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

Well, *techincally* the only real American names are the Native American ones.

To be honest it's just amusing to have mirror cities on both sides of the pond.

Yes- I'm going to Boston (Massachussets, not Lincolnshire) for christmas, and we're going to visit Cambridge, Worcester and Manchester while we're there

Give them back their land says I.

*calms down as she realises insomnia has got the better of her*

I always think of Boston, Mass. first. I didn't know there was one here. Although I should have guessed.

What is it like in America? Is it nice?

I always thought that it was cool that in Pennsylvania - where I'm from - we have a Lancaster county and a York county. They are next to each other - and are referred respectively as the red rose and the white rose.

"Last off-topic post"

Piffle. Off toipic posts are what this site is all about...

Hooray for off topic posts!!!

Who likes pigs?

They're very nice. Does anyone know what deja vu actually means?

Yeah, go to bed, it's almost 4am.

And I'm part Native American - oddly I have few feelings either way on the issue of reservations. Of course, I'm sure that's cause I was brought up as the English-Irish-Scottish-Welsh-German-NA mutt I am rather than the Cherokee fullbloods I have about 6 generations back. I think they should be given back their native land... but... I'm not sure if that's really possible at this point (excuse my lack of familiarty with the topic). But I should shush as I've really no room to talk on the subject, having been brought up as I have.

And America, as a whole, isn't bad. The few unspoiled areas are absolutely beautiful, and some of the cities are great as well (finally got myself to NY city last summer - lovely place - and I love DC and Philly, too). You can seriously find anything here, or pretty darn close to it. And all cynicism aside, we do have a lot of freedoms.

Not great. Not perfect. But it is home for me.

1) Have you ever been to Massachussets
2) if the answer to the above is "yes", is it nice?

3) if the answer to 1 and 2 is yes, which bits are particularly nice?

forgive me but i'm going back on topic. I found h2g2 quite by accident i am a news junkie. So BBc was on my list. I'm a 49 yr old Canadian who loves to bvantger about world politics, frivilous issues etc. h2g2 has given me the opportunity to express my fee;
lings and views with other people who may or may not agree with me. This web-site has enal.ed me to feel connected to the rest of the world community.

I think that's one of the best features of the iste- it'a a global community.

In reviewing my response, I think I've had too much Scotch!!!!

You can never have too much scotch...

Last off topic post. I mean it this time.

Sorry - never been to Mass... or Boston... plan to one of these days. (hey, it's a big country. )

I know (bloody huge would prob'ly be nearer the mark), just asking on the off-chance.

And whjatb i9sn your problem with off-topic posts? And is it relayrted to my problem of pressing more than onr key at eth same time?

Okay - time to stop lurking and speak!

er...

I'm 32, single, female and trying to find enough cash to live independently again (something I did when I was a student, and would like to try and get back to doing someday - but with house prices being what they are????). I live in Wales - which, I hope, is not an instant advert for you to go somewhere else.

When I'm doing that strange thing called w*rk, I'm in an office, working for a large government organisation. In other words, I'm a civil servant (a.k.a. Pencil pusher) - but that always seems to kill conversations stone dead, so I prefer to make it sound a bit more interesting. (Hmmm *thinks* 'a.k.a. pencil pusher - new nickname in the offing? Nah...)

I also have this irritating prediliction for inserting supposedly 'witty' comments in brackets (as you will have noticed).

I came across HooToo via Babelfish on Altavista, and lurked.

And lurked.

And lurked.

Then I took myself by the scruff (well I *am* a puppy, allegedly) and signed up.

HooToo for me is a place where I can meet people I wouldn't meet in RL for the simple reason that I'm sat in an office in Wales - and they're not (and some would say: lucky them). I can say 'hi' to people all over the place, which is great stuff as far as I'm concerned. I pop in twice a day on weekdays (first thing in the morning and at lunchtime), sometimes on weekends now that we're on unmetered internet and I don't have to keep track of how long I'm online so I can pay my share of the phone bill!

I don't know about the 'Make love - not war' thing - I'm more into the 'Make interesting conversation - not war' ideal, though in my case it mean a lot of lurking in other people's interesting conversations, realising there's loads of backlog and so not posting because someone's *bound* to have already said whatever I'm thinking of saying...

The longest period of time that's passed with me not visiting HooToo is two weeks - and that was because I was on holiday, and kept forgetting to look for an internet café.

>AMY: there's Bristol's in the US too<

Fnarr Fnarr!

*adding valued comment to every thread*

Liam.

I'm 26, female, British and doing a DPhil (PhD) in Atmospheric Physics at Oxford. I'm in my fourth year - overrunning without funding, which is scary. I'm also a Guider and do lots of Guide and Brownie stuff, including an online unit for those who can't get to regular units. I started the online unit after I found h2g2 and a guiders emailing list. I was born on the Wirral and did my first degree in London. I hope to get a job at the MetOffice and move to Exeter after I finish.

I joined h2g2 pre-Rupert, took a while coming back after Rupert and then had a break during the second and third years of my DPhil. Some people remembered me and there were lots of welcome backs, others think I'm a newbie.

I own more than 42 hats.

For me, h2g2 is somewhere I can be when totally bored/frustrated/fed up/waiting for data to process or just to avoid writing my thesis. It's also a place where I can learn about new stuff, see what interests other people, see a wider range of opinions than just those of the people I know round here (most of whom went to or are at Oxford.) I don't have a lot of time to contribute articles to the Guide but I probably will do after my thesis is written.

And I need to go and catch a bus, so will stop there.

Ændr

WHO?

Me? I'm a 20 year old male originally from Basingstoke. Well I'm still from Basingstoke, come to think of it, I guess that'll never change ...

WHAT?

I'm currently in my second year at Bournemouth Uni studying Interactive Media Production. I am the least sporty person I've ever met, but that doesn't mean I'm lazy - I'm just not at all competetive when it comes down to sports. I am a procrastinator, a terrible terrible procrastinator. As the old joke goes, I haven't even got round to joining the h2g2 Procrastinators society...

I'm very opinionated. Creative. Dyslexic. Confused.

I enjoy writing but never seem to channel it into anything substantial these days, apart from the odd essay. I'm a drummer. A web designer. A videogames enthusiast. A critic. I love music and am a part-time radio DJ. I play drums in at least three bands. I am a notoriously cynical person AND a Christian - make of that what you will. I've got the straight edge, and have very little spare time.

I also tend to go on a bit.

WHAT? (er... again)

I get all sorts of things out of h2g2. But the main one is that I just love being a part of it. The CONCEPT is so good, and the way it has been put into practice is fantastic. The community which has developed around it is unlike any other I've come across online. And I mean that in a positive sense. Just the fact that the whole thing is just so damn keeps me coming back. And of course, h2g2 never sleeps. There's always SOMETHING new to catch my interest, and when you've just got an always-on connection, that can't be a good sign.

>off topic post again<

Guider? Guides? Brownies?

I was a brownie once.

The Devils tool! The Devils tool!!

I didn't think they still existed...