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

Copied from the official page about the Family and Medical Leave Act (so both maternal and paternal):

FMLA applies to all public agencies, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, and companies with 50 or more employees. These employers must provide an eligible employee with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for any of the following reasons:

for the birth and care of the newborn child of an employee;
for placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care;
to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

Employees are eligible for leave if they have worked for their employer at least 12 months, at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles. Whether an employee has worked the minimum 1,250 hours of service is determined according to FLSA principles for determining compensable hours or work.

Wow a big adventure for a 9 year old. I would have thought the noise factor would have made a bigger impression. Maybe Boston was not as bad as Philadelphia or NYC.

Did you do OK in the traffic. If I were your parents I would have been paranoid about you crossing streets and grabbed your hand at all times (which usually appals 9-year-olds here).

If we had those cute little red squirrels of yours, the tree rat thing might not have occured. Check out A87739645 in for cute tree critters.

I have always been offended by Lucky Charms commercials and prayed that no Irish people were watching --besides having yucky marshmellows they were exceedingly bad.

As a young adult, I remember NOT being impressed by people in the hospitality industry in the UK, but being thrilled by the country people in Ireland and the B&B we stayed at in Dublin. We rented a horse caravan and traveled the back roads of Ireland near Trallee and the Dingle. It was and the people on the whole were truly gracious and kind.

"If we had those cute little red squirrels of yours, the tree rat thing might not have occured."

We *had* the red squirrels, now we mostly have tree rats.

I didn't send the grey or black ones there.

"Adverts which belittled and named the competition"

Donds to that. Election-time attack ads in particular seem a very alien concept to my British eyes.

Conversely, while American politicians can shrug off attack ads, I think they would be surprised and nonplussed by the kind of actively hostile, aggressive questioning politicians have to expect from the British news media. There doesn't seem to be a tradition in the USA of inviting a politician onto a TV show and then asking them really hard questions, and then, when they waffle or don't answer, actually pursuing the point to the bitter end.

I remember when I was 5 or 7 the chipmunks stole my lunch sandwich fom my hands! I was shocked.

Gracious Tav,where were these bold chipmunks? All the ones in NC are pretty shy.

I just try to remember, it may have been Yellowstone or Yosemite NP. We saw many bold ones at the west coast.

My money would be on Yosemite... They had some really nosy chipmonks out there. Cute as cute can be, and then they were off with my Beef Jerky...

...which is another great American memory. Beef Jerky. Mmmmmh. Tried to find some in Germany, but no luck. Only for the last three years or so can you get it in some stores, in the "international cooking" section. The Lady of the Mice made some for me - wonderful stuff!!!


Y.

>> chipmunks stole my lunch sandwich from my hands! <<
It all makes sense now.



~jwf~

>> Beef Jerky. Mmmmmh... can you get it in some stores,
in the "international cooking" section. <<

Cautionary Note:
Not all jerks are equal, internationally.
Some jerks are quite spicy.

What the Jamaicans call jerk is a very hot curry.
Basic jerk is like pemican, simply dried, smoked.
And perhaps salted.
Not many buffalo today so they use beef.
Or turkey.
Great for hikes, stays edible forever.

~jwf~

Is this whole thing the US sequel to "Dingos stole my baby"? "Chipmunks stole my sandwich"? In which case, can I offer the conclusion to the trilogy, from the South Lakes Wild Animal Park near Ulverston, UK, where last summer an obnoxious American 12-year old with no apparent control or concern over the volume of his voice could be heard, all the way through the presentation the keeper was trying to give over the PA for the benefit of the other visitors, shouting "THERE'S THE LEMUR THAT STOLE MY BANANA!"