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

Heh... here's another look at the situation.

A Tom the Dancing Bug cartoon:

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/11/03/tom-the-dancing-bug-25.html

(For those unfamiliar, Lucky Ducky typically represents the poor in these comics. The punchlines inevitably run in the style of "Oh, you're so lucky, Ducky, not to be burdened with wealth and power.")

Hi there Christiane! I'm also interested in what's happening in the USA ... thanks to all you folks who inform us non-USAnians!

I think that all countries have their ups and downs. China (Tianneman Square), India (Amritsar Massacre), and the U.S. (McCarthy Era) are particularly noticeable because they rank highest in population, but does anybody remember that even lowly Belgium had a King (Leopold) who punished people in the Belgian Congo by cutting off their hands?

The list of nations that did (or are still doing) horrible things in Africa is quite long. You can also add to that list certain multinational companies.

Amen to both statements.

Dear Paulh,

I noticed that a smiley has been added onto my thank-you to you.
it is so sad because I believe that we have such a special friendship that you can read me like a book - which is what I said. Like my friendships with Amy P. and Lurcher and Pandora. They are so long lasting since I first joined. And you are very definitely in that category of friendship. !!

Go well,
With affection and NO smiley!!!!
Christiane.
AR80

Friday 12th November 2010
7.15 GMT

Hi paulh,

I did not know that. But I was very involved when the Belgians left the Congo. As one of the few residents who spoke French,I was cp-opted to go onto every aircraft as it arrived from Brazzaville in the Congo and tell the unfortunate Belgian Women and children - who9 were the first ones evacuated - what arrangements had been made for them.
My marvellous memory exercises has given me back that memory so I must write it down. We became very friendly with one couple who decided to stay in Rhodesia. - Southern as it was then; now Zimbabwe. Gosh I have lived a wonderful life.

So much to do - so little time.

Go well,
Christiane
AR80

Friday 12th November 2010 7.29 GMT

That should have a whole post of its own, Christiane. I think I was a little kid or a teenager when that happened, so I would not have been paying attention to the news reports about it. You were right in the middle of things when history was being made.

You've been so generous to us by describing important events in your life.

Thank you my dear friend.

Have a good weekend, and I hope we can speak again soon.

CME
AR80
Friday 12th November 2010 `7.36 GMT

Not that I wanted to see you have more work to do, Christiane.
I'm perfectly willing to be patient. If you get to it, fine, if not, that's fine as well.

Good morning dear friend,

Well not at all. I am so chuffed that you think it is a good idea to write about it. I am trying to keep a record of the things that I remember. I think it is my short term memory that just disappears into mid air like a "will o' the wisp."

I am trying to write down memories as I remember them. I have found lots of letters which I wrote at the turn of the century. Then the memories come flooding back. It is extraordinary.

Deafness is a worry. Apparently the chemist tried to deliver my heart medication twice but they could not get me to answer the door. Well. the point is that sometimes I cannot hear the doorbell. So Social Servies have kindly installed a special light sort of thing that flashes on when my front door bell is rung.

Yesterday both my carers tested it. It does not operate goodness knows why. So instead of getting a marvellous intermittent light lighting up my in front of my TV. nothing happens. !! No wonder I cannot Hear/See my doorbell. So no wonder I was without my heart medication for two days. !! Which probably was the reason why I was slightly depressed.

And still one's body soldiers on. I am so certain that it is because I swam all those miles in the forties training for the 1948 Olumpics. !! Although South Africa did not send a women;s team I think that I am being well rewarded now, by my one and a half lungs still operating efficiently. (Apologies I am repeating myself...)

I saw a wonderful programme yesterday on TV. It was about young girl who was born with cystic fibrosis. Every single vital orgtan has been replaced and when she had to have a heart and lung transplant she was able to donate her heart and the joy htis gave her was truly incredible to watch. She has now qualified as a doctor. |If that is not guts, sheer determination and courage I do not know what is. it is quite rewmarkable how medcine has progressed in the eighty odd years of my life.

