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

Hello, it's me again just to say hello, and that I like your page, and thankyou very much for calling me a special person . It's the first time I've found myself on a list of nice people.
BTW I'm not an ACE, not that it matters. I could go around pretending to be one.. that might be fun. I'm afraid ACE would imply I had power..sadly not. I am a minion.

It's nice to see you're a veggie (hooray). As you no doubt are aware, here in the UK we have numerous meat trouble, ie BSE, foot and mouth, and they are all rising up from cutting corners to increase meat production while lowering costs. Result- poor conditions, so illness. And then the farmers get suprised and get cross at the government. Not that I'm an eco-warrior, I just get annoyed that farmers expect hand-outs so much when other industries fare just as badly from time to time.

Oh, and what's a mollusk? Is that an American insult? I thought they were shellfish/animals, but they might be different where you live.
I'm so ignorant

Hi Dastardly,

No, 'mollusk' is, in fact, a word for a class of shellfish, which I am told, are part of the Phlegm Family. I would not know, of course. I was looking for an insult that would not be taken personally by anyone, so it had to be one that no one really uses. And mollusks are revolting. People used to (and the reckless ones still do) like to eat the snot-in-a-shell creatures (pronounced 'critters') raw. They're a spectacularly good source of salmonella poisoning. So, people who eat mollusks do something revolting, with something revolting, which gives them something revolting, which was sort of the idea behind the use of 'mollusk' as an insulting epithet.

Watch it catch on...

IMO there is no excuse for a Meat Industry in a world where humans starve to death. Full stop. That's not why I'm a veg - Hindu Brahmin thing - but it's as good a reason as any, and I agree with it. I live in 'cattle country', and there are citizens starving on the streets of Denver... ooof. Don't get me started! (Master's degree in Psychology AND Social Justice... we can talk/write/rant about this stuff until forever.)

The Meat Industry Crisis in the UK and elsewhere (Argentina, parts of New England, USA, other parts of Europe) is heartbreaking. All those poor cattle, dying of disease rather than living safely and peacefully just until the time they're murdered... tragic. One reason (of many) why I would never eat meat is that the Meat Industry are right up there with the Gun Lobby, here in the States, in terms of politicians they own. You have a cost-cutting, corner-cutting problem? We have a conflict of interest problem. The US Department of Agriculture is reponsible for BOTH regulating the Meat Industry, and PROMOTING it. cute.

It seems there are more veggies over there than here. (By which I mean the US in general, not Cattle Country specifically). In the 1960s, it was miserable trying to be a schoolchild in a world that did not know about vegetarians. I got peanut-butter-and-jam sandwiches every day at school for two solid years... In the '70s, it wasn't much better. I had two desserts for lunch, as often as not, because there was *nothing* for me to eat.

I'm going to fix up the list, so it says 'angel' for you, instead of ACE, which I thought you were. I thought so because you decided to take the time to help me, and that was right decent of you, so I thought you must have done it in your ACE capacity. The list isn't quite done, yet, so inaccuracies are easily enough fixed.

Farmers in the States get PAID NOT to grow crops. IMO, that is just obscene.

I said I was radical...

Thank you for dropping in O !

Good to chat with you.

Gotta go see what else is brewing... I hope.

One of us, (we're zinging around Inside, because of the we drank today) for LeKZ

I thinks it's a fantastic insult. My mum did a big project on limpets for part of her degree a few years ago, and all we ever heard were "fascinating" facts about them for months on end....
Eating molluscs raw is, IMHO, disgusting. A delicacy apparently. Sure fire way of spreading cholera also, 'cause in some places they pump their sewage straight into the sea, the shellfish absord it... yuk I think I should use that insult before the day is out.

Farmers here get paid to leave fields fallow as well, I think. I reasoned that it was to keep prices up, but having thought it through I suppose it could be to do with keeping food mountains down. Whatever it is, it's wrong. There are too many starving people who would give anything to have land half as fertile as ours is.

My page has gone away Pending again . I'm sure it's because I quoted Lewis Carroll, but once they cleared it up the first time they should keep a record of it so it doesn't happen again. On the plus side I have TWO new books. And, since I am so happy about that, it appears I also have NO life Do I care?

I don't think I'll ever be an ACE. I don't like speaking for other people because I never know what they think, apart from that it will be different to what I assume. So I speak for me.

You've already got two entries into the edited guide, which I am extremely impressed with. How did they get edited so quickly? Are you bribing someone? Who? And what's their bank account number?

Hallo, Dastardly!

No gargoyle should remain closeted... that's really tragic.

