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

Hiya Auzzie type person!!!!

Well, I've reciprocated (gosh - that's a long word for moi) the visit...... Now what?

How about you tell me a bit about yourself.

My better half spent a couple of years bumming round Australia, picking fruit and selling hats with a travelling fair. He was born in NZ (we lived there for a couple of years in the 90's) but grew up in England.

I'm married to said Kiwi/Pom, have two sproggs, three dogs and five cats. Our house is a cross between a building site (we're renovating and have been for the past eight years!), toy shop and a zoo!

Catch you later!

Gwennie

O.K. time for me to spill!
I am an Aust male recently yuppiefied through taking on a communications job with a plumbing company. I'm a stand up comic by night and 1 year ago I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Drugs I tell you! Don't bugger around with anything else as it's bound not to lead to the land of the lotus eaters!
I live in Fair Melbourne with my significant other who is a jazz singer and all round top-chick.
Many of my plans for travel/world conquest ave been curtailed due to the ridiculously expensive nature of being an arthritic cripple, HOWEVER! I do plan to visit the Edinburgh comedy festival sometime soon. ie this or next year.
Thanks for poppin in, call round any time you feel like, oh I nearly forgot we have a lactose intolerant cat, and I'm stumping for acceptance into the FFFF, as it aligns with some of my more fanciful interests reguarding the nature of reality. Ta ---- Ado!

Poor you with the arthritis I have a minor complaint, compared to yourself - I'm only 42 and have it in my thumbs, wrists and knees, so I do sympathise! I manage to get by with exercise and Coproxomol. (Ibuprofen doesn't agree with me very much!)

Tell me about drugs though! *Raises her eyes to the ceiling* My poor hubby, John suffers from frequent migraines (he's lucky if he only gets one per week, but it's usually two and sometimes three). If the local junkies knew what we had in the house, we'd be raided every night! He's had scans and seen neurologists who say he'll have to live with it, after experimenting on him with various drugs. Now John injects himself, takes pills galore and they've all had horrid side effects as well as being addictive.....

*Wonders about a communications job with a plumbing firm and whether Ado has to shout down pipes or something.......*

Oops! I've just remembered your a stand up comic! *Gwen goes all self conscious and thinks she mustn't crack jokes coz they're probably going to be really awful.....*

We live in the North East of England, not far from Newcastle. If you go to the Edinburgh Comedy Fest. and you get time, you and your other half are welcome to visit here......

Toodlepipski for now!

Most appreciated for offer of visit when in North of E! Must say I'll be sticking that into the must do list. As for drugs, heck, it's ridiculous the kind of gear I've got stashed away. What the hell is it with buying drugs from a pharmacy, why am I more respectable than the junkie on the street at least they're honest dammit.

Many condolences about your particular Arthritis

It completely sucks there's nothing for it.

ALWAYS tell jokes! it seperates us from the animals, religious, and politicians! Oh and, uncannily, you'v nailed it I do shout down pipes all day, you must be unnatural and psychic or something, I've heard stories about goings-on in the North hmmm. Ado!

*Grins smugly* Nah! I'm just psycopathetic!

There are lots of strange goings on around here in the North East, but I'm not "in" on them yet as I haven't lived here for 30 odd years!

I was born and grew up in the South, in what was GLC land (Greater London Council - Ken Livingstone's lot), just outside London. We moved to the North East when we returned from New Zealand coz we were skint (broke) and couldn't afford to live anywhere else..... We're marooned here now so I may just be heading for my 30 years acceptance point!

MMM. Sounds a lot like Bathurst New South Wales. I was there nearly ten years, and locals referred to me as a student. (i.e. just passing through).
I've heard bits and pieces about "Red" Ken Livingston. Can you tell me a bit about him?
Obviously over here in the Antipodes we get truncated versions of what happens in the GLC. The last I heard of this was that Tony Blair had personally set the national Government up to rid the GLC of one Red Ken. I dunno. Any way seeya Soon - Ado!

