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

Oh... and just what is a "pinny"? 'Fraid I don't speak U.K.!

They're apron things that you wear to stop all the mess getting onto your clothes. Usually have frilly edges for some odd reason! And I think your mum's philosophy was a good one. I met no end of blokes at uni who had a problem with boiling an egg and other such things.

I have to say that for the first time yesterday I actually found a recipe for a good veggie curry. I often find them way too spicy. That kind of behaviour should be saved for chillies

I was thinking more along the lines of a plastic one with fake bra and knickers on it! I love chillies - do you know that they trigger the same "happy" brain chemicals as choccie? I find them highly addictive, I was given Tunisian roasted chilli sprinkling stuff and I put it on pasta! Wonder where I can find chilli ice-cream? I hear its rather good....

I THOUGHT that's what that was! I don't use one now, but I made one in Home Ec. class in high school. It was one of the first years they allowed boys to take the class. Just me and the ENTIRE football team!(no....'fraid I wasn't on the team...those guys would have made two of me!) Believe it or not, they all took the class seriously!

I'm afraid the wife wouldn't like my looks in one of those plastic thingies!(don't think I would, either!:-As far as chilie ice cream...forgive me if I seem forward....you wouldn't be "with child" by any chance, would you!? That has shades of pickles and ice cream to it!

Incedentally, I work in utility construction, and you'd be amazed how much recipe swapping we do! I've gotten some of my best cookware ideas from a bona fide "redneck" who buries telephone cable!

Funy that, some of the best cooks I know are engineers!

Chillie ice cream, an interesting thought that. Can't say it appeals to me. I prefer sorbets, the fruitier the better. I wish we had a freezer in our office as I could do with some ice cubes right now.

No I'm not "up the duff" - I just have finely tuned tastebuds (especially for chilli's). I feel I'm a bit like an anally retentive Lister (from Red Dwarf) though I drink less lager than he does! I really like Ben and Jerry's Dibert Crunch. That's lovely! Mmmm, ice cream....

Ice cubes! I wish I had an office, then maybe I could have a freezer! It was 94 degrees in the shade with the humidity knoking on 70 percent and no clouds. Somrtimrs I hate what I do for a living.....but then there are those fragrant sping mornings and crisp autumn afternoons. They make me forget this summer heat and for some reason it all seems worth it!

Red Dwarf. That has GOT to be the funniest show on T.V.! Our local public T.V. station airs British sit-coms on Saturday night from 7 pm 'till 11:30 pm. Guess which show is last! It's tough, but I normally manage to stay up for it. It's gone through several changes through the years,(yes, I lost track of how many years ago I started watching) but the latest seems to be the best. I don't know how far behind we are in Alabama (and it's usually pretty far on anything) but I sure was glad to see the old "Holi" back, As well as Remmer(forgive the spelling... not much for watching credits).

They are supposed to be getting an all british sit-com station here soon. I'll be spoiled rotten! Can't get enough of "Are You Being Served" and"Keeping Up Apperences"(darn spellcheck) These are probably gone in Britain by now, but if they are don't tell me so I can keep hope up for continuing new episodes!

Keeping Up Appearances I think is supposed to be having a new series this autumn. Recently, they've been showing Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em over here. And as a special treat they're going to be showing some of The Two Ronnies (not sit com but British Comedy at its best).

I don't know if you will have seen it, but one of the best new sit-coms is Gimme Gimme Gimme. It's just starting it's second series so I'm sure you'll see it eventually.

As a kid, I was a big fan of Citizen Smith (don't think that was actually the name of the program but Wolfie Smith was the main character and he was a socialist with a "posh" girlfriend). They showed it again sometime in the last year and it was still really funny.

It has been my opinion for years that they can ship all the "Britcoms" over here they want. I'll take the subtle humor over our "slapstik" and "shock" comedy any day of the week.

I've not heard of the shows you mentioned, but hopefully this new all British comedy channel will have them. I don't know when it's coming, but I hope it's soon!

I look forward to new episodes of Keeping Up Appearences, Mrs. Bucket is intolerable, her husband is hilarious and her sister and her husband are dead ringers for some folks I know around here!

The newest one here is called, excuse me if I get it wrong...Of The Manor Born. Fantastic pretense! I laughed at it Saturday night till I hurt! Talk about subtle humor....turn the volume up, or you"ll miss something! Of course, you'd know, they put it on just before Red Dwarf. Till they change some scheduling around, I'll never get any sleep on Saturday night!!!!

I think it's To the Manor Born, with Penelope Keith. Also a fave of mine as a child. They showed that one again a few years ago too. Unfortunately for those of us with satellite or cable, we only seem to get the odd program every now and then. The full series seem to be shown on Sky these days which is a shame.

Another classic was Butterflies which was also shown again this year (at least a few episodes were).

I have to say that there does seem to be a lull in British comedy at the moment. All we seem to get are Docusoaps and soap operas.

