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

As a leisure sailor, the flatness of the Earth would have profound effects on my behaviour. I might certainly entertain the idea of a bigger engine.

Okay, good point.

If the planet were flat, you could sail off the edge, which I certainly hope you never do.

Not necessarily. If the world were actually flat but folded as a Klein bottle, nobody could fall off anything.

Have you ever seen how many fruit flies and mosquitoes get caught up in those Klein bottles? A real nuisance to a vacationer.

If it were "folded" like that, it wouldn't be flat. It would be rounded.

It could be shaped like a a Mobius strip, except that parts of it would hang upside down.

When I was at university I was on a list to do a placement in France. (As it went, I didn't go, but that's not important right now).

One of the pieces of advice the uni authorities offered potential foreign placement students was this: go to church. Even if you're not religious, rock up to the local god-shop and do the kneely-down, standy-up, singing songs thing. It's a ready-made welcoming support network. I can see how that would work, if you were vulnerable and alone in a foreign country. It's also obviously a benefit if you're otherwise emotionally vulnerable - lonely, or whatever.

Can't see the benefit to self-sufficient people of sound mental health, though.

My sister-in-law owns a rental property along the coast of North Carolina. She says that the locals always want to know what church you go to.

In France, at least 80% of the population is said to be Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5 to 10%, and the rest unaffiliated. I would imagine that unless you were in a large city in France, Roman Catholic would be the one choice open to you.

I do feel that "community" is one thing religious folks have that i'd like. Being an atheist in rural Texas is a lonely condition.

I joined a "meet up" group online for "free thinkers" that met up once a month at a dive bar in Houston. I quite enjoyed those nights. The unconditional acceptance some churches offer is something I could appreciate.

I do go to church once a week and enjoy chatting with a lovely group of people. It's a methodist church, but it's on a Wednesday evening and it's for my weekly diet group*. I do feel that if I ever moved to another area, this would give me an instant "in" in the same way a church community would. The same could probably be said for other groups, such as the WI, exercise classes, hobby clubs, theU3A, etc.

Deb

* No, it's nothing like on Little Britain and it works for me so shut up

Missed opportunity there, let me fix it for you:

"No, it's nothing like on Little Britain and it works for me so yeah, but, no, but, I never done nuffin and anyway Kelly made me do it so yeah but no but SHUT UP!"