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

Hi feisor,

So you can understand what the ladies are saying....it's not rap then. It's, as you say, musical poetry...or a song sung in certain style.

I really do 'hate' rap. Improvised jazz, I don't get either. English folk music. GGGGgrrrrrRRRR! They always sing flat and sound as if they have the heaviest head cold in the world, ever! Doesn't matter what the song is, they murder it to death!

Had a bit of a party at the weekendOh dear! An old friend from my days in the bank popped down. We did it 'Russian' style, again!
Oh my poor kidneys,liver and everything else. I still feel a bit jaded...Can't do it like I used to enormous fun though

Take much care
Benson

Did it Russian style? Oooh I hope not!!

My (step) grandfather was a Cossack and I can still remember him and his mates around the diningroom table for days on end, drinking vodka and eating speck (fatty bacon) sauerkraut and dry bread.

He told me that the speck put a lining on your stomach, the sauerkraut neutralised the acid (?) and the dry bread soaked it all up. They still got roaring drunk but swore that they didn't get hangovers - I'm not sure that I believed them

The trouble is that when you burn the candle at both ends, the middle sags - and as you get older there's less end and more middle, so you feel lousy longer

Sorry Yes! It was Russian style. Started on Saturday about 19:00 and finished monday morning at about 03:00 We did break off the booze from about 14:00 Sunday afternoon until 20:30 and then carried on!

Fun...oh yes...We used to do it a lot when we both worked at the Russian Bank (Moscow Narodny Bank now Vnestorg Bank) in London. Brillliiiant!

Did your Step Grandpa do the classic weird squat dancing?

WOW!! Well done!

I mean, serves you right


I think a blowout like that is good for you sometimes, as long as it's not too often

No, Grandfather was past that stage by the time I knew him, I don't think that he was ever much of a dancer, but he was one hell of a party animal

Russians are simply the best! Some of the most sour, miserable so and sos I've ever met. That said, they are extremely loyal and wonderful people...once you 'get in with them.'

They don't seem to do 'light' Love em though!

"They don't seem to do 'light'"

Boy! Do you ever have it right

Even when they do lay back they are so lay back they are almost comatose

They also have a little trouble doing "modest and self effacing"

But you're right - I just love people who do it "boots and all"

That reminds me of one old director.....He was 'sent home'. Not by MI5 but by his own team!

He was always 'soaked' I recall taking some telex payments to him for signing (showing my age). That would be about 09:30 and when I entered his office, he bade me sit down and offered me a Vodka and a 'Kent' cigarette! That's what I call breakfast!

He 'disappeared' following a christmas party. He was an accomplished pianist and once 'fully loaded' would bash out any number you cared to name. Except that on this occasion he ripped his suit jacket off, rolled up his sleeves and began to sing and dance on top of the piano.

I've never seen two hundred people standing with exactly the same expression on their faces before or since. "I did it my way!" In a thick Russian accent, his face purple! BRILLIANT!....Never saw him again. How cool was he?!

That created some amazing pictures

I hope they appreciated him at the Gulag

Yeah! That's unless he spontaneously combusted before he got there. His liver must have been pure dynamite.

There were some real characters at the Bank before the 'wall' came down.

Shame really, everyone today appears to be so samey. All a bit stiff and 'professional' or at least they try to be.

I like bonkers people. I see a lot of bonkers students but they are seriously bonkers and not just fun bonkers.

So...Autumn's got well into it's stride here. How's late spring in Sydney? My Auntie in NZ said it's getting very warm in Hastings....Nice

I love "characters" too - I remember read somewhere that "eccentrics" live longer - thank goodness for that

Weather here is quite strange - which is normal for this time of year.
One day it's 30C - hot and sunny, then the next it's overcast and rainy. Still, I love this time of year

Is it getting colder in your part of the world?

That, of course, should be

I read somewhere

Preview is your friend ... preview is your friend ....

Getting cooler, yes.

It's not bone chillingly cold but damp cold. Worst sort in my view. It sets the old arthy off.

Day time temps max out at about 11C and night time 4C.

Today was sunny and cool but this week it's been very overcast and misty, like God's decided on mono-chrome. Typical autumn really.

The leaves are tumbling down and this makes some roads quite dodgy.

The colours though, are stupendous! When it's sunny.


So you're in the 30C region. Too hot for me! I like low to mid twenties. That said, it's humidity that I find the killer!

I was in Spain, far too many years ago now, but they had a 'killer' heat wave 50C and I decided to potter to the bank to cash in some travellers cheques. I was in my early twenties and had a body that one could expose without offense.

