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

Of course there is "belief" and there is "belief". For example if you believe 2 + 2 = 5 then that might irritate me and I might suggest you look at the meaning of integers and the meaning of the addition operator - although you can't force people to learn (you can take a horse to water but you can't force it to tango). I mean belief in terms of "gods" and the likes.

Certainly I believe that certain beliefs can lead to bad behaviour ... but it is first necessary to see if this is indeed the case ... Okay I see everyone glazing over ... back to the daydreaming ...

It's funny. I grew up around a lot of actual Christians. And I never knew ONE of them who believed that God was an old man with a long, white beard. Not one.

The first time I ever came across that depiction was in Monty Python. So I assumed that this was a belief held in England. I resolved not to discuss theology with English people.

Today, I discovered that the Aztecs - not my favourite people - believed the world had been created five times.

Their gods were rather clumsy, and kept getting it wrong.

Last week, I found out that the Inca believed in conquest. You see, their kings needed something to rule in the afterlife, and the old territory was already taken.

The Maya, on the other hand, were worried about Venus. When it showed up, they went to war. At least, they knew it was Venus. The Greeks thought Venus was two different stars.

By and large, I'd say the number of fool notions held by the human race over the millennia is phenomenally high.

So I don't hold out a lot of optimism when it comes to today's state-of-the-science. Just saying.

Hello Daydreamers



gosh where to start, with perculiar I guess and perhaps a shroom omelette for tea

personally I think good will is important along with acting in good faith and with intention, this isn't shaped by religious or spiritual beliefs, although I recognise that in a sense probably makes me ideological on some level.

I don't put conscious thought in it on a day to day basis, rule of thumb be a decent human being, put some active thought into it sometimes

Interesting what you say mvp about being Good Will being a force, strong word force,

*goes off to consider how individual and collective acts of good will resonate around the universe, and on a to basis, or a and a hello*

with all that?

Hullo folks! This all looks very interesting indeed. . Will catch up with you in a day or so. We have no internet at the moment. I think the Brighton gales have played havoc with the phone lines. Am in an internet cafe in the sports club in Brighton, and the keyboard is very sticky. Firstly, the keys stick, and secondly there's a lot of confectionary in the void between the keys.

See you on the other side. Of ... erm .... see you on the other side of the G key and the Z key, when typing was less sticky, and life was less tricky, , and I'm fine and OK, and using my incredible mystical powers to sort out my family problems, as if, , but I'm sorting them out anyway, and life is good, and hope to speak in a day or so. I will consider your insights, philosophies and all.

There's an air sea rescue happening overhead as I type, the sea is so rough, people assembling on the beach, they're searching for a body ... there was another incident this morning, air ambulance landing on the beach. Chaos!

Stay indoors, keep warm and dry!

You can stay in, keep warm and dry but still get sticky fingers and sticky stuff all over the kitchen...

We came back from France with masses of quinces and have made quince cheeses (overpoweringly sweet) and apple and quince jam. To go with the or

quince wine?

could go alongside the parsnip and the marrow

Do you make parsnip and marrow wines?

I can imagine you in your kichen, surrounded by bottles of home-made wine.

I'm off for a week or so - good marrow to you all, a bientot, see you later crocodillos

ps here is my bit of vogon poetry:

I saw a man
his name was Stan
I said How do you do?
He didn't have a clue.
Then he jumped the queue
This made me red and blue
And I resorted to Kung Fu

The last linen got me.

Hey CC my darlin' *whispers have left a special perculiar for you. Top secret recipe for emergency use, it is a psychic/mystic power booster. Right it is quite potent stuff, I would recommend a touch of honey, up to you. After the first two sips tastes great I promise you. So sip not slurp to start with would be my other handy hint*

Hey mvp, my Mum and her partner Eric make the wine, Spiller and I are doing liquors at the moment, sloe gin goes without saying, have tried a grapefruit vodka, lemoncello and cherry brandy

Now that we have got our eye in and can say that recipes are tried and tested *hic* we are moving on from self sufficiency mode of production to the bartering and phase

Stone Aart have a good one , look forward to seeing you when you gets back

Not hugely exciting this but I thought of the daydream thread as I wistfully thought yesterday, my morning had been bit chaotic and while I can put it down to all good reasons actually I do sometimes wonder if these things happen because either I was supposed to be somewhere, or not be somewhere else, the old chestnut, everything happens for reason.

So we got up a bit late but that was ok I said I drive to college, we can listen to a new album and we always have a good gossip plus lovely sunny day over the levels.

Left in plenty of time. 40 minutes later we had not got out of town. We had though done a circle round town to find a clear road out, it was no go.

First lesson was out but it was ok next lesson not till lunchtime so could wait till traffic had cleared. Then Hiccup remembered an appointment mid-morning, ah now I had to be in two places at once the bus station and at the surgery for Eric flu jab.

Called on Eric early, sorry but in the car, traffic is murder and I'm not sure how I am going to this.

Decided to head towards the station along the bus route where if nothing else there were bus stops. As we pulled into that road Hiccup saw a couple of buses coming that had been delayed. So leapt out crossed the road and hopped on. Result. Also it was the quicker bus so she was well chuffed.

Getting to the surgery was fine, we were early but Eric had grabbed his book, we went the street way and popped out going the right way on the main road, by that I mean no traffic.

