap water! I'm CONSTANTLY thirsty so you can imagine how quickly I get through ANY drink that's in the house.

Ah, I see.

Gee that was a really exciting addition there EMR

Grumble...where are our other people!? There's at least....seven of us! Sigh...EMR you up to writing something for The Post for us or are you busy? I'll do it tomorrow if you don't want to. I just don't feel very eloquant or together right now.

Oooh!!! It's your go to write the editorial this week!!! There we go then!!! Front page mention