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

There I was doing a mundane task - hanging washing to dry - and I was aware that I have songs from Grease going round and round in my head and squeezing everything else out. I play in a band that have had to learn these songs in a bit of a hurry.

I just wondered what I normally think about as I carry on around the house dealing with ordinary stuff.

What do you think about as you potter?

PP

As a driver, my mind wanders in various wild circles as I potter around the leafy lanes of the M25.

I often wonder at the end of the day what I've been pondering, but it never sticks. I often come out of the white line fever whistling a merry tune though

I decided to give your question some thought, so now as I potter all I'm thinking is "What am I thinking" which kind of defeats the object.

I know in the past I've asked the office in general a question along the lines of "OK, who said something about making your mind up?" because I suddenly realised my mind had been going "First you've gotta speed it up and then you've gotta slow it down..."* for the last ten minutes. So I think songs going mindlessly round in your head is probably quite common.

Deb

*apologies to anyone who's mind is now replaying this or other Buck's Fizz songs on a loop

Regular as clockwork, I have a random tune going round and round in my head every morning. Just one - always very distinct. It lasts from when I wake up until just after I get out the shower, usually.

I have wondered whether blogging them would provide some interesting psychological insight.

This morning's was 'Stuck With You' by Huey Lewis & The News, by the way.

B

I have been reading 'I Am Ozzy', Ozzy Osbourne's own story.


Now I can't get the song 'Black Sabbath' out of my mind!!!!



GT

Our editor Zelmo (Chris) blogs them on his h2g2 journal. I subscribe to it not because it gives a fascinating psychological insight into the mind of a BBC Future Media employee, but because it tells me when he's in the office.

. . .and I subscribe to Zelmo's page just cos I am plain nosey

Yeah, it's songs most of the time for me. It's not great mystery though: I listen to my MP3 player on the way to work, and one of those songs will drift around in my head until it makes its way to the forefront. Right now it's Nickelback's "Learn the Hard Way" (from a Kerran! magazine compilation album).

Hardly eer a song for me, unless its one I'm writing and working on, useually I'm just thinking of bread, bulk fermentation times, ways to alter and improve the poolish pre-ferment and suchlike.... at this very moment as I opened up my PS and then found this conversation, I was thinking 'how long shall I leave this final bulk ferment for...'

So not one of you ever thinks about sex then, aye right!

Hmm...

I tend to think about interactions that have occurred between people or that may happen and all the different ways they could have gone, that sort of thing. Just background musings for the most part. Thinking about my relationships (with any and everybody) and things that have been said, misunderstandings, how they've come about, how I might solve a problem...

I also occasionally fantasize about just going the hell home and quitting.

Oh, and all the other jobs I'd love to do if I was willing to devote my whole life to them...

Right now: going home.

Generally: things that have just happened or are just about the happen and sometimes what' actually happening right now.

Usually music- at the moment its a song by Ron Sexsmith that I can't find the chords for so it's bugging the crap out of me! Takes my mind of shuffling papers all day.

Oh, and sex.... accompanied by music.

Whisky!!!!!!




Got none!!!


GT

Right now - a Jar of Mayonnaise and Quantum Mechanics....

Usually music for me, or my internal dialogue. yes I talk to myself inside my head.

mini

Yep. Songs. We often have the radio playing in the office, and the radio station we like doesn't have a very extensive playlist, meaning it's quite frequent to hear the same songs two or three times in the same day, so one of them will stick.

Our all time worst was "Over the Rainbow", five times on the same afternoon. It is a very nice song and all that, but frankly! *five* *times*?! We ended up tuning onto a different radio station with carppy music, just to hear something else.

Now it's "Yourself" by the Manic Street Preachers, an old album track from 'Gold Against the Soul', which I bought quite recently. I popped out for lunch, and it was on my MP3 player as I walked out the door.

Usually daydreaming about my forthcoming Scottish holiday (miles of twisty single track road, leading to some of the most stunning and peaceful countryside in Britain) - but for some reason this morning, the landslide in Scarborough when the Holbeck Hall hotel fell over the edge... I was walking along one of the cliff paths about two hours before they collapsed!

At the moment I'm thinking about sex, and a 'friend' of mine, and at teh same time trying to do maths in my head for the bread I want to make tommorrow... none of these thoughts are helping the other work well...