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

Thanks, Lentilla, for your description of life in Texas! It explains a lot! (What do the poor people do? Does everyone have a car as a necessity?)
What is winter like there? If it's warm, I'd like to go to Texas for winter, cos I hate cold so much!

Don't forget the Cubans in Florida, or Gloria Estefan'll sing at you. Hmm, so you're saying that Florida and Texas are full of fat people, GW Bush was governer of one and Jeb Bush is governer of the other, do we spot a pattern here?

"Hmm, so you're saying that Florida and Texas are full of fat people, GW Bush was governer of one and Jeb Bush is governer of the other, do we spot a pattern here?"

So, now Texans can slim down. Or does the "get fat" thing go double because he's the president?

While a recent U.S. government report laughably claims my country is a haven for terrrorists
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/02/15/terror040215

and yet fails to acknowledge the internal threat from militia/survivalist group, the KKK, and their ilk, to say nothing of the fundementalist Christian wackos who go around bombing family planning centers.

The report is also critical of Canada's concern for civil liberties in the face of terrorism. I would say "Physician, heal thyself"

As for this dim bulb,
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/02/15/terror040215
if she were Canadian and heading into the U.S. she'd have likely gotten a one way ticket to Guantanamo instead of a stern talking to by the mounties about when Vancouver Washington is and why we don't let people carry grenades in our country.

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/02/16/border_explosives040216

Having crossed that particular part of the border a number of times and living within an hour of it, I will tell you that pot going south is much less likely to be found than weapons going north. (Which is the fault of the US guards, not the Canadian ones.)

In 1986 an RV was stopped and full combat semi-automatic rifle disguised as a car jack was confiscated. The family was on their way to Expo 86 and the patriarch said he realised the weapon was illegal in Canada but he was worried about other US citizens that were visiting. In the words of Mr. Carson, I kid you not.

> Thanks, Lentilla, for your description of life in Texas! It explains a lot! (What do the poor people do? Does everyone have a car as a necessity?)

Yeah, pretty much everyone has to have a car. It's possible to ride the bus everywhere, but you'll still have to walk a block or more to get to your destination. Which is okay when you're working at McDonald's, but not so great if you've got an office job and need to look spiffy. Cars and air conditioners... essential Texas equipment.

> What is winter like there? If it's warm, I'd like to go to Texas for winter, cos I hate cold so much!

Actually, winter has always been strange. I've lived in Ft. Worth for fifteen years, and I'm still not used to the winter months. It doesn't start getting really cold until January. Average temps are around 30-40° F for January and February, and in late Feb/early March we usually get some nasty frozen weather - sticks to the ground and makes the roads slippery. It just snowed here last weekend, which was odd. Haven't seen snow in a couple of years. So it's not really warm around here. East Texas stays pretty warm, but I wouldn't recommend it to anybody - it's nasty, full of mosquitos, and smells funny. Florida is a good place to go for the winter, but that's where everybody else goes!

Actually, during the afternoons it's pretty nice. Today it couldn't have been colder than 60° F, which was nice and balmy - almost didn't need a jacket.

You wear a jacket at 60F? Hell, where I come from that's pretty much when you break out the shorts and t-shirts!

"Civil rights, boy you ain't got no civil rights. In fact, according to our records y'all don't even exist. We gonna make an example out of you"


This is wrong is so many ways it just boggles the mind. Someone please tell me they wil appeal and launch a civil suit that ends up with them owning Crawford City Hall.


Five convicted for considering Bush ranch protest

Associated Press


Five peace activists arrested last year en route to a demonstration outside President Bush's ranch were convicted Monday of violating the city's protest ordinance.

A jury deliberated about 90 minutes before returning the guilty verdicts for the five on the Class C misdemeanor of violating Crawford's parade and procession ordinance.

"It's an overall picture of the complacency of our nation and how the president has this sort of no-protest zone around him at all times," Amanda Jack, 23, of Austin, one of the defendants, said in a story in Tuesday's Waco Tribune-Herald. "It's completely absurd that you can't even get near the peoples' president. You can't even petition your own government representative."

The Crawford ordinance required 15 days' notice and $25 before the chief of police could issue a permit to protest within the city. The rule has since changed to allow for a seven-day notice.

The five, who were given fines ranging from $200 to $500, plan to appeal.

Tricia Major, who was the first of the five arrested, wasn't surprised by the verdict.

"I think that we had a jury of people who live in a small town, so they're going to have to face their neighbors and their public officials and their law enforcement personnel every day," said Major, 43, of Dallas. "We're not the most popular people in this town, and it would take an enormous amount of courage to bring back an innocent verdict."

The attorney for the five said they were not demonstrating at the time of their arrests. They were stopped by a police blockade in May and some had gotten out of their cars to try to negotiate with the officers, according to testimony. Trip organizer Lisa Fithian had testified that some took out their protest signs to show them to the officers.

Tidmore testified that a person wearing political buttons without a permit could violate a city ordinance that requires prior notice before a protest or parade.

Della, don't let my or Lentilla's complaints stop you from visiting Texas... It is a HUGE state so If you don't like the weather, drive for a day and a half and you'll find some you do like.

But seriously, at least visit the Austin area, it's beautiful and the weather is usually very pleasant. The humidity is MUCH drier than either the Houston/Galveston or the Dallas/Fortworth areas and most native Texans love the Texas hill country.

There's also the Big Bend. (unfortunately I've not yet made it down there ) but it is also very popular... But don't go there in the summer (that's how you'll sweat).

You could also go way down south to South Padre Island... It's a very popular resort (read: lots of condo type hotels) island down by the border. Just make sure to avoid it during the 'Spring Break' season unless you like giant crowds of drunken college kids and herds of video cameras looking for "girls gone wild".


CZ

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Oh, bizarre!

<< Average temps are around 30-40° F for January and February, and in late Feb/early March we usually get some nasty frozen weather - sticks to the ground and makes the roads slippery.>>
I'll look up those temps., on my conversion thing when I get home, but it doesn't sound too bad! Who knew?

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Un-be-flipping-lievable!

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I'd like to some time...
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Oh, definite avoidance! Thanks for the info...

Ah, yes - Austin is a great town. Lots of artists and musicians. Used to live there with my parents when I was going to high school.

I'll recommend Big Bend to anyone - in fact, read my article on it! (A899544) Big Bend is great, especially if you're interested in camping and hiking. There's lots of stuff to see from your car, but to really get the Big Bend experience, you have to get out and walk.

> The attorney for the five said they were not demonstrating at the time of their arrests.

You've gotta watch out in those small Texas towns. Most of the sheriff's deputies are petty little dictators. I got pulled over in Goldthwaite for a bogus expired registration, and ended up spending the night in the drunk tank. It su-ucked.

So it's not at all like in the movies where they hound outsiders who then turn out to be decorated war heroes who destroy half the town to get even?

Don't tempt me! My hubby and I were just talking about that last night. He said that he wouldn't hesitate to look the other way if that deputy were about to be hit by a train... I'm not that vindictive. I dream of a time when rednecks and hippies can get along in .

I thought that sort of thing only happened in movies, X Files and Stephen King's (excellent) novel 'Desperation'...

what, rednecks and hippies getting along in peace?