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

who got "them" to change "new Amsterdam" to "New York"

I can answeer that.

In 1664, James, the Duke of York sent a naval squadron. Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrendered New Amsterdam, which was renamed in honor of the Duke. Interestingly, James was the brother of King Charles II. The squadron's commander was Colonel Richard Nicolls.

So, Peter Minuit bought Manhattan for 60 guilders, and it then passed into other hands for mere Nicolls (nickels).

I've heard it say that it was never bought, only rented.

Anyway, not my problem, so I'll leave it to others.

for having been out of the loop. I was out travelling, seeing old friends and such.

"Chasing individual stocks is a losing strategy." Yep - unless you find that very special one: One that is new on the market with a product hitherto unknown but in great demand and can't be copied because patents.

We'll see how that goes. I've only invested pennies that I can afford to loose. Much like pennies for scratch cards.

They say that even when the market is crashing, maybe one stock in ten will still go up. And when it's soaring, maybe one stock in ten will be going down.

Do you really want to stake your life savings on an ability to find the one stock in ten that defies the odds, and avoid the one sure thing that tanks even in a bull market?

I know you're investing money you can afford to lose.

for the info Paul, I've learnt something new.

"Do you really want to stake your life savings on ... the one stock ... that defies the odds"

Definitely only a fraction of my savings, but I really have trust in this one

I think you have some common sense, Pierce, so it's fine. This is a thread that many people might be reading, so I'd like to put things in perspective for the greater good.

savings! err! what's that ? my wallet is that thin, I've welded some of the slots up. My bank says - WHEN are you putting something in, instead of just taking out

Te silver lining for that is that you can't afford to waste moneyo n lottery tickets.

Since I don't have many that I can afford to lose I'm actually only in the game to learn something new. And for the sport or excitement or whatever

As for winning on the stock exchange or in the lottery the wisest words I have heard on the matter is that money won't make you happy but it is more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than on a bicycle

I'm happy with a Nissan Versa.

My dream of a biodegradable car is probably not going to be realized during my lifetime, but at least I can usually find a parking space big enough for what I have.

As for housing, I read somewhere that the average person only uses about 700 square feet of living space. That's about what I have, so I'm getting it exactly right without wasting resources.

I have 1097.9188658 square feet according to a converter I found on the web

But I don't have a car

However, I have four bicycles

But two of them are old, rusty and broken. Beyond repair, I fear

Not enough to make me , though. I can only ride one at a time anyway

I admire and respect the people who invented bicycles and made them popular. Back in those days, there were people who traveled across all the continents on bicycles. I've never been able to ride one without tipping over . But if bicycles were the most common transportation, tricycles and tricycle rickshaws would be everywhere. I could do fine with those.

You need a three wheel recumbent, like a Catrike.

http://youtu.be/T6akediKZvk

I recently saw one of these, but this one was equipped with a cabin made of carbon fiber which reduced wind resistance and protected the cyclist from rain

However, I would never ride one on our regular streets and country roads

We are one of the most cycling nations in the World and thus our motorists are used to having cyclists around them at all times, but accidents still happen anyway of course and when they do one is more exposed as a cyclist than as a motorist

The previous mayor of Boston proposed hundreds of miles of new bikes paths.

Money etc = my lucks THAT bad, if I went to hell for fortnights holiday, I'd come back without a tan