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

Why apologize to me? I didn't do it. I would be cringing along with you. It was probably someone who's is only used to traveling to places like Mexico where they put US$ prices on items with a 25% gringo mark-up for lazy ignorant tourists.

fords, it´s hard to stay aware of exchange rates. It´s not sooo long ago that $5 were real real money in Italy.

$5US = €3.93 currently.

Might buy you a bratwurst. But aged citizens remember the times when US$10 in Europe could tide you over for a week.

Thatto reminds meo

In Uganda, 1950s it was ee - Don'tee you understandee me? Fetchee some wateree

Anyway. (little story upcoming)

My Dad's offices had this objective: that the Brit employees should be able to make everyday requests in Swahili, and there was a test...

Tell him to come over to you (kuja hapa - come here)
'Kuja hapa'
Tell him to go over there (kwenda huku - go there)
Pause... walks to the door
'Kuja hapa'

"jail" in Swahili?
Hoteli Kingi Georgi

Yeah - 'sright!

Robert Fulton's famous (if not actually the world's first) Steamboat was not named the *Clermont*. Clermont, New York was merely the first stop on its route and the reason for this nick name. It was actually named *North River Steamboat*.

Now THAT I did not know.
And I'm a big Fulton fan.
I watch "Little Old New York" whenever it's on TV.
Haven't seen it for years.
Perhaps the Truth has rendered it meaningless today.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032719/

"Storyline
Steamboat inventor Robert Fulton shows up in New York in 1807.
Tavern keeper believes in him, but her boyfriend doesn't. All
seems lost when sailors afraid of losing their jobs burn his boat."


~jwfulton~

On his death bed, Aldus Huxley asked his wife to administer LSD. She obliged.

She could have done it cheaper. The oil pressed from parsley seed has the same effects.

Parsley seeds? Really?
(Sorry that may not be a useless fact.)


Aldous Huxley's house in Hollywood is in the hills
right under the Hollywood sign. His widow lived there
until her recent passing, Dec 17th, 2007.

"Laura Huxley's house for the last 50-odd years stood below
the first "O" in the fabled "HOLLYWOOD" sign in Los Angeles.
The garden was a profusion of triffid-like foliage and Laura was
often to be seen pruning the roses in a gigantic straw hat.
Even into her nineties, she had impish wit."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/laura-huxley-widow-of-aldous-huxley-765500.html


~jwf~

Is that so?

I am totally growing parsley in the herb garden this year!

By the great horned google!

>> Not even furanocoumarins can account for the difficulties
medieval virgins encountered while planting parsley. <<

http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/herbs/parsley.htm


~jwf~

Woolly Mammoths had a butt plug!

They had a plate-sized pad at the base of their tails, which was inserted into the anus, when not otherwise occupied, to prevent heat loss.

If we ever go to a mammoth restaurant remind me not to order that bit.

And to remind you to specify the pottery

Yes, I may ask for a bowl rather than a plate.

There's a booklet issued by a librarian of this town...

We have Streets named Edward, Prince, Duke and Wales.

Would you believe that Duke St was renamed some little time ago?

Yes, it was...and
Yes, it was.