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

Yeah, I know, I know... give the Valley talk a rest.

I figured any greater conversation along these lines would best be initiated away from the new guy's user page, since, as a non-Californian (poor guy ) he probably wouldn't have much care for it.

Anyway, I live well outside of the Valley, in the Inland Empire, but I once worked in Van Nuys... terrible commute, that. So do you really live in the Valley?

Du-hu-hu-hu-huuude!! gnarly man! That makes you the first Californian i've met on here... i could almost *hear* gagme's confusion... he had no idea his name would spark that much attention!

I'm totally valley, but i don't live there anymore... thank GOD!! talk about the devil's armpit! more like tom arnold's belly button!

yich.

My mom lived in van nuys for years.. she just moved to reseda. she says she likes those areas cuz she can have a whole garage for her art studio... i don't know, but that's where my grand parents used to live.. when i was VERY little, and it was still a yuppie neighborhood.

I was in canoga park/winnetka area, working in chatsworth and reseda for 2 years, but just moved up north to the bay area last year... couldn't handle the anger in the valley!

the bay area is heaven on earth... i'm tellin' ya.. it's got EVERYTHING... and it's CLEAN!

So how do you like where you're at?


S.Z.

I may be the first you've met, but I won't be the last. Spartus is in OC, Lupa Mirabilis is from the IE like me, and our glorious Virtual Mayor of London, Fenchurch M. Mercury, lives in San Diego. Can't remember any other specific people, but I know I've run into a few others.

As for the valley being an armpit, I totally agree, and I congratulate you on your escape. I only worked there a month, and I hated it.

The IE isn't so bad, but it's got its armpitty qualities... it's boring, it's smoggy, etc. I wrote a Guide Entry on the subject, if you want more information. But still, it's got gorgeous SoCal weather, it's not far from anything, and the traffic is much better.

Wow! that IS a lot of people! and all quite active! wonder if we should get together a california forum....

the san francisco area is amazing cuz it has 2 that the rest of ca. will never have... PERFECT, clear skies (being right on the ocean) and BEAUTIFUL weather. it's never too hot or too cold, and contrary to popular belief, it only rains during the winter months. add to that all the culture, education, and basic civility of the place, and it's the closest thing to heaven in america!
so how long have you lived in the IE?

S.Z.*

I wouldn't be opposed to a gathering of California researchers myself... in fact, we once pondered the possibility of getting together for a Christmas party, since all the English researchers were able to do so... but there just weren't enough of us, and we were strrung out all over the state. Still, the site does offer other correspondence alternatives.

This particular stint in the IE has only been a year long, but I've lived here most of my life. I was born and raised here, and left home when I was 18. Went off to see new places and do weird things while I served a terrible tenure in the Navy. I spent time in Chicago (hated it) Virginia (boring as hell, but DC was close) and Hawaii (loved it, but it was going to Helena Handbasket during my last two years there, so it was time to go), and just decided that the IE was where I belong... at least for now.

How long were you in Hawaii? i grew up on st. thomas (usvi). what were you doing there?

I considered joining the navy, still flirt with the idea now and then... pretty sure i wouldn't be able to stand it. probably the coast guard would be more up my alley... dunno..

if i can get some good graphics i'll start a cali. forum.. need some pictures of traffic jams, smog, and police chases!


SZ

Perfect way to represent the state. I tried to put some of that in my article on LA, but all the Mexican food and police brutality sections were cut out.

I went into the navy because I lacked other options. I was there for six years, and became a computer geek. I spent 4 1/2 of those years assigned to a ship homeported in Pearl Harbor. The whole experience was a roller coaster of soaring peaks and abyssmal lows, but I suppose if I had it to do all over again, I would. But there's no way I'd spend one day longer than necessary.

Anyway, I spent my time in Hawaii experiencing the culture, drinking, hiking, diving, and getting completely drunk. Did I mention anything about drinking?

LOL! so didja do any drinking while you were down there?

you said diving... scuba? hmm. i once went out with a friend who (unbeknownst to us) had been drinking. he went down too fast and ended up popping a lung!

anyhoo... it's 1.30, and i tink i should head off to bed. i'm gonna watch 3 kings first... night!

I was smart enough not to combine my drinking and diving, so I lived, and only have some attractive coral scars to show for the experience.

Well, anyway, now you know why I chose the nickname I did, especially since I was still in Hawaii when I chose it. But now that I'm properly civilized, and I've gotten all of that out of my system, I don't drink nearly so much.

coral scars? didja run into fire coral? there's not much of that in the vi.. thank god.

ok, i really have to go to bed. having stayed up this late laid me open to assault by Access Hollywood. i could have happily lived my life without hearing how christina aguillera (sp? who cares?) is mad at the slim shady song... girl has nothing better to do with her time, eh?
I REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO KNOE THAT 'N SYNC IS COMING OUT WITH A MOVIE! aaaaaagh... it's one of the signs of the apocalypse!

Saint Zax*

*it's too late to worry about spelling!

And now you know why I almost never watch television...

Actually, most of my coral scars have healed up pretty nicely. I got them from various beach entries that were rougher than they looked, or tides that increased astonishingly in the 40-60 minutes I was away from shore. And, yes, I did encounter some fire coral, but that stuff is overrated, and I always had fairly decent protection. I wore a shortie, though, so my knees got it bad in some of those rough waters.

yeah, i used to wear half suits or just swimsuits, but then i got attacked by a barracuda- it took offense to my calf... since then i always wear full suits!

Wow! I don't have a war story to match... I encountered a pair of 'cudas once, but they high-tailed it before I could even point them out to my partner. Closest I've ever come to an attack is when we woke a bunch of turtles one night, and one of them started heading up for a breath. I was directly above him, but he seemed to be focused on my buddy, so I just made a noise, and he avoided me. Probably wouldn't have hurt me, but I didn't want to scare the little dude. I did get to see my buddy get snapped at by an eel once, though. He was cruising along mere inches from the coral, and he disturbed a 3 foot moray. It snapped at his calf, but didn't catch. Dude never even saw him.

Man! morays are one thing i give LOTSA space! one of my girlfriends used to work for Coral World on st thomas... her job was to feed the fish in front of the visitors... she'd go down in gear, and hand feed the nurse and lemon sharks, as well as the morays.. that's what got me the worst. those buggers were HUGE! their heads were twice the size of my fist! she had guts.

i'm gonna get some rest. it's after 5!! man. NIGHT. catchya later!