Yes, two Edited Entries in two weeks. And one co-researched currently pending, and one more that'll go pending before the week's out . I didn't have to bribe them; I just dazzled them with my brilliance and they started bowing and scraping...

Of course, I'm used to that sort of thing. If they hadn't done, I could have gone somewhere where my true super-human talents were better acknowledeged.

{Auntie, shut up before the nice man believes you're serious!}

Really! The only place I *don't* have adoring fans is Inside Here!

Miffed flounces out...

---------------------------------------

Dastardly, that was Auntie. She's a super protector, but she's a trifle more exaggerated in her poufiness than is altogether necessary.

The two entries are a recipe and instructions on how to separate eggs -- not really deep and meaningful stuff. The article John-the-GURUdener is just finishing up subbing is the real thing: 'Declining English' - heavy-duty, hard-core grammar stuff. And we really *need* to tie up the loose ends on 'Colorado, USA', which, if we had not said it was still in progress, might have been rec'd already these 3 weeks.

We want to crank out something definitive on Post Traumatic Stress by Friday, but the body has a virus and we're about ready to crawl offline and back to bed...

Thanks as always for dropping in! Our Guardian Dastardly. Doesn't it just figure we'd get a Guardian with a name like that? (How would you say that in British? 'Doesn't it just figure...' is US, heavily influenced with Yiddish.)

We want new smileys now! -- lots of us kids who do not see much practical use for .

They just had to say that... Besides, 'borg' should really be something *entirely* different.

Whee! Free-associating here. Time to let cold medicine knock the body out cold.

Ciao,

Arpeggio and them others for LeKZ
PS-
We wanted to become the Patron Saint of Plurality, but AGB hasn't got back to us on that. Do you know the Mysteries of Heaven? - Martial, the Martian Thunder-Nerd (age 10)

I still think you're bribing someone. I mean, how do you get them edited so FAST? I have entries from weeks or months ago, sitting there with a recommended tag and no sub-editor in sight.

Nice man? Well, you had a fifty-fifty chance of getting it right. Sadly you didn't. I have so far never been male. Some would also say I've never been nice. I however, don't say that at all. I'm confusing myself, so I'll take a deep breath and start again...

I'm sorry you feel ill I can send you a , I hope he helps. Failing that, here's some magic. My name belies my angelic intentions. I'm not always a dastardly person, and I have no idea what 'doesn't it just figure' would be in British, we seem to use that phrase occasionally.

My page is still AWOL. I am not impressed but I don't like to moan at the helpdesk because it's still pending, not actually removed.
*rolls eyes. Then does it again for good effect just in case the moderators missed it the first time*

I am sworn to secrecy on the mysteries of heaven. Only the initiated can be let into the secret.
So long guardees, I can think of nothing more to write (I have roughly the imagination of a small blue beetle)

Dastardly,

Oops. Dunno why we'd assumed you were a Y chromosome bearer, but we had, all along. We normally know better...

O, duh, it's the French Connection: many of the kids and some of the adults are originally, and some exclusively Francophone. '-ard', and '-art' are French masculine pejorative suffices, which indicate doing something/being something to excess (e.g. 'drunkard', 'braggart', and 'bxstxrd' - which all have the masculine implicit, even in modern English.) A 'dastard' is a male who takes mean-spirited risks to excess, usually to impress people who are impressed by that sort of thing. We just didn't think of the word applied to a non-male, because of the French presupposition...

They should give you back your page, already! Ours was moderated once for *length*. We are not a big kvetch about Nice Moderator, as, most of the time, we think Nice Moderator helps prevent more harm than Nice Moderator does. That said, you own page being gone is not funny. YO! Nice Moderator! Didja catch that?

Not that they can do anything about it if Peta's out of the office, and she said last week she spent 4 days in hospital with her daughter. We had something Awaiting for several days. Even if we are scared of her, she should not have to spend any time in hospital with a sick child. We are thoroughly scared of her, though.

What do you think you supposedly did? s don't do anything wrong - ever. Specially not our . Hrrmph.

Take care and we hope they give you back your page come morning. Yah, we don't like going to the Moderation Help Desk at all. Rumour has it Peta prefers that to people whingeing about moderation, but there's a fair amount of territory between whingeing and needing to go to the help desk. Acres. Hectares. Cubic miles.

Ta ta,

Guardees (meaning everyone) from LeKZ

How...edited...fast? Dunno. Maybe it IS Auntie??

My page is finally back now, so I can't have done anything wrong. I hope your faith in my virtues is restored.
The name Dastardly comes from the Wacky Races, a Hanna Barbera cartoon series which I have a bit of an obsession about(I am an obsessive person I'm afraid). Dastardly was the baddie, with loads of nasty schemes, but he always got his comeuppance in the end.

