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

Nice poem... Kipling, despite his comparatively racist tendencies, was a great poet. Too bad most people just remember him for Jungle Book and the Just So Stories. There was a whole lot more there.

My understanding about Boxing Day in England was that it was the whole master-servant exchange thing. Maybe I got confused along the way. I always knew that it was the 26th, but never got a lot of details. It's like asking what Whitsun is. People can tell you a lot of things about it, but I guess unless you live in a culture that celebrates it, you never quite understand.

I did a quick search just now and came up with this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day

but like I said, when I talk to people who live in countries where Boxing Day means something, they usually tell me something different from what's in "official" definitions like this.

Big plans for New Years?

For his time, Kipling is actually not very racist, it has to be seen in context. The problem is that he's so often misinterpreted, with people seeing things lie "The White Man's Burden" as pro-racism rather than a plea for taking responsibility. I love his poetry, wonderful! Especially the things he wrote for "Muse among the Motors" and things like that.

Hmm, interesting - it really depends on the culture!

I had a plan to go to Munich, but abandoned it, as I have to be in Münster on the 4th, then back in Wuppertal by the 9th, only to head back to Leipzig on the 13th - that will be quite enough driving!

Sorry about the long gap. Believe it or not, I actually had to do some w*rk while I was here!!

That's all over now, though, and I'm going to take my kids out to get something to eat. Enjoy the rest of your holidays and I will catch up with you again soon!

Your American friend,

That's ok, I was having dinner anyway - not that anyone was hungry after three days of feasting!

Thanks - your European counterpart

Hi. I know you're not on-line now but I just thought I'd leave a greeting for when you get back on. It's new year's eve and I'm at the office working on my dissertation. What a loser!

I was at my aunt's, playing Doppelkopf (a German card game) - not much better, eh?

Happy New Year's!

Happy NY again!

Spent some time on line last night chatting with Tav. She told me that you were playing cards with your aunt. Yes, we both had an exciting New Year's Eve! I did make some good progress on the next chapter of my dissertation, so I feel good about that.

Yeah, I saw. You had the presumption to accuse me of having a life

Same to you! We're about to have New Year's dinner, I spent the day assembling furniture for my mother.

I know, I know, I was quite out of line. I, too, had quite the night. I was the lone wolf with two married couples. Midnight came and no one to kiss

As I always say though, better no one than the wrong one.

I know the feeling My aunt and my uncle, my mother and my stepdad - I was left with my cousin's dog to hug

You could do worse! I HAVE done worse!!

You know what Groucho Marx said, "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

And Bruno's a cute dog - but gay, unfortunately, so it was a purely platonic hug

I have heard apocryphal stories of gay dogs, but never met one myself. How do you know about Bruno's orientation?

To put it bluntly: because he was having it off with Jack, my uncle's Rottweiler

That's blunt, all right! I guess I should have expected an answer like that. How ELSE would you have known? He certainly wouldn't have come out of the closet

First real day back at w*rk today. Ugh. I say first "real" day because I was in and out over the break. It's a lot different, though, when you can dress as you like and stay as long (or as short) as you like.

No, I guess not - it was quite the love triangle, because our bitch, Asla, adores Jackie, who likes Bruno, who tries to *eat* Asla

My sympathy! I have dinner with my prof/boss/dean tomorrow

Dinner with the boss, eh? That could be good or bad. Is this a regularly-scheduled thing, or did it come as a surprise? I have had some bosses that I wanted to steer as clear of as possible, but I have had others that I still keep in touch with.

I'm trying to work on my dissertation as we chat. So if there are long gaps in the conversation, it could be because I've finally found something to write. On the other hand, I have to leave for home in about twenty-five minutes, so if I'm going to come up with anything profound, I'd better do it soon.

No, just a non-binding invitation - the worst kind


I'm working on my resumé, so that's ok - trying to figure out which schools to leave out

After being out of college for so long and having been through two completely different careers (computer systems and education) my resume finally got so long that I had to start leaving things out just for the sake of brevity. There was one place that I only worked for six months. After I was gone from there for ten years or so, I just dropped it.

Even when places ask for a "complete" educational history, I leave out the three-credit course that I took at Community College in 1984. I think I'm pretty safe in doing that.

I did the standard 13 school years - in 12 different schools! So I leave out any that I was at less than half a year. Putting in my internships and interpreting jobs now.