I trudged out of the hotel in shorts and flip flops. About two hundred yards down the road I stopped. I could feel the heat actually inside my body...Not good. So I pottered back to the hotel and donned a shirt, long trousers, trainers and a hat.

Back to the bank and I was fine. Twas then I discovered the murderous temperature. The beaches were empty and I saw, on the local town hall a display showing humidity, temperture, wind speed and pressure. My eyes popped out of my head when I saw 50C in the shade!
122 degrees F...No wonder I felt uncomfortable!

We never get that heat here in Blighty but we regularly pop 30 in July and August...It lasts about three days and then we have a terrific thunder storm and that's what summer is here.

Hot Hot Hot...Storm...pleasant...hot hot hot...thunder storm ..pleasant.

This summer though was exceptional.....didn't have one.

We went camping in Yorkshire, normally a drier county and exceedingly lovely....It rained for nine days straight. Not torrential but good honest rain.

THe water falls were gorgeous and looked like boiling coca cola!

We have never known rain like it. I had to tow a couple of people off the site because the ground was so wet. They had, reasonably, parked their cars next to their tents. Unfortunately they were normal cars and simply got bogged down. We have a weird 4x4 Volvo. It doesn't look off roady but it's fantastic! It does all that weird off road stuff but blasts down motorways like it's on fire! NICE!

We love our old Volvo. So do many of my students! "Saw 'Sir' today, Christ! That old tank he drives is quick!" Little do my lambs know that 'Sir's' Volvo is a planet killer! THe Co2 emissions from our thing..naughty!

I don't drive so all that car stuff is way over my head.

That Spain heat sounds incredible! It gets pretty hot here in summer but not that hot! I don't like the heat - give me a mild Sydney winter anytime Spring and autumn are my favourites.

It's overcast and showery again here today, yesterday was a warm and sunny mid 20C day - tomorrow .... who knows

One more week of w*rk and then I'm on leave for two weeks - that should guarantee rain

That Spain thing was rare! Very rare! thank God! I was young then and relatively healthy. It made the news and southern Europe was a 'Kill Zone'. Nasty!

Doesn't happen often but...when it does...NOT GOOD!

I'm Off to Dorset next weekend with Mrs Benson..just the two of us. we decided we needed a bit of R&R after the Horror I described for september!

The weather may not be that good but the goegraphy is beautiful!

Look up 'Purbeck' it's a joy!

Take much care
Bensonxx

I did look it up - it looks fabulous!

I'll imagine you thumping around the tank museum while Mrs B languishes in the tea rooms

Have a wonderful time - you deserve it!

Yeah That and Monkey world! we got Bovington (a toy monkey) from there!,,,Monkey World! What a blast!

I'm bad!

It strikes me that it's a little "strange" rescuing primates to live in Dorset. Do they ever repatriate them?

Come to think of it, I know some people who could probably benefit from the kind of rehabilitation and re-education the Centre espouses - though they might be a bad influence on the chimps

Listen to me you marvelous person!

Have a fantastic holiday!

I hope the weather is balmy and you have a brilliant time.

It's hammering down here in Kent. (Monsoon)

I went to Greatstone this morning.....EVIL!

The motorway was a river! I was buzzing along at 50mph, wipers going ten to the dozen, fog lights on due to the spray. Some prehominids were flashing past at 90! IDIOTS My bus has 4x4 and I could feel her 'skip' in places, there was so much water!

It's not cold but G' whizz...the wet has set the bones off!
My hands are full of creaks, aches and pains. Click, click, snap, lock!

Age is a wonderful thing! Except that I'm not that old!
I'll let you know how the Dorset trip went if you promise to tell me about your holiday!

My holiday will not be worth reporting - I'll be staying at home and looking after my mother who has not been well for some years (but I'd rather not discuss that further )

But I am looking forward to lots of spine bashing and inner eyelid examination ..... lots of sleep ins

My nephew will be getting married in 2 weeks and I have been asked to speak on behalf of our family, so will work on that as well.

I look forward to reading of your break - I'll get my excitement that way.

Old? You? Never!! You are only as old as the people you feel - I feel like a 20 year old - but there's never one around when you want one

Yes....I caught myself lusting after some leggy thing the other day

Then I realised she was young enough to be my daughter!

Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect £200

I've had enough encounters with the Rozzers thank you!

Sorry to hear about your Mum......Won't mention again.

I hate public speaking, so good on you for doing that for your nephew.
Weird isn't it...I can burble for britain in front of a class but anywhere else..NO!

Monsoon's gone and now it bright and breezy, not a cloud in the sky!
Sleep well!
Benson