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

...as the Irish say.

And I'm also sorry that we accidentally crossed swords lately.

My deepest sympathies. My wife's father died just over a week ago and she his going trough similar with her siblings.

Must dash - but don't hesitate to say hi/ ventilate.

Thanks, Ed. And apologies - I've been even grumpier than lately.

And for your wife, of course. Very sad how divisive these things can be, just when you need your family.

Apologies not necessary.

With my wife - it was she who sat with her father while he was dying - and the kids helped, mopping his brow etc. And then her sister, who saw him three days before he died yells 'Why didn't you tell me he was dying?!!!'

Well - you know what? My wife couldn't predict the exact time and tell her sister she could go out shopping etc and then return for the grand finale at 7am. But unlike her she had the brains and empathy to know what was happening and that she had to stick around.

And don't get me started on discussing his possessions the following day and expressing 'delight' on discovering he had more money than she thought.

Or the useless, emotionally constipated snob of a brother who thinks his Very Important semester in Oxford lecturing to Very Important people is more important than giving his proletarian* sister one single phone call. I mean - I can sympathise He recently said that being an academic is 'the most stressful job there is.' Perhaps a slightly tasteless remark in front of the woman who runs the Social Work department in Europe's busiest court (do academics regularly get threatened by assault in piss-soaked cells?). Perhaps also tasteless when from the window of his country home he can watch Chinese slave fieldworkers hard at work, You know - I think they win. And he teaches 'kin *politics*!!!

Sorry to go on, like.









* 'Proletarian' is my highest compliment, you understand.