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

Pon. I tried to post an answer to your ctmb post. I am pre-modded now, so every little thing is under suspicion. In any case, the Mods will brook no reference to little birds from me and therefore I will make no reference to little birds. It might help if you explained that it was you (not I) who was referring to little birds. My reference to St Antony and the Ravens is quite genuine.

It could well come about that I am totally banned from the Beeb board. They have already warned me and this latest little post which seems not to have made it to the board will probably put them over the top. I think they take the numbers of our computers so I will not be allowed to post under another name.

If h2g2 also does not allow me to post, then this will have to be good-bye. Ani. Here is my reply to your ctmb post:



A question which has been asked and answered. Hence the limits imposed by law on the individual's right to freedom of speech.



Please forgive me, Pon. I haven't been around for the past few weeks, having restarted work, courses, and tracked down a private teacher to learn ikon-writing. So I am unaware of any problems you have experienced with post removal.



Do you mean St Antony and the Ravens? The ikon teacher is a Coptic Christian, so likely I will be learning about St A and the R, hopefully soon. Ani.

Like, whoa! Anhaga? Pon? Why is anhaga the only person on your friend list? Why is anhaga even on your friend list?

Further to anhaga. I've lurked a bit on his space. He has made some good contributions on Canadian lore. So I have added him to my friends list too. He seems to have a big chip on his shoulder, but then who doesn't on these boards? Moreover, if a person doesn't have one, it is easy to acquire one. I am instantly suspicious of someone who asks about generations in Canada. This sort of question often belies a complete lack of understanding of and respect for the nature of our ties to the land (whoever we end up being and where ever we end up living). It is often a question asked by colonists, not First Nations. And, if anhaga is First Nations, as his name suggests, then he has a lot of catching up to do. In my humble opinion. Ani.

Hey there, Pon.

I see my Raven post finally got through pre-mod. It took a long long time. So at least we know I am not booted out completely.

Nice weather we have been having. Sunny, bright. A bit cool at night. I hope it lasts. I have been catching up on anhaga's threads. Interesting fellow. Well read.

Terrible shame about our sailor dying. I guess this means I will have to write to my MP who btw is none other than Bill Graham himself. I just don't know if I have it in me to write another letter about military funding. I am so exhausted with taking an extremely unpopular position (as usual) in defence of our troops. I say, either put the money on the line for safe equipment, or get the hek out of the military business. I hate this waffling we have to put with while our troops die, get injured and not treated, or come back with PTSD (like General Dallaire).

I do have a family friend who was one of the first few female officers in the Canadian Navy. She is teaching at Queen's now. Perhaps I will ask how she feels about it all. I already know how she feels, but she doesnt divulge much to very many people, particularly as her husband is still in the Army.

What do you think of this submarine sale, Pon?

Hi Ani:

What do I think of the submarine sale?

I remember that the Brits sold us the submarines and that as soon as we got them we found faults in them. They were sent back for repairs. Now, some years after a fire starts in one of them and results in a tragedy, the loss of life of one of our naval lieutenants. It must be very hard on his family, especially when this was totally unexpected . He wasn't sailing in the Arabian Sea or close to Baghdad.
The military PR says the subs are good, but I wonder if the Brits took us for a ride!

Hi Pon. Re your question <>

Do you know that from the very start of this disaster at sea that has been the furthest thing from my mind? While, in theory, the Brits may have taken us for a ride and while, in theory, one might have thought that the Brits had a longer memory than all that as respects their dear cousins in the Troo North, I have from the start put the blame squarely on the shoulders of our own government particularly the Liberal party.

One has to look at our own record on this sort of thing.

Remember the Tilsis jeeps in Afghanistan? They were junk even before they were outdated. Then a landmine blows our personnel sky high. What does our government do? Spindoctor.

Remember the Sea King helicopters? They were junk even before they were outdated. If the darn things don't blow up, they simply drop unannounced out of the sky and into the sea. What does our government do? Spindoctor.

Remember the friendly fire incident in Afghanistan whereby four of our Princess Pats were bombed by an overtired American pilot? You know and I know that ground troops have special communications equipment to ensure that their own aircraft do not take potshots at them. In all the blah blah woof woof around this incident, nobody once questioned if such equipment had even been provided to our troops. What did our government do? Spindoctor.

Remember Rwanda? General Dallaire knew what was coming down the tubes. It was his job to know and he was doing his job. What did our government do? Get in the way and spindoctor. Look what happened in Rwanda. Dallaire came back with post traumatic stress disorder.

Remember Somalia and the Arone / Pvt Kyle Brown case? Arone was tortured to death by our boys. Brown ratted on his airbourne buddies and superior officers. What does our government do? Try Brown in the first torture case in the country's history on a statute which, in some salient areas, does not conform to the Geneva Convention on Torture. Brown's superior officer was found hanged in his cell (not dead, I don't think, but unfit for trial).

Command was never brought to trial (even though PM Kim Campbell was well on her way to sniffing them out before her government was defeated at the polls). Then...are you sitting down...our boy from Shawinigan marches the entire Queen's Own Airbourne Regiment into a parade ground (the finest troops in the world) and disbands them! Tears of shame! What does our government do? Spindoctor. Chretien was busy buying sardine cans to patrol our coast when we don't even have an airbourne regiment.

