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

Sheesh, Serephina!

*ahem* For the record, Serephina has just come out of hospital, guys.

*shakes head at S*

I'll be into the bottle later

Are you turning into a liquid?

Not with all that swill milling about you I hope!!
Take care of yourself, S

Wouldn't a few rewordings be enough to satisfy all?

For example, instead of:

"she realised her psychic gifts early on"

to say

"she believed herself to have pshychic gifts early on"

(by the way, feel free to correct me if my English isn't correct, since it's a foreign language to me anyway)

"he disapproved of her interests and her abilities as a psychic and medium"

This is one of Gnomon's objections - would this be better:

"he disapproved of her interests and her claimed abilities of being a psychic and medium"

Again, I'm not convinced this is the best wording, but I hope you can sense what I'm hinting at?

Maybe Gnomon could suggest alternative suggestions for the parts that he finds most provoking?

To me, there doesn't appear to be that many parts that would need to be edited, just a few... but that's just my

Thanks Titania

For someone who isn't native English, that works very well, Titania.

It works for me.





long time, no see... it's been a long time since we spent time in a garden together...

Gnomon. I've never, ever had cause to be upset with you, but I am now.

I'm a true believer in Christianity and what you're attempting to do is to call me dumb, stupid, idiotic or whatever.

I'm not.

Your views are your own views, but to rip apart an entry that is well written, and as far as the author is concerned, well founded, that's not fair.

Tell me...can you explain to me why I wanted to tell G's (my husband) parents not to go on holiday? Can you tell me why, as they left our house on the Saturday night, to go away on holiday on Sunday morning, I had the greatest urge to tell them not to go? I told G of my concerns and he called me daft.

On Sunday morning, G's grandfather had a stroke. He died some hours later.

If I'd have acted upon my urge to tell them not to go, then G's father may have been able to say goodbye to his father.

Tell me. Am I deluded?

VV, I have no objection to you believing in Christianity, although I think you are wrong.

I have no objection to you thinking without proof that you had a genuine premonition. Again, I think you are wrong.

I have no objection to Doreen Valiente or Serephina thinking they have special magical powers.

These are issues that we can agree to differ on.

But I object to the Guide stating as fact that Doreen Valiente has/had special magical powers - this is an insult to my beliefs.

I would equally object to the Guide stating as fact that the Christian God exists, or that Jesus really did rise from the dead. You are entitled to believe that he did, but equally I am entitled to believe that he did not.

Yes you are entitled to your own beliefs, but don't berate people for doing an entry on their own beliefs. A belief that many millions of people also believe.

They way you've done this is so wrong Gnomon.

They always say never to talk about politics or religion, for this very reason.

You must agree that the entry is well written, and she has done her research on this. It's not something she's popped out of thin air.

Of course I agree with that. She's entitled to express her beliefs, and the entry is very well written.

What I object to is the statements that Doreen Valiente had psychic powers.

This could have been dealt with in such a better way than this.

You've really upset her you know Gnomon. I mean, really upset her.

I don't think that because "proof" as in documented proof is not available, doesn't mean she didn't have those powers.

I've really upset her, have I? Well, she's really upset me.

I've worked so hard on this guide, and then to come across this.

Oh, why do I bother? WHat a waste of my life.

Gnomon, you can't open a can of worms and then run off.

How would you feel, VV, if you saw an Entry on the Front Page, stating that Jesus Christ faked all his miracles by doping his audience with hallucinogenic drugs? Not just that some small religious sect believed that he did, but that he actually did?

Such a view should have been caught by the Editors in their so-called "final polishing".

To me, this is no different.

But I don't understand why being Wiccan upsets you so much.

Hello all,

Thanks for your feedback on this.

The Guide will include have Entries on religion and beliefs. However, it's not our intention to present any of them as being grounded in scientific principle. We feel that Dorothy is a suitable subject for the Guide as we would any important figure to a particular branch of belief.

By the way, it's not our opinion that the Editors are infallible and we always appreciate positive feedback. It's in the nature of this Guide that things can change and are flexible. Hopefully, though, debate doesn't have to lead to polarity - we all want what's best for the Guide so hopefully that can take us forward.

We're happy to change 'she realised she had psychic powers' to a form of language more of us are happy with, but we'd prefer your input before we do this.

The Editors

VV, people being Wiccans doesn't upset me at all. I think the Wiccans are probably among the most pleasant religious people I have ever met, quietly getting on with their own beliefs without trying to force them on others.

But you have taken great offence at someone who says they have physic abilities. Just because you haven't got them doesn't mean they don't exist.

For example, the first person who claimed the world was round was ripped to shreds. He couldn't prove his hypothesis at the time, yet he was right.