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

No...not a typo in the subject field. That's Slovak for "hello." Sounds like "ahoy," though. Anyway...enough of that. Not supposed to use other languages anymore, so I better be good and mind house rules.

Welcome back, Pierce .

Hi there! Am I pleased to hear from you again or what? What have you been up to?

right back at yer!

Oooo...a kiss from a pirate. Just got a hug (virtual, alas) from a Viking, too

I have been up to getting a new job. The previous position was not at all what I hoped (though I just got the most recent issue of the publication and it is very good and I really wish there was a way I could be part of it...). Now I am a research fellow at the university. I love it. I am compiling information on Middle Eastern policies and political institutions for organizing a library and possibly a whole center, on the region. Very interesting. Very controversial. Very busy. Though...I am working quite independent so I do have time to visit h2g2 and catch up more than before.

So...what have you been up to?

Look no further: Here you can get a from a pirate and a from a viking in one move!

I see you have joined the "gentle revolution". Well done! I would have been surprised if you had not, of course.

Middleeastern politics, eh? Well, that should keep you occupied for some time. To say the least. I have not worked in that field myself. As usual I left it to one of my sisters. She volunteered and joined the danish peacekeeping force (mostly policemen) in Hebron for some months a couple of years ago. As soon as she got there all hell broke loose, of course (I could have told them that - we were like cats and dogs when we were kids, hee-hee).

I know I am not supposed to make jokes about things like the Middle East Crisis, but knowing you knowing me I guess it is allright, is it not?

What have I been up to? Not much, I am afraid. Work, work, work and then some. Seeing friends and family (my above mentioned sister lives in Copenhagen and needed a little help). Unfortunately I did not have the means to travel further than Flensburg (on the danish border), but just this weekend I returned from a fortnite in York/England. My employer sent me there to improve my english and I had a GREAT time with 17 colleagues from other parts of the danish press.

Have to stop now, but will be back. Take care. +

Yup...joined the Zaphodista, though I did hesitate because I read so much about the BBC being the only way for h2g2 to survive and I don't want it to become a cyber ghost. Just got to hope BBC sees that we are self-moderating (most of the time) and will change policies.

I picked up a Middle East music CD today called "Camelspotting." The cover is "inspired" by the Trainspotting CD Had a great ride home groovin' to the Mideast beat. I shudder the think of the reaction my "dancing" would inspire in a native Middle Eastern person.

The next time your employer wants you to improve your English, tell her/him to send you to the US! You can even pick up a neat Bostonian accent if you come here (or as they would say in Boston...heah )

Boston it is! Thanks for the invitation!

Camelspotting sounds hilarious! Who came up with an idea like that?

Between you and me: I was a little reluctant too about this zaphodista-thing, but in the interim a lot of us actually managed to move a lot of the h2g2-spirit to yahoo and ezboard - where they don't have all these ridiculous limitations - and we can do it again if need be.

Too early to paint the devil on the wall though, as we say here.

I forgot to put my pants in the dryer last night, so while I wait for them now, I figured I'd catch up with you

When h2g2 was down, I did pop into the interim forums, but never really got the hang of them. I like the setup here, with a personal space to call home. The powers seem to be doing their best to make moderation work with a minimum of upset, so I suppose that devil will stay in the paint can a bit longer.

I was listening to the Camelspotting cd at work yesterday, very quietly, and a neighboring cube dweller poked his head over the partition. I got a little nervous that I had disturbed him, but he said he liked it and told me he has lots of Middle East music at home and would I like to borrow a few. "Of course!" I responded. He sat down and I mused on the fact that this guy is from Brazil and has lots of Middle East music at home. I have cool colleagues

and

Are you telling me you wrote me with no pants on? In one of the yahoo-groups for homeless hitchhikers we had a silly thursday were all had to chat in the nude. No webcams though (and I think a lot of people can count there blessing for me not having one, hee-hee).

I think I will try to mail you an indescent proposal

(No, don't worry, it isn't THAT indescent!)

Well, when I wrote "pants" I was using it the way Americans use the word...to mean trousers. But, I have surfed naked. I do lots of things naked.

You will be waking to my follow-up to your indecent proposal. I was only too happy to oblige.

As I am living all by myself I can do a lot of things naked - so naturally I do. Could I be the one who inspired the writers of "Friends" to invent the "ugly naked guy"? Nah, for the sake of humanity I always make sure noone can watch me through my venetian blinds

Thank you for the follow-up! [To moderators & others: Move along! Nothing to see here!]

You know what else I found in my mailbox today? A letter from my long lost uncle in Texas whom I haven't had words with for over 30 years. And I owe it all to you for helping me locate my cousins (his sons). I thought he was dead and gone many years ago. But there he is. Alive & kicking! Thanks again!

Okay, so on your way to Texas to visit your long lost uncle, you can stop in Massachusetts to thank me personally. We can go listen to Middle East music at a great club in Boston. Yeah, yeah, yeah...I am really harping on this getting together thing.

...which is absolutely fine with me , except I cannot see how I should be able to go anywhere for the next years - unless I win the lottery

I may not be able to take you for a cruise on a tall ship in real life - but there is a virtual one waiting for you. Just follow my name