Came over the railway bridge and someone had broken down . This was very bad because of temporary lights and a diversion, more traffic than normal was being funnelled down this road anyway, without the additional load due to the motorway being closed both ways so the knock on effect of this blockage was going be amplified.


So Eric went to the surgery I traipsed up to see if I could help. Spent 30 minutes directing traffic, stopping the traffic on the non busy side to usher through the traffic on the busy side in decent intervals.

The drivers behind the breakdown couldn't really see over the brow of the hill, so were understandably cautious and going through at a rate of about one every three minutes. The traffic on the other side was intermittent. You could get up to five cars to stop for less than half a minute and shovel through a shedload, plus when the road was clear, people had confidence to go as we were flapping them through

Two other people cleared a stretch of road so the car could be free wheeled backwards down the hill and into a side street. Road cleared, yay *phew*

Good deed for the day I thought and went back to the surgery. Eric was waiting for me turns out his flu jab wasn't booked for that day!

Anyhoo, that morning, I had detoured, re-routed, avoided getting seriously stuck anywhere, which meant that I was luckier than most, negotiated being two places at once even though I didn't really need to be in one of them.

The decision to go right towards the bus route was a good call. One got a bus and secondly going straight on would have meant that I would been stuck in the traffic behind the breakdown.

If things had gone to the usual plan I would have dropped Hiccup off earlier, gone home been oblivious to the developing traffic chaos building up in town in, then gone out again to the surgery, got stuck well back behind the breakdown, been late and stressed for the non-appointment

At times like this I do think perhaps I was meant to be where I was for my own and everyone else's convenience

perculiar and for getting though that folks

Hullo party peoples! Greetings from Brighton Marina!

Yes, I know what you mean, Peanut, I often wonder if I'm meant to where where I am rather than where I'm meant to be , or not.

I'm making so much sense today.

I've been reading all your insightful, delightful postings. And welcome home mvp! You are all marvellous.

I talk to you via the miracle of ethernet (reminds me of mvp in the graveyard in France (not literally), oh you know what I mean, the joke that Peanut made, the only place to get internet, the graveyard in France.

Anyway, yes, a yellow cable, an umbilical cord to the Great Kingdom of Internet, when wifi fails. A miracle! Now I can talk to you! I have no idea what ethernet is, and it will probably fail also, because there's a wild storm expected on Monday. . And there's a yacht just run aground on the beach.



Yes, belief. I certainly suspend all disbelief when in Brighton. It's very diverse. . The curious traditions of humanity are widely represented. Yesterday I saw a Hindu sacred cow outside the library. (a sculpture) There's a skeleton on the Brighton Wheel and orange spiders crawling up the windows of the sports club. (Hallowe'en is approaching ).

Back in a minute ...

(reading postings)

See you later then, SA, and take it easy with the Kung Fu , and I will meditate upon red and blue. .

Yes, think well intentioned behaviour, goodwill, is a healing force, can change the atmosphere, like breathing clear air. mmm. Makes me feel good just thinking about it.



My mother in law believed that the world was created in seven days. Well, six days, then God took a rest on Sunday. . I'm not sure if she actually believed it, perhaps she just accepted it. I'm not an expert on creation myths, but she was a sweetie, life was harsh in the Highlands in the 50s, she had an inner faith.

I've had a few run-ins regarding beliefs, but only when the believer was suggesting that I should somehow be punished for having the audacity to find a joyous path within myself.

And .... oh, have to go. Speak later, if the ethernet holds out. ...

cc good to see back on this side, Bob bless that Ethernet eh, I did look it up when we last talked about it, but liked the imaginations of it that I had, with mvp Ethernet Café in France, the company of with magical and ethereal communications pinging their way through time and space.

I think I know where my magic cable is too, because I have this inkling of an understanding that it can be an important to have to hand. Might be a good time to dig it out.

Has everyone (UK) got their storm plans worked out, preparations sorted and hatches ready to be batoned down.

Yes, all prepared here on Brighton Marina. Uh oh. Can Brighton Marina deal with the storm, in this crazy town? As long as someone doesn't try to go swimming in the wild ocean, like they did the other day, and they of course never made it back.

So, it's hitting the West Country also? Thanks for the info. Better phone our neighbours, ask them to anchor our flat.



Just considering Mister D's state-of-the-science. . Good expression.

Let me think about that. Back in a minute.

(has a sip of Peanut's psychic mystic power booster) (adds honey)

mmmmmm that that takes me places. .

(considering Mister D's posting now)

Really? About the man with the beard? Not one? Hmm. Interesting.

Mind you, I grew up in a church family, , my Grandfather was an Archdeacon, my Dad was a lay reader, and I never met the man with the beard either! Hmm. I knew about him, of course, but I never had to reckon with his fearful message. Not in childhood, anyway. I never thought about, till now. Thanks!

I remember light through stained glass, otherwordly mystery, candles, and my Gran's vase of lilies at Easter. Consider the lilies of the field ... I was entranced. And my Gran singing hymns just slightly out of tune and me snuggling into her, trying not to laugh, , or raiding her handbag for peppermints.

And my Dad's sermons were a mix of Teilhard de Chardin's philosophies, ecology, science, poetry and quite a lot of other things that no one understood but everyone loved him. .



Yes, now what about state-of-the-science? Hmm. I don't know. . But it's a great expression.