Hi there are a couple of Ken Livingstone related sites on the internet. Try these out:

http://www.livingstoneforlondon.org.uk

http://www.poptel.org.uk/ken-livingstone/

If I still lived in/near London, I'd vote for Ken, although as a member of the Green Party, I should be voting for their candidate!

Ken's been expelled from the Labour Party at last, which they've been trying to do for years, including having him removed from the National Executive but the members just keep voting for him!

Still, they have their way now and he's been removed from both although I think they'll regret it!

Let me know what you think if you get time to check the sites out....

Red Ken is a very interesting guy Gwennie!
Reasonable, Intelligent, Passionate. Obviously no room for him at all in politics whatsoever.

Whasshappanan in merry old England. What be the haps in your own fair life Gwenmeister? ---- Ado!

Merry old England has been a bit soggy for this past week or so!

I've had the joy of the Easter holidays which entails my offspring being home from school for a total two weeks and one day (but who's counting). I've been marooned at home - no gym or "doing my stint" in our local Red Cross charity shop where I usually work a couple of days a week as a volunteer. The past two weeks must have aged me substantially! I'm not normally a domesticated/mumsy type person and hate being tied to the house - especially when it's full of kids - and some of them not even mine!

My mum-in-law is off to New Zealand for a month or so next month to visit family and will probably drop in on her son in Melbourne too.

I've signed up to Freeserve's offer of free-phone internet access for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for £10.00 per month. Much better than my current ISP, B.T. Internet who only have free-phone access from 6.00 p.m. to midnight, Monday to Friday and weekends for £9.99 per month. Oh, happy day! Mind you, there is a down side to it as I expect my bum will spread to larger proportions due to the amount of time I'll be sitting at my 'puter!!

Have you any definite plans yet for the Edinburgh Festival? How are the stand up acts going? Have you "performed" recently? (That wasn't intented to sound rude by the way!)

Hi Gwenster! Umm Actually I have to perform tonight, and I've got to go but I'll defibnately pop in and have a proper chat soon promise ---- Ado!

Okay!

Hi Gwenmeister!
I'm stealing internet time from my boss'head office in Canberra, right now.!.

I've not seen anything but what I heard was that red Ken was looking to win the GLC election by a landslide. Do you have any news on that?

Sorry for not replying earlier but I've been as sick as a dog judt of late. I've really only just recovered.

As for Scotland. I'm not actually sure the exact dates but the Edinburgh festival is on in August.

I'm still trying to convince my boss that it would be a real good idea for me to go.

I'm glad Easter is over. I keep on having dreams about these rabbits trying to nail me to a door. Then Robert Smith from the Cure comes in and tells them not to and to behave and they all say Buddhisms thego and turn me into a prayer wheel and turn me round and round and round, but it could easily be the drugs.

Sorry to hear you've been ill. I hope things are better now. My daugher was really ill for most of the Easter break and managed to infect her brother and myself just before the end of the holidays. Both the kids have returned to school but I'm still in poorly land! I think it must be something to do with the aging process that it takes much longer to recover from viral infections. *Cough! Sneeze! Sniff! Splutter!*

Ken Livingstone is officially Mayor of London! Yabba, dabba dooski!! His first official speech started "As I was saying 14 years ago......" That was when our resident mad cow, Maggie Thatcher disbanded the Greater London Council (GLC). She must be gnawing her false teeth that Ken is actually back in with a huge majority! I know I officially should be supporting the Green Party candidate, but always wanted Ken to win!

I also had a really strange dream the other night! I was being chased by Klingon spies who wanted some sort of microchip that I'd rescued from a friend who'd been murdered! Actually, it was quite fun! It's the first time ever that I've been able to dream anything about Star Trek inspite of being a fan since my early teens!

What sort of comedians do you like? Also, what kind of comedy do you use in your act? I really like Ben Elton, Eddy Izard and Jasper Carrot, to name just a few. My hubby John watches far more stuff than me, usually late at night while I'm snoozing on the sofa and I have trouble remembering half the names of the people he watches!

I'm glad to hear your little girl is getting better Gwennie.

I'll be looking out for posts on Red Ken he looks like a lot of fun to have poking around in politics.

