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

An honest to God WIWO!

Oh good grief, here we go agin. After preemy babies and OBGYN, now we've 'nickyoo'. Because 'neo-natal intensive care unit' is too much effort to say

Hospitals have long been breeding grounds for acronymitis. However they're no where near as infected as NASA.

Not unexpected, given that NASA is itself an acronym

You really have no idea. It's absolutely not uncommon to hear multiple acronyms in once sentence and many of those may actually be nested acronyms. Yes, some of our acronyms are built from other acronyms.


http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/acronyms.cgi?program=shuttle&searchall=true

And that is NOT a comprehensive list. When I worked in Mission Control, not in either the White FCR (flight control room, pronounced "ficker") or the Blue FCR, but in the POCC (Payload Operations Command Center) my group was referred to as ESC for Electronic Still Camera, which does not appear on that list.

Not enough vermouth in the house to mix a Manhattan. What a shocking state of affairs

I've just found two small, identical screws underneath some papers on the coffee table.

And I have no idea what they came out of, but they must be important otherwise I wouldn't have put them there

It's Thanksgiving Day so I'm steaming my Christmas pudding*, naturally.

*My second Christmas pudding - I steamed the first one yesterday afternoon/evening. Yes, I know I could make half the recipe and end up with only one, but what's the point of having instead of

As long as I can remember, I've fancied Eleanor Bron That's still the case http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/nov/23/eleanor-bron-i-didnt-want-to-be-like-other-little-girls-interview

I think I'll watch Help! this afternoon

Ooh, or maybe Bedazzled. Or both

I won't say which ones, but I can tick 11 of those boxes. I must be really clever http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/drinking-regularly-being-liberal-and-owning-a-cat-13-science-backed-signs-youre-smarter-than-average-a6749601.html

I reckon you can guess at least two of them though...

"when the male is "no longer able to maintain the grace of the females""
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-34933437

I know the feeling

Bloody Cybermen, coming over here, stealing our Mondays. And then they don't even show up for it! Slackers!

"Now we just need RUFC of Sir Ian McKellen’s native Burnley to start playing in robes while carrying a staff."
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/sir-patrick-stewarts-hometown-rugby-team-gave-their-kit-a-jean-luc-picard-makeover-a6757081.html

A pox on your house, Texas

"The following prohibit the shipment of any citrus into their state: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and Hawaii."
http://www.melissas.com/Seville-Oranges-p/335.htm

"And finally...due to USDA restrictions, citrus trees cannot be shipped to: Arizona, Texas and Florida."
http://www.pearsonranch.com/seville-sour-orange-tree.html

Have I ever seen Seville oranges in the shops around here, ever? Have I

Are they scared they'll get too much vitamin C?

It's probably economic protectionism. Texas, and several of those other states, are big producers of citrus.

Mind you, it could also be environmental protectionism too. They could be trying to keep out certain pests. If I remember rightly, there's something about goosegogs being illegal in the US, or parts of it.