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

Sacrifices to the Gods of Basic Literacy??? I add a link to a page I set up a few weeks ago, to the Other Pantheon of Gods. The Gods of Basic Literacy belong on there, along with any other Deities you can think of. http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F19585?thread=122716 "Whose name do you take in vain?" Feel free to add, in case the Gods become Small Gods and turn into tortoises (or small spiders)! x x Fenny

(Ooh, Discworld!)
Local Papers offend the gods of Basic Literacy more than anything, who celebrate their being cast into the flames.
We've been disassembling our kitchen of late, and the toaster's in a dark corner. I've been pondering how many creatures may have fallen in and been consumed at one time or another... but everything tastes the same when charcoaled.

No wonder I have nightmares! I just had a flashback from the horrible description of the untimely end of two spiders in "James & the Giant Peach" where they are painted to the wall and death from starvation and fumes occurs! But Dahl was always into horrible descriptions!

x x Fenny (now quivering wreck!)

.... that's why I *loved* him so much when I was a child (and still do, by the way). Bless Roald Dahl!

And some people hate him because they say he didn't like children. That's just the way to treat them- be horrible, rude and disgusting and they can't get enough of you.
What a truly great man he was.

My office is full of spider-plants! There's one on every desk, and we keep getting new shoots!

Anyone got any phobias about plants with lots of greenery?

x x Fenny

Stinging Neetles.. if you got stoned off them, I'd be a rich man. As it is, I can't see the point.

Neetles. What's wrong you never heard of them or summit?

As a kid, I couldn't see much difference between neetles, nettles and thistles (let alone thissels.) They all hurt when you touched them.

They also tried to tell me caterpillars were poisonous. I didn't believed that any more than I thought spiders were poisonous! (I'm not denying that either are, just mentioning what I thought at age 5!)

x x Fenny

You've just reminded me, when I was 5 or 6, elders used to say, "Don't touch the hairy catapillars, because they're poisonous." Now what was all that about. Because they're not. Aren't they?

...Minutes afterward, I am able to announce the fruit of some serious Encyclopaedia Brittanica (online) research:

Caterpillars do not appear to be poisonous. I submit that our parents thought it would be a good idea to misinform us, in order that our tender little stomachs didn't try to digest tomorrow's butterflies (who knows, perhaps they are poisonous if you try to eat them?)

x x Fenny (going to reacquaint myself with my bed!)

Caterpillars are poisonous sometimes to things that eat them, which is why they come in such pretty colours. However some of the furry ones have irritant hairs, similar to tarantulas. I doubt they occur in this country, though. Maybe our elders were preparing us for disaster should we ever travel abroad.

'this country' = England?

This country = England, for Mandragora and Fenny, at least!

x x Fenny

This is one thing I can't get over with the Guide. Someone suddenly posting something like "Over here in Guatemala..." etc. It's very educational.
Yes, boring dreary damp England, with its single poisonous snake (and that feeble)and complete lack of creatures that squirt disfiguring acid.
Anyone from Brazil with anecdotes about the Brown Recluse Spider? There's a nasty one.

I've always been told that the most poisonous frog lives in Brazil as well!
And Australia has got a whole range of deadly sneaky beasts too... (on the land and in the water)

Japan, noted for its giant insects -- Mothra -- is home to a rather pretty centipede that resembles a grey and white striped feather. It also moves quite rapidly, zipping along the floor, wall or even ceiling, which enhances its feather-likeness.

It's bite is venomous, similar to the Black Widow spider, and has been known to kill small animals and children. It will bite if it happens to land on you and you attempt to brush it off...

Makes you jump a bit if you see one!

I understand one of the more deadly snakes, the Mamba, will actually chase you... and it is quite fast.

Suddenly, spiders don't seem so bad

It's interesting that someone mentioned stinging nettles - a couple of days ago we were discussing them and wondering what countries other than the UK they occur in. Apparently the Romans brought them to England - so presumably they have them in Italy? And possibly wherever else the Romans went?

Do you have them in the US? I dont' believe they occur in OZ.

If they only occur in the UK, does this mean that I can sell some?

NETTLES!!! LOVELY STINGEY NETTLES!!! COME AND GET YOUR LOVELY STINGY STINGING NETTLES!!!

MAKE SOUP!!!

COLOUR YOUR WOOLIES GREEN!!!

CAMMON!!! YOU KNOW YOU WANT EM!!!