Remember the Battle of the Gulf of St Lawrence? Pre-WW2? Nazi subs are right up our butts in the St Lawrence River. Our sailors are burning on the water by the thousands defending their floating junk and their heartland. What does our government do? Deny deny deny. And then spindoctor.

And there is the matter of the bright green 'camouflage uniforms': a big joke among troops from other nations. They say they can always tell when the Canadians are coming because they glow green.

And there is the matter of the boots: the casualties pile up from knee injuries not hostile fire.

And the matter of poor rations. And the matter of underequipped, understaffed medical personnel.

And the matter of the Mercedes Benzes, a horrendously complicated pile of rolling junk.

Oh and the list goes on and on. So you see the last people I feel like blaming in this submarine incident are the Brits.

<>

Yes, as my cousin in London points out, the casualties we have incurred have been meaningless and preventable deaths. In the face of the enormous patriotism which our troops have shown under hostile fire and the enormous discernment they have shown in peacekeeping, this casts shame on us as Canadians.

When I have twisted myself right again, I will be writing Bill Graham one letter after another to get our military funded properly. Some people say they are happy that the military budget is low because peacekeeping is a 'nobler' pursuit than invasion. What exactly do people think peacekeeping is about? Playing euchre with the locals? The last time I saw a photo of a Canadian peacekeeper, he was toting a gun. Ani.

Well, you have certainly let off some steam Ani. I have a great regard for paratroopers seeing my Dad was one of the first twelve sergeants in the Second World War to belong to them when they first formed at Hardwicke near Manchester, England. I think it was called the first parachute regiment at the time, it changed its name later. He took part in training Scottish military personnel who volunteered from military prisons to be paratroopers. I remember years later Dad saying, "There were some hard cases." ( that must have been the understatement of the year) Dad took part in the Brunevald raid in February 1942, the first raid behind enemy lines.

When I was in a civilian hospital in England about to have a heart operation miles away from where I lived, my Dad got a high ranking paratrooper officer to come and see me. ( I was in the army doing my national service at the time) and almost immediately I was whisked away to a better hospital nearer home. The surgeon who did the succesful op. some years later became Nuffield Professor of Surgery at Oxford University. I know I had the best surgeon and received the best treatment available, for which I am grateful to the army and to God.

Anyhow, that apart, the Brits too I hear were short of equipment when the war was taking place in Baghdad, and used to borrow from the Americans, so Canadians are not the only one.

I don't know what exactly is the problem with the Canadian forces, I really don't, but I remember all the cases you quoted.

Ani:

You are my friend Ani .I don't really understand this "friends" website. In fact I don't really understand computers, but just type away hoping things come out right.

In my last years in government service I noticed that the new-recruits were much more computer literate than I was. I compensated for it with my ability to audit, deal pleasantly with taxpayers, write letters, keep my cool, and greater knowledge of the Income Tax Act.(bragging again)

Still, it was a bit embarrasing.

Thanks Pon. I feel you have been a friend to me as well. Just being there has been an act of friendship.

<>

I don't understand this. What 'friends' website? Can you explain? Ani.

Ani:

It is not a website at all. Friends is just a place on the screen to which you add a name.

I have put yours in twice.

BTW my picture is on the screen as you pointed out. I should point out that I have very little gray hair, and that I am far older than I look. I wish I did look my age. When I was in my teens I couldn't get a girl-friend because I looked pre-teen

I will try to get anaga's space in order to post a picture of my "masterpiece" of mathematical art.

Where is your picture Ani?

Ani:

I give all my sisters-in-law hugs so why don't I give you one

That is as emotional as I am about to get. It is so out of context.

Anyhow , I have posted my artwork to anaga.

Tomorrow we have to go up North for a few days to close the cottage. I would rather go down South where it is warmer, but duty calls

Where is my picture? It is under paper somewhere. My place is small and I am constantly moving pottery around to find space to live. Somehow, my Outward Bound fotos lost themselves. One of my students is taking my foto this week. So as soon as I get it developed and scanned in, I will post it to azahar's foto page. My student is also taking fotos of my hands in various stages of throwing cylinders and bowls with a view to putting together a methodology page for my students.

Have a good time saying goodbye to the North for this year.

I started posting on the Catholic Forums website which I gave you earlier. It'll take some time to adjust. But it'll take forever if I don't start now. The ctmb is weird today (wot's new?) Hardly any posts at all. Nothing I have posted was even graced with a reply. I guess that's the way it's gonna be for me. I have asked someone on the other board to define the Catholic term 'white martyrdom.'

Take care. God bless. Ani.

Hi Pon. You're art is not on azahar's foto page yet. It might take her a little time. Her boyfriend (Mr 'P') has recently moved in with her in Seville and she is...well...distracted. Ani.

azahar, distracted or not was kind enough to reply to my E mail. Unfortunately, she will not post my painting, as the photo gallery is for pictures of people only.

I thanked her,and said it was for your benefit Ani that I wanted to post it.

My E mail address ( because you won't read your Sparrows mail ) is
[email protected] in case you wish to discuss privately what has recently happened on the anaga board.

I am going up North this morning and will be back Thursday or Friday. Best wishes Leslie J.