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

Tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of my son's wedding. We had spent the day before the wedding in a state of feverish activity, decorating the church, getting sheaves of wheat, fixing the flowers, making appointments at the hairdresser's, endlessly going through the check-list. I had shed nearly a stone. Sigh. A wonderful memory for all and we'll reminisce tomorrow on the phone. What's five years? Silk?

Anyway, we're back from the land of arid and bare wasteland that is the Gard. Uglification of what was once wild scenery. Anyway, as I said last time, O/H's youngest and partner are trying to set up her own surgery with her partner. We called on the local vet, an old crook with a military pension and porcine eyes who devotes his whole time to horse and racing cows (vachettes) for the races they have there (no killing)and wants an extortionate amount for selling his non-existent practice. No village around is complete without its arena. When I think that she campaigned to abolish vivisection for first-year science students who would not be going on to work with animals (and she even got on TV, with dark glasses on)... Stop me if you've heard it before.

The area we visited was badly damaged by a freak flood of the Gardon three years ago and the flooded areas are dotted with pristine houses, the insurance money has been well-spent. Also dykes have been erected. Let us hope they'll stand the strain. Most of the neighbours were fatalistic and had got on with their lives. The village itself is on the site of an Roman oppidum. O/H's daughter fell in love with a lovely house in the village (high up) but it's a choice: either they buy the practice, redo the whole surgery with a special loan and live in a mobile home while sweating to win back a few customers, by offering new services (like massage,etc.), or they buy the house and then can't buy the practice. So reality is starting to sink in and it's sad to see their hopes dashed. As they had to get their degree in Belgium, because six years ago France was restricting the number of vets under pressure from greedy established professionals, it's good-bye rain and cold and hello sunshine for them. Anyway, they're young, they'll bounce back.

Two grandchildren with attendent parents expected tomorrow. Little to report on the translation front (I have been weeding instead).

I am of course saddened beyoond measure by today's "incidents", full of admiration for British spunk and loathing for this ideology of death. I will be giving a wide berth to The Bull on these matters as I suppose the usual suspects are still spouting the same sort of nonsense. I fervently hope none of you gets hurt.

ON a less sombre note: I have made an earth-shattering discovery in HP6. In none of the HP books is there any mention of God or religion. Interesting. Also I read the lukewarm Guardian review and the glowing one in the New York Times and I agree with both!!!

Ta ta for now.

< I have made an earth-shattering discovery in HP6. In none of the HP books is there any mention of God or religion. Interesting. >

I've only read the first one and that didn't strike me at the time, but I'm sure you're right. Not sure how relevant religion would be in a school for wizards, but still.

What is a bit odd in this context is the fact that certain clergy have apparently spoken out against HP's supposedly malign influence on the young, but not (as far as I know) against Philip Pullman's far more up-front anti-Christian stance.

Martine,

< I will be giving a wide berth to The Bull on these matters as I suppose the usual suspects are still spouting the same sort of nonsense>

Haven't been there yet so don't know what's being said but in the same way that terrorism must never stop us living our lives as we want to, we must not be put off expressing our views by extremists. Otherwise their views look like the majority.

Lovely to hear from you again.

Polly x

I don't blame you Martine, I tried manfully to create some sort of reasoned debate last weekend but was ground down by the wilful blindness and (to be honest rather offensive and patronising) entrenched 'not in my name/anyone complaining is racist/everything is, and always has been, the USA's fault' attitudes.

Ho Hum.

Alex x

(PS: Still haven't really worked out how all this h2g2 business works, but might as well get into practice.

Nice to see you over here Alex!

It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you've figured out that it's a different environment entirely from the ML boards, it's quite enjoyable.