Also watched a very good Attenborough film last night about the origin of the species. It really was quite remarkable, and quite brilliant photography..... I was spell-bound. I was amazed as he rettled off how old a particular arthropod was. The term " million years two hundred million years" just rattled off his tongue. He really is an estraordinarey man with a brain that is well and active. It was science fiction at it's best, except that it was not fiction.....!!

I am off to visit Keith today. It is a long drive but one of my carer will take me. We shall go out to lunch I hope. I had hoped he would be home this weekend, but hopefully next week.

Have a wonderful weekend my dear friend, and I shall probably meet up with you on Sunday - and you can tell me about your wonderful walks and also your imminent retirement. Have you made any plans for Christmas?

My daughter M-L who lives in Perth, Australia, is celebrating her birthday today. I guess she must be your age....!. I shall phone her just now as this is the first time that she and her husbamd are without any of their three daughtewrs my three grand daughters, , A novel experience for them. But they are very happily married and have a lovely home garden and jobs in Australia. They used to live in Hong Kong and I went out and helped Lou care for every one of mjy granddaughters. !! Great Joy.!! My eldest son also lived in \Hong |kong when he and his wife were first married. I have two grandsons frim their marriage. So I have five grandchildren on that side and on my secvond marriage I have got seven lovely grandchildren.

Go well, and thank you for your encouragement on the writing.
It certainly Keeps my brain working...


Christiane
AR80
Saturday 13th November 2010 6.48 GNT

Have yyou ever read Voltaire's Candide. ? I think I would have irrtated Voltaire just as much as Panglosse did!! I must go and look it up again. !!

Always looking on the bright side of things drives some people bonkers....!!!

I love "Candide." It was made into an opera by Leonard Bernstein, and I love that, too.

It is said that at one point Voltaire irritated the King so much that he (the King) exiled Voltaire. Voltaire promptly went to stay with a friend named Jonathan Swift. Two humorists under the same roof!

I thought he was exiled to Switzerland. His great opponent was Jean Jacques Rousseau - a great hero of mine. !! I had a lovely Willoughby pug whom I named JJ after my hero. !!

Had a tortuous day - my carer took me and she had no idea where she was going. wE took two hours to get there and two and a half hours getting bck,. Driving up and down the same stretch of road many times. I truly thought I was going bats. I MUST ADMIOT THAT THE eNGLISH HAVE ABSOOUTELY NHO IDEA OF HOW TO MARK AREAS CORREDCTLY., pERHOAS IT IS A A REMINDER OF THE WAR YEARS WHEN IT WAS IMPORTANT TO MISDIRECT EVERY POTENTIAL SPY CROSSING THE CHANNEL. i DO NOT BELIEVE THAT A SINGLE TAXI DRIVE i HAVE EVER GOE WITH TO VISIT k. HAS EVER KNOWN THE CORREFCT WASY TO GET THERE. !!

aNYWAY IT WAS A LOVELY DAY AND FELL INTO BED EXHAUSTED WHEN i CAME BACK.

It is not my idea of bliss driving around in circles and not knowing where the heck on e is. It is a plain waste of time in my estimation. !! However she had not a care in the wor4ld so I rather felt like someone being pulled aback and forth in a tide of laughter and sheer wilfulness. !!

It was great to see K. looking wso well and hapopy. We had a lovely leisurely lunch in a nearby town, and afterwards went for a walk along this very old lovely High street. There was an antique sales fair on. I really had fun getting lttle baubels and pieces of old jewellery for relatively next to nothing. It was something \I had never esxperienced before in Englandand I loved it. However the drive back was really horrendous. It gets dark very early now and we sped up and down the same stretch of road . aT ONE STAGE WE WERE DRIVING BACK TO WHERE WE CAME FROM She never lost her cool however and I must say, that as I had no time table and had had a lovely day I was not going to let tHe fact that she dud not know where she was and neither did I spoil a lovely day. So we laughed all the way honme.

Oh dear. She is a lovely carer but boy she has no idea of navigating a large very comfortable car. ~!!

Go well,

Christiane.
AR80 Sunday 14th November 2010 GMT

Sixty-five years after the war's end, they're still trying to confuse spies?



Do you think they want to confuse carers and taxi drivers as well?