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

I'm interested that you say that, TC, given that it was you who started the conversation without any words

PHotD: mollycoddling.

Deb, Mala: I think I might get the Inspiron cos it is cheaper... I'm getting it through someone else and they have a budget, sadly. Mr D: *hugs* You might never get over it and that’s OK. I'm not, I still carry everything it gave, and mourn what it took away. It’s alright to be upset at this group and what they claim to do- or don't do.

Sho: mollycoddling when you’re 22!

Not so much a PH but when a good drink knocks you flat out for hours and you wake at 4pm. I’m talking a can of Kopparberg here, which is not much. Then being yelled at for sleeping late. I wouldn’t have heard the damn alarm anyway!

Touché, Sho!

Actually, that was an exercise for myself to see if I could train myself to look at smileys and not just ignore them. To see if smileys could serve as a form of communication. It worked for a while, but didn't convince me, really, and, again, it wasn't of consequence.

I tend to only use smiles to graphically express my meaning.

And I have to admit, I prefer the term emoticon for them. That's kinda how I see them too, a graphical way of letting those you're chatting with "see" your facial expression.

...and my face looks like the back of a

Betcha we wouldn't think that! PH: time. I never have enough, dammit.

it wasn't a criticism, TC, it just never dawned on me that you didn't see the emoticons as part of the conversation

I find the way different people use emoticons interesting. I use them as an iconical representation of facial expression/body language, others use them in place of existing words. I do wonder what it will be like in another ten years time, will we have graphical representations for even more words?

PH: thinking too much about trivia.

Absolutely, we will - have you *seen* the clamouring people do to get smilies made of their favourite words?

It can get incredibly childlish and petulant, and taken way too seriously. (And that's also a PH of mine, by the way...)

I WANT MY INSPIRON AND IT'S NOT THERE AND I WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTT! *stamps foot*

PH: wanting things that you can't seem to get. I am leaving soon, I neeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddddddd it.

Relax, Anna. It'll come soon enough, and you'll be telling us all about how much you hate all its little annoying quirks.

PHotD

work looking for staff to do temporary duty in NI, but not in my grade

Wasps.

I'm getting it through someone else, KB, and it’s not on their website and I WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNTTTTTTTTT IT NOW DAMMIT! The reviews have been good mind you, apart from the odd keyboard apparently. I don't care, it’s got nice switchable lids so I want it. I hope it can be got!

long text making the screen too wide

Red or Black. Honestly ITV, you cannot be that desper- hang on, maybe you can.

the fact that I'm busy today but it's sunny so I need to add cutting the grass to my ever growing list of Things To Do.

People who turn the radio down instead of off. I have lost count of the number of times I have gone to switch a radio on, only to find it has been on all the time; probably for days at a time.

Astrology. Especially when people use their astrological sign as a means of explaining their personality quirks.

Brass signs with horrible greened stone around it. You see it everywhere- the brass gets polished with brass polish and the cloth wipes the stone around it. It looks really really awful, and it's an irrational petty hate of mine.

Is it really necessary to cake polish over brass anyway- would soapy water not achieve the same thing? When I worked in electrical retail I used to really hate the idiots who would insist on using polish on all the shiny plastic; it just scratches it severely .