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

Did u get this from that new Mark Owen song, Mort?
I ain't heard it but i think i might well download it and then play it if that ever happens - it'd make a good soundtrack to the end ^_^

Yes, it was the new Mark Owen song. (which i think is great BTW!!!)

It's the kind of song you would have heard in the 80's but seems to me just as relevant now as it was then.

Perhaps i should have explained for the non Brits. The 4 minute warning is what the UK would get if there was a nuclear missile launch from communist states (no names mentioned) It is a well known phrase here - well it is for those born in the 70's or before. I think in the USA they used to show info clips saying - duck roll and cover. Has anyone seen the animation film 'when the wind blows'? We were told to paint a door white and angle it at 40 degrees against a wall.

Although the cold war has ended, there are new and deadlier foe about.

Whats more dangerous - someone fighting for their country and what they believe in or someone fighting for what they believe in, who is prepeared to sacrifice their life to do it?

Those that traditionally had nuclear weapons had the forsight to know when/if there was any point using them - ie in reality no point at all. Who is the winner when everybody is dead??
Others have the same power that don't think the same, they are happy to die knowing the others will die first. Sorry - i know that is 1980's thinking but it is also very relevant. You only have to look at the Pakistan/India problems, and others...

That is why i would laugh and cry, and mentioned the Depeche Mode song Blasphemous Rumours - which basically says that God (whichever you worship) has a sick sense of humour.

We no longer have the fear of a 4 minute warning because the cold war ended. Oh we are so invincible - Europe and the USA. The mighty powers. But nothing is more powerful than a man that believes in his religion, even if it means death for him and many others. If you believe so strongly in something then nothing will stop you.

We are all so comfortable in our own little worlds, but the reality is, that behind closed doors, our future has always and will always hang in the balance.

Negative? Yes, but realistic.

The Mark Owen song is a good reminder, for those that have forgotten the fear.

sorry, some UK people's overreaction is like cornered by .

the overreaction reminds of the USA telling kids to sit under their school bench when heard nuclear alarm. USA people in the street should lay doen and put their coats over the their heads when nuclear alarm sounded.

next time you are planing trip to shop warn your self 4 minutes before start walking for cars and busses, because they kill more than nuclear bombs



we can bomb the world to pieces
but we can't bomb it into peace
from "bomb the world" by Michael Franti and Spearhead

I don't think people went round worrying about it - it was just something in the background that they couldn't do much about. People were more concerned with day to day matters. Risk is still something that we aren't good at assessing rationally - we do dangerous things without a thought & worry about things that are very low risk.

Asked before? Well not if you don't meanmore or less constantly since they invented the 4 minute warning in about 1958 or soemthing. I remeber discussing this in myschool debating society...and Im pushing 60 now!

So much depends on where you are who with etc.

Just a thought..haven't they improved on the 4 minutes inthe last 40 odd years? You'd think it would be more or less instataneous by now...better for everyone if it has to happen at all I would think!

y bother with warnings .........

Or Ws or Hs!

Perhaps it would be best not to see it coming. Or maybe not. Would you rather know that you are going to die in four minutes or be caught by surprise?

What Four minute warning are we atalking about here? The one that we aren't going to get anymore because the Russians aren't about to attack us and none of them others who have warheads have ICBM capability?

Or is this the one that OBL's gonna give us before the first suitcase dirty bomb is detonated downtown?

The four minute warning is history. Welcome to the age of no warning at all.

Didn't someone mention a rather longer 45 minutes, in relation to WMD?

For some reason, the thing going through my mind is the advice given to Arthur and Ford by the Guide when they are trapped under an enormous rock with no hope of escape. To quote:

"What to do when trapped under an enormous rock with no hope of escape: Consider how good life has been to you so far. Or, if life has not been good to you (which given your present predicament seems more likely), consider how lucky you are that it won't be troubling you much longer."

I have no idea if this is relavant. I just had to get it out of my head.


Geggs

Seems entirely relevant to me. And appropriate...

Michael Franti is in NZ right now, Pheloxi. I like the quote from him in your post.

In North America we had a "20 minute warning".
Which gives you about 16 more minutes to fill.

For a glimpse at atomic terror in action see the Edited Guide entry:

A563852

My personal experience of what did happen when the 20 minute warning was given has been included there under the heading 'Personal Perspectives'.

Post 22 above has set off all sorts of fuzzy logic receptors in my mind, giving me the very uneasy feeling that Mort has had a premonition of the next 9/11. If only we could hear and see what he has 'heard' or 'seen'. That image of the white-door left ajar is quite haunting.


~jwf~

4 minute warning? never heard of it. what would i do? probably eat a kebab


or have sex

I always assumed you only get 4 minutes so you don't have time to have sex. Although offspring might be interesting with all that radiation about.

In Hiroshima some of the survivors had stripey burn marks. They found out these people had been wearing clothes that were black with white stripes, and the white parts had reflected the heat.

ready steady cook

4 minutes to go

Quickie with the missus whilst eating a foot long sarnie from Subway and listening to Dark Is Easy by The Lo-Fidelity Allstars because it's great and I'd have to hear it one last time!

I'm sure the missus will be duly comforted by the proximity of both Subway sarnies and the Lo Fidelity All Stars to your heart...

Trust me mate, she'll love it!
...at least I hope so.
Oh no! You've filled me with doubt you scamp!
OK then how about just a quickie with the missus whilst listening to the Lo-Fi's, I can live without the sarnie...I think.