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

-15ºC/5ºF this morning, and humid

meltmeltmelt

Only -5 C here, but lots of frost, and sunny.
*joins Ti*
meltmeltmelt

Mornin All

Overcast here and damp. I'm packing up my nest and wandering to Utah if that's were Spring has sprung. Before that a trip to the GP for a B12 shot from the nurse. They don't seem to have much effect, it's been a "Sort of" week; sort of achy hip, sort of man fluish cold, sort of feeling not quite 100%. Oh well mustn't grumble lots of blessings to count.

Hubby has B12s every four weeks (or when we remember) it does seem to have an effect if he's missed one, but not sure if there's n actual 'benefit'.

Damp and grey here as well, but me daffys and bluebells are starting to appear.

It's hovering immediately above freezing over in this neck of the woods. And slightly flurrying.

Nicely put, Muffin.

I've recently been reading a fantasy series that, while having an interesting story line and ditto main characters, was written in a pretty simple language. Stock full of linguistical errors as well - running the text through a spell checker isn't enough, since it won't catch the words you spelled correctly but confused with the word you actually wanted.

Anyway, today I returned to an author who's first book I found very enjoyable. And I was reminded how much I've missed that intricate word weaving:

'Thunder would have muttered and rumbled and chased the silence down the road like fallen autumn leaves.'

A belated to you, GDZ! If the topics/interests you've discussed on here are any indicator, you'll do fine.
Just relax, they can't eat you.

Just lightly chew you.

Well, we survived the week of epic lurgey, where all five of us have been ill, more or less at once. I broke down yesterday and cashed in the antibiotic prescription the doctor gave me for the Star. I do wish they would actually refuse me rather than giving me a prescription but telling me why I shouldn't use it. B is a bit of an old woman about illness and so it is inevitable that if the cold rumbles on we will use it. I think I shall say this next time, although that will mean I shall have to go back to the doctor's for the duration of the illness every few days so that I can report back to B that the doctor *still* isn't worried.

Of course, when he got tonsillitis in Russia, as some of you may remember, he got hospitalised, and very energetically treated. Unfortunately for me, after that he had a good year of being virtually cold free and he has never had tonsillitis again. I think it's confirmation bias, but B doesn't. Not that they give out antibiotics like candy either. They do prescribe more of what I think of as sugar water though (vitamin supplement suppositories ), which keeps B happy and doesn't seem to do any harm. But are less keen on Calpol and such, which may be a good thing actually.

*sigh* Anyway, I do wish this collective cough would just DIE.

*gives Sol's family lurgy The Lòók*

Mornin All

Super Saturday for the Six Nations Rugby. England need to beat Wales at Cardif for a geand slam. Tough call but an enjoyable evening in t'pub.

Over here in the US I'm noticing a fad for paranormal reality shows. I mean, reality shows about alive people seeking to interact with dead people.

I think it began with a small New Jersey-based group called TAPS. A couple of guys with day jobs with Roto-Rooter decided to use "scientific" equipment to debunk/corroborate reports of supernatural or paranormal phenomena. Now they have a long-running series called Ghost Hunters, two big black vans, half a dozen staff, and enough electronic gear to, well, sniff out the shyest of ghosties. I've always liked watching them because of their inherent skepticism.

At the other end of the spectrum is Ghost Adventures, centering on a trio of thirty-something blokes who investigate the paranormal for the thrill of it and, oh yeah, to prove the existence of the ghosties. When something ghostly occurs, they tend to shout, "Whoa!!! Dude, did you hear/feel/see that???" and their eyebrows shoot up almost like cartoon characters. They have even more equipment than TAPS.

A series called Dead Files features an woman medium and a spaniel-eyed retired homicide detective from New York City. She goes into a house, trailed by her cameraman partner, and reports what she sees psychically. The detective does standard detective work on the place, and at the end of the program they meet to compare results. She is very, very good at being a medium. He has a gift for friendly interrogation and a Brooklyn accent dat I love ta hear ("...so when I was lookin troo da files...").

Now I find two more reality programs have hit the channels, Haunted Collector (they investigate and quarantine objects with bad residual energy) and Stranded, which I can hardly watch. The producers take three average Joes and/or Jolenes and put them in an empty and reportedly haunted site, like a hotel or a penitentiary. They stud the site with webcams so there are no camera crews. All the rest is the kids being scared out of their wits by the second night.



So. Is this just an American fad, or are shows like this popping up in Europe... and are they any good?

I mean, what else is there to do when you're stuck in a hospital bed except purvey what's on the teevee?

Now't wrong with a bit of trash TV...in moderation
Off to Scotland next month. I shall start sacrificing chickens to the weather gods.

Mornin All

It'll take more than a sacrificial chicken or two to improve the weather. Rain and wind forecast.

Mornin Lil, haven't noticed any increased paranormal tele but we do tend to stick with what we know. However there have been a few new good dramas and they haven't touched on ghosties, yet.

I've watched Ghost Hunters, they are mildly entertaining. The two lead guys are now running an old inn in New Hampshire that is supposed to be haunted. TAPS is from Rhode Island, by the way.

I think we have both Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures here in the UK. My ten year old son, a firm believer in ghosts, loves both of them. I wish he'd watch them today, at the moment he's ranting and wailing at the PS3.

We have quite a lot of snow here in Northamptonshire. I don't remember it being forecast - I had intended to work on the allotment today as it looked like being the better day of the weekend. But I've just checked and there is in fact a weather warning of snow in place for my area (posted retrospectively, possibly).

Sigh.

Mol

I believe in ghosts, I even think I've seen them a couple of times.

I'm not sure what I believe, regarding ghosts. Certainly, my grandparents house had some mysterious things happening, and I will never again use ouija board/glass with my brother again. A couple of weeks ago, I visited a company where I might get consulting hours, and one employee there talked about "the ghosts here, they keep talking". And as we walked back from the lab to the office, I heard talking. Could have been a radio, could have been other people, but someone/some people/men were talking. Only, the only men in the building were right in front of me, and the sound came from somewhere else.
And ghost shows are around here too. There's a Swedish series, and "the Rescue Mediums". And some British team going around with video cameras in the dark and getting really scared Seems mostly to be acting.

Have I told you all the my Granny was psychic story? Also the my Grandad was psychic one?

The Comet is refusing to eat. I was hoping it was the lurgey, but actually I think not. Please imagine me swearing profusely. I do not know how to cope with fussy eaters.

I want to hear the psychic granny story, Sol!

Having done my own investigating into EVPs, I'm quite convinced that the paranormal level exists. I posted my stuff here -- http://www.bonitovalley.com/evp/index.html -- and I apologize in advance for the broken links, elderly style of web pages, etc. Something I can occupy myself with once I get my proper laptop is updating the whole website.