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

*brings Hyp a warm blanket, a hot-water bottle and some herbal tea which will help with the nausea and cramps. Administers a very gentle head and neck massage - then tiptoes off as Hyp settles into a restful and healing snooze.....

You can accumulate sick leave in the US? Here in the UK you're generally allowed one day off before having to go all stiff upper lip and sit at work slowly infecting the rest of the office (most of whom will then be off sick by the time you're better).

But then we *do* have the longest working hours and the fewest public holidays in Europe.

*gladly accepts the tea, hot water bottle and blankie*

Mr. D, it depends on where you work. I get 8 hours a week, which accumulates until you reach the maximum of 640 hours.

Now, I really am off to my recliner.

Take care of yourself Hyp, my we're an unhealthy lot aren't we?

of Teuchter's massage

I've just bought eight tester pots in various shades of beige Eight! Trying to find just the right shade that doesn't have too much yellow in it and is grey/brown enough...

And I just know that none of them will look anything like the little book colours when I get them on the walls in that room How can 'neutral' be this hard?!

"how can neutral be this hard?"
Because it isn't really neutral????? Even white has lots of shades.
Good luck with your neutral hunt. Isn't painting fun?????

I'm not sure that 'neutral' really exists, either in terms of colour or politics or anything else...

I've not had any days off sick yet from the Library of Doom. If I was likely to infect others, I would take time off, honest, it's just that I don't seem to do . Five years and counting! The rules about sick leave here confuse me...

i'm considering moving to italy or spain just to have siesta-like access in the afternoon - when i need a nap the most.

Kelli, don't be too of the massage. It consisted of a strong young man finding all my knotted bits of muscle and then leaning on them hard with his thumbs.
But I'll allow you to be of the young Ozzie man - he is rather sweet.

* note to self - Behave, you dreadful old woman. You have children older than this guy

I'm afraid I would never be able to get up and go back to work after a siesta.

I always thought a siesta sounded inviting.......Now that I'm retired and could partake of siesta time, I never seem to want to. (Unless I'm suffering from lurgy, or similar afflictions.) Of course another explanation could be that I seldom ever get up before 9 am now. Retirement is wonderful!!!
Valentine greetings to all..............

[ ]

David, I'd actually argue that it's possible to imitate another person's sketch comedy and do it well. A good deal of the history of Vaudeville comedians (Warning: get Affy started on a talk about Vaudeville and he's liable to keep talking about it for days) is actually comprised of "standard" routines that were understood to be fair game for many performers to fall back on if they thought the audience could use an "easy laugh."

I mean, most people only remember Bud Abbot and Lou Costello's version of "Who's On First," but many other comedians of the time have used that routine. They just did it best (they might've done it first as well, but I can't actually remember that bit). The "Who's On First" routine works because 1) anyone can do it, and 2) anyone can change it and have it still be essentially the same joke. As such, a skilled performer can custom fit the "Who's On First" routine to whatever suits their interests.

My favorite version of Who's On First (after the legendary Abbot/Costello version, of course) was actually done by Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. He played the first President Bush in a sketch, trying to prep for a big talk on foreign relations.

"Okay, now China's a big deal. Who's in charge there right now?"
"That's right."
"What?"
"That's right."
"...look, just tell me his name."
"Who?"
"Yes."
"Who."

Etc., etc. He got creative with it near the end.

"Okay, fine. Now, can you let me know who I'm supposed to call about this conflict in Israel?"
"Yassir."
"....well?"
"Well what?"

...I'm suddenly in the mood to read Checkerboard Nightmare just thinking about all this.

Sorry, forgot my point going into that.

Anyway, while it's possible to do a piece of sketch comedy well, most amateurs don't know how to make the concepts behind the Python sketches mold to their own personality. As such, it either winds up being a flat joke, or it's difficult to hear under a badly forced British accent.

So while I agree that most laughs from reenacting Monty Python are because the crowd in general remembers how funny it was when they saw the real thing, I also think that a skilled performer would be able to pull it off just as well as the originals.

The problem, though, is that by the time you're a skilled performer, you have your own routines and don't need to rely on sages like Monty Python to guide you.

Can't rest. Head hurts now on top of everything else. Yes, we are a poorly lot lately. Even our beasties. Rocky threw up twice this morning. Which didn't do my stomach a lot of good cleaning it up.

And I don't get 8 hours sick leave a week. That would be very liberal indeed. It's 8 hours a month. We also have a pretty decent family leave setup. And the library pays 100% of my insurance and pension contributions. Makes up a little for the lousy wages. But I can only accumulate 6 weeks of vacation before I start losing it.

*pops in for a before heading to the library to teach online*

What did we do before the Internet was invented?

Feel better Hyp.

Off to bed now. 8.00 o'c might seem early, but I fell asleep twice today during the presentations I was sitting through. And I went to them as a cushy option instead of doing real work.

Right: Kettle, Hot Water Bottle, clean duvet cover....

B

Why are the sofas in need of upholstery did they get stained from some out of control wine tasting party or are they a bit frayed around the edges same as me.

Hi, mereside3, and welcome to Lil's Atelier. I'm glad you found us here. How is your exploration of h2g2 coming along?

The sofas should be back shortly, I'm sure you will find one of the recliners very comfortable while we wait for the sofas to return.

I just popped in for a quick lookaround, but I DO like the decor here.

I shall have to return after sleep.

Otherwise I`ll be sleeping during my own presentations.

In the meantime,