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

Well, given that it is mostly Microsoft Solitaire and My Little Pony that I play, I don't think GCHQ would be that interested I do my occasional Times Crosswords offline, so they won't see how good (or not) I am at that

Have you tried the GCHQ Christmas quiz? I haven't had time to get very far with it yet - currently at the Semaphore puzzle.

This is the starting point:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35058761

Ooo I like Hanjie, so I'll certainly have a go at that for starters

PH: Fixing something but in doing so, creating a new problem.
'Just tip it forward' was the suggestion to clear my dishwasher's error code, and indeed it worked, but now the machine trips out my fusebox when it finishes the rinse cycle (presumably some water got somewhere it shouldn't be)so I've just substituted one problem for another.

While it dries out, I'm attempting to use the pre-rinse cycle to wash everything, by chucking a kettle of hot water in at the start and doing another pre-rinse at the end...has anyone ever tried this?

I'm still regretting buying the model with the built-in tumble drier.

It must have produced smashing results.

Well, my ph for today is that puzzle...

I wondered how they would put a message a grid and now I know, but it is an almost impossible challenge to decrypt it with the limited tools I have at my disposal... GCHQ must have a BYOD policy

Are you sure you're cut out for this spying thing?

Well, my name may be Q, SashaQ, but I would need this Q --> A291728 to supply me with the gadgets

Numerous Petty Hates today.

1. Repairs that don't last. I had to take my car back to have an exhaust bracket rewelded. The original repair didn't last a day.

2. Drivers who don't indicate at roundabouts. This happened twice on the way back from taking my car in today.

3. Technology that doesn't last. Yesterday my Samsung tablet stopped accessing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It's less than a year old, but more than one month old. Apparently this means that the shop I bought it from doesn't have to give me a refund or replacement. Instead it has to go back to Samsung for repair or replacement. This means I'll be without it until after Christmas, which really means until next year.

4. Messing up making tea. At about 11am I made myself a pot of tea - or so I thought. At about 11.50, after a lengthy call to various tech support people, I went to pour the tea, thinking it would be stewed after that amount of time. I got there and found that I'd left the tea cosy off. OK, make that stewed and cold. Then I noticed the tea bag next to the pot. All I had to drink was some warmish water.

I am not a cheerful Dragon.

1. Drivers who don't indicate PROPERLY at roundabouts. I'm leaving here.....NO! FOOLED YOU! I'm leaving here!

2. Messed up tea? I have a strategy if someone else is making it. If I don't trust them (my daughter is one of those) I opt for instant coffee. It is already so messed up, it takes true talent and effort to louse it up even more. Tea can so easily be made undrinkable. (Of course, MY undrinkable may be YOUR perfect).

PP.

PP, the drivers I encountered yesterday didn't indicate at all. One of them was positioned to go straight on, so I started to cross the road. He then turned left, into the road I was crossing. I was too far across to go back, so I had to hurry to the other side. I'm disabled. Hurrying is something I don't do well. Another aspect of the rotten day I had yesterday.

I'm hoping that today will be better.

I have to cross a road twice a day, and it's currently being dug up, so there are traffic lights controlling one-way traffic. Everybody now drives at 50mph rather than 30, in case they get caught by a red light. It makes it a death trap for pedestrians.

The siting and use of temporary traffic lights generally fails to take pedestrians' needs into account. In urban areas this isn't always a problem. Country roads are another matter. These can be narrower and/or have reduced visibility. I agree that sometimes it's the drivers' behaviour that makes the situation hazardous. I wish that people (planners and drivers) would think about what they are doing and take pedestrians into account.

How we got here: http://youtu.be/vxopfjXkArM

Alright, ladies and gents! It's been much too long, so it has!

I browsed the threads last night and noticed people wondering about me - thank you, PP, and Cheerful Dragon, it warmed my heart, and I'm glad you remember me. I had forgotten my login, but the lovely Mods helped me gain access, so ah'm back!

I graduated in July with my Masters. Was in NYC for the summer. Forgot about this place.

Now, on to business.

Facebook is not. A. Diary. OK? No one gives a damn if you don't like an aspect of your carer's personality. Talk to them, not Facebook.

Today's PH: Twice weekly off peak commute to London is going to cost nearly 10% more in january. Trains are usually shabby, grubby and late.

Welcome back, Anna. Well done on finishing your degree. We were genuinely worried, as you sometimes seemed very unhappy about things.

Today's PH: Not having a day off work for six weeks.

My own fault, this is what happens when you work for yourself. But I'm *definitely* (if I can) shutting the brewery down for a few days over the holiday season. I need a break!

PH: Getting scrooged yet again. The President again gave civil servants a half day off for Christmas eve. Traditionally, contractors at NASA also give their employees the same. But yet again, my company has claimed to have no way to account for the time so if we want to take off we have to use our personal PTO. The other company on our contract did give their employees the half day off and an email went out announcing this to ALL the folks on this contract.

Also, no bonus this year (again).