Only When I Laugh was another good one. Three blokes in a hospital with Richard Wilson as the doctor. The Likely Lads was one of my partners faves. I understand that One Foot in the Grave has been shown in the states and is proving popular. That also stars Richard Wilson (as the grumpy Victor Meldrew).

I went to Glasgow University and Richard Wilson was our Rector for two years while I was there. A thoroughly nice chap.

Sounds as though I have a lot to look forward to when the "Britcom" channel arrives! Don't be too downhearted about a lack of British comedy these days, comedy here in the States has been, for the most part, dead for a long time. There's no such thing as "getting a joke", it's just all slammed in your face.

Best comedy line I've heard in a while...from "Manor Born" (I know to you it's old, but it's brand new to me.) The movers came in wearing hats...she complemented their hats....embarrased, they immediately took off their hats. Now that was funny. Volumns said with very few words. That's the main difference between British comedy and ours. Around here they just don't give the audience much credit for intelligence.

I'm trying to think of any American shows that I've found funny. Apart from the Simpsons and Cybil, I'm not having much luck. I think the thing about the American shows is they try to pack one joke in after another and at least half the jokes aren't funny. The British stuff tends to be a lot more subtle. They also give you an incredible insight into life in Britain as so many of the really funny situations do occur. I guess that's another reason why they are so funny. Hmmmmm.

Most American sitcoms are held together with "one liners". Almost a Vaudvillian style. While it can be a humourus venue, used too much it becomes boring.

Another problem is that famous political correctness bug. Every show has to have a "social lesson" to it. It's really getting out of hand! I sure will be glad when the people in this counry lose the guilt trip attitude. I feel I owe no one an apology for my opinions(be they right or wrong), and I'm d**n tired of others trying to tell me I do.....especially when all I'm after is a bit of entertainment!

You guys keep up the good work, and maybe someday we'll join you in doing humor for it's own sake, instead of useing it to push some social agenda.

Now......How do I get off this soapbox!!!!!!

I believe there's a ladder at the back there.

Goodness, I've been missing out on some fun here haven't I? I can't agree more about the "social messages" in American TV what the hell is happening over there? There's programs on a Sunday morning that I sometimes see and there are always strong moral values all over the place. Can't the TV networks just have a giggle for the sake of it - Or is it the deadly whitehouse republican wives on the rampage again "cleaning" up the airwaves?

P.S. I know it's corny but I quite like Friends even though they are all irritatingly nice (especially hate neurotic Rachel) but I think thicky Joey is good

....Wellll......I think maybe a bucket truck is in order! Entertainment in this country has been ticking me off for a long time.....I've got a lot of pent up frustration!

AAAHHH!!!!! Sunday morning American TV. Nothing else like it in the world!!!(THANK GOD!!!) We have this wonderful freedom of religion, so all the different Christian sects think that means you are free to believe exactly as they do. Trouble is, at last count, there are more different ones than you can count. TV air time is cheap on Sunday morning, so you get this barrage of theological rhetoric. Nevermind that less than half of the U.S. population is Christian, everybody else is going to hell, and the fact that we all don't believe as they do is whats' wrong with our country today! JEEZ!!!! All that mentality (and the environmentalists, and the racial equality people, the(place your favorite cause here) has spilled over to our entertainment medium.

I was born in the late fifties and watched TV grow through it's infancy....it's all quite disgusting to me.

(Told you it was a TALL soapbox!)

Fortunately we don't get the religious thing in such a big way over hear. But I've always found that Christianity got way too much tv time. It was bad enough having to get dragged to church but to then come home and be forced to sit through the whole thing again was beyond my childhood comprehension.

But the thing that bugs me most is sport. We have five terrestial channels now in the UK and there are times when there is sport on all of them! Apart from motor racing, I hate watching sport on tv. If you're interested in a sport you should make an attempt to go and see it live (although it's not always possible).

And sport "stars" crossing into other mediums bugs me too. I have no idea why some jumped up pip squeak who's good for nothing other than kicking a ball should be paid vast sums of money.

And now I'll climb back down from my soapbox.

I've alway thought that it's quite amusing that the very people who are preaching good values are the very ones responsible for most of the problems. Take catholicism for example, Mother Teresa was feeding the starving children that the principles of the church created... When "Looneytunes" and I had a discussion about vaccinations, we both came to the conclusion that the solution to problems, creates the problem! (Hey, I'm not crazy ok?!).... Hospitals create illness.... Wealth creates poverty.... I could go on but I'd just bore you silly! Any thoughts on this folks?

Having been brought up in a Catholic household I made the above connection early on in life. I hadn't thought about the hospital thing though.

By the way, have you heard about the new meningitis C vaccine being introduced in October?

Yes. I've only read some basic info that was in the paper this morning. Any ideas of sites that have more indepth info about it?