What an absolutely grouse dream you had. Tops spy sci-fi adventure fun yeah baby yeah! I'm still piecing it together but I'll have to tell you about a series of dreams that I had recently. They were all connected into this great sci-fi fun thing as well. But although each dream was definately part of the same story, it was as if each one had a different visual designer. Almost like sample looks to try. hmmm. Was Great anyway.

As for comics that I like, welll, Eddy Izzard is definately up on top of my list. I tend to steer clear of the Americans because I'm just not in that same kind of mindset I guess. But I am very fond of the early work of George Carlin.
We just got here last year the first (hopefully not last) series of the Big Train ---- inspired! The rumours I hear about that is that it was commisioned as a bonus to the writers of father Ted, a thankyou and a good on you for a job well done.

I really hope you will all start feeling much better soon.
As for my good self, well, this winter looks as though it's going to be a bad one. I'm already starting to flare and It's not looking to good. But we'll see what we can see by the end of the year.

Seeyou soon ---- Ado!

I've heard on the internet that the black comedy Sci-Fi series, "Lexx" is about to air in Australia. You MUST make the time watch it! There's a touch of "Red Dwarf" in there somewhere!

Check out this Lexx website and its links on the internet: http://www.lexx.com/

Father Ted is one of our most favourite t.v. series.... It's a crying shame that Dermot Morgan died and it was a while before I could bring myself to watch the videos we made of both series. My daughter, Mair loves Father Ted and laughs so much, she cries and falls off her chair!

That's sooo beautiful!

LOVE the name change by the way -- excellent mental images stacks of possibilities!

I ost definately will check out Lexx, And I will look at the link you have given me as of the right now --- seeya soon.

Yes well..... breathtaking, it looks excellent, I can't wait to see it. I hope Aus tele doesn't bury it like they do so much brilliant stuff. Anyhoo, VV if you hear when it's coming please let me know so's I'll have a shot at seeing it cheers, and whashappanan with you now, hmmmm?

The name change thing is for a costumed masked ball and I'll probably revert when I've had enough of wafting around in a shroud and motorcycle boots!

Freeserve, my old ISP contacted me yesterday to let me know that my Free Time account is active so I'm back with Freeserve now and for £10.00 per month have free phone internet access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! It's much faster loading than BT Internet too and they were charging me £9.99 per month for off peak free phone internet access, but only from 6pm to midnight and weekends. I can tell 'em to stick it where the sun don't shine now!

My husband, John locked our 'puter up tonight which is a regualr occurance. He visits internet porn sights that just won't delete from the system and hasn't got a clue what to do! He can install lifts in tower blocks, strip an engine and rebuild it, rennovate houses and all sorts of clever stuff but can he programme the video or have the tiniest idea what to do on the PC? Nope! Mind you, I don't think I could strip an engine etc or do woodwork so I suppose we're quits! Anyway, John went all sheepish and made me lots of cups of tea, as I'm always telling him off for visiting porn sites, especially when our kids use the system, just in case they check out the history folder or something.

I spent today working at the British Red Cross charity shop in Crook which is always enjoyable. The "girls" are quite a laugh. Last night, I was at college. We're covering data bases at the moment and have an exam next week for this module... I just hope that I can remember it all! It's quite easy to do, but my memory is crap! (Old age encroaching methinks!)

The weather here's good at the moment so I hope to get some gardening done this weekend, as it's starting to resemble a jungle out there!

Catch yer later me ole fruit bat!

Gwennie!!! G'Day!!!

Many Sorry's for not being around.!.

I've not been very well. However, Things should be getting back to normal soon. I hope that everything is very O.K. where you are Great to see you again --- Ado!

Sorry you've been ill! *Offers tea and sympathy*

I hope it's nothing serious and you're all mended very soon!

It's yet another school holiday - half term, combined with May Day and Whitson. They have another whole week off school! *Help!*

Otherwise, I'm fine, thanks. *Pulls out another handfull of hair and runs to a corner, to hide from the kids* Just fine! Really I am... *Sits, rocking herself in a darkened corner*