I had a brief look at your site you linked to from your page, and found it very interesting, especially since I am so ignorant about matters like that. There is only one of me. I have different personalities for different situations, but I've never encountered a multiple before. Please excuse me if I make ignorant assumptions about MPs, and please correct me if and when I do. I wouldn't like to offend you with tactless overinterest.

I finally have another entry come in from the rec'd wilderness and reappear with a pending tag. Maybe it was mentioning it that put me on a priority list...
I think it's definitely Auntie getting you edited so quickly.

Hi Dastardly, Guardian Angel We have a problem and we are honestly scared to bits. There's been some really nasty shxx going on, and someone is on a mission to make us miserable enough to leave, or something. I have no idea what the motivation is, but it is *hurting* us badly. Please see the thread 'the royal we' at our space', particularly the last couple of days, and this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F52180?thread=124786 If you can give us some perspective or idea what is going on, we would certainly value your input. You have a lot of insight and we are up to our eyeballs in triggered/panicking/despairing we can't think straight. Maybe you could help reality-test for us? You certainly do not need to post anything at either place, or even here, but any/all insights would potentially keep us from having to leave h2g2 to protect our sanity and safety. We do not like to cave in to terrorist tactics... we may have no choice. truly wounded and afraid and triggered into intergalactic space... Arpeggio, for LeKZ

I just saw your post and I'm off to do some reading/ploughing. Bear in mind it may take me a while , but here's a few hugs to keep you going.

I will be back as soon as I can, although if RL gets in the way I won't be here till tonight, but please bear with me.

Thank you.

Take a hint from Mr Adams- don't panic. Please.

Right, I've had a look and it all seems pretty nasty I have to admit. After the hassle you got before, this really isn't on. I repeat what I've said in other thread- don't feel threatened into leaving. Not for anyone.
I read the 'Inventions' thread which MoG and others referred to, and it seems to be where all this started. (Believe me, this is going to be a long post or two )

You had every right to get annoyed, people were being offensive about IQ, and especially about poor people not being fit to raise children( ), and if nobody had told the authors that was unacceptable then I would have been ashamed to be here.

The comment in that forum by MoG wasn't, in itself, too bad. It wasn't complimentary to you, but I wouldn't say it was abuse. Whether it was justified or not remains to be seen, I haven't read all the threads you've been in so I don't know if you tell people they're wrong all the time, but I doubt it. You just phrase things a little more strongly than most people here, because you obviousely feel strongly about them. That's just your way, if you don't want to change then people will just have to get used to it, as long as you're not offensive then you're not at fault. Just be aware that some people will react badly, sad to say .

The thread on MoGs page is her own thread. If she wants to say those things we can't stop her, and I wouldn't suggest steaming in there too soon, especially if you are annoyed with her. Why not consider WHY she thinks this about you? Is there any truth in it?

She seems to think you deliberately provoke people. I don't believe that, you've always been civil to me even when I haven't deserved it, but if she believes it perhaps other people do. Do you use the preview button before you post? Maybe you should use it, read it through, then put yourself in someone else's shoes. Does it feel like an attack? Or could it be misinterpreted?

As for the lurking business...well I lurk a lot but there's a difference between lurking in open conversations and private ones, I agree with that. The 'royal we' conversation was fairly obviousely private with all sorts of jokes outsides wouldn't get. Having said that, MoG thought you were talking about her conduct, and in fairness you quoted her on post 44, although I thing she misunderstood the tongue in cheek bits you said afterwards judging by other posts (or maybe she understood and it was me who misunderstood). However, if she had an argument with you I would have expected her to post seperately. That just goes to show what I know.*sigh*.

If I were you I'd try to ignore it, and avoid her. She does think you have a lot to contribute, she just doesn't like your attitude. That's not your problem if you don't want it to be. You have friends here who appreciate your attitude and your humour, so don't feel obliged to do anything. If you DO want it to be your problem, read through what she has to say, try to understand what she is saying, try to understand what would make her say that, and try to learn from it.

As for Coelacanth, she hasn't actually done any harm. She agreed with MoG, that's all, she hasn't actually said anything nasty about you. It would appear she doesn't like your conduct either, though. The same advice applies as before.

Please don't leave because a few people don't appear to like you. Remember, a lot of people DO like you, and that's much more important.

There are 84466 researchers on h2g2. If you're waiting for universal popularity you'll be waiting a long time. No one can get on with everyone.
Even such lovely people as me could be disliked, unbelievable as it may be

I forgot something very important....

You are far too important to be bullied off the site. Remember that.

Thank you. Yes, that thread is where it all started... No, we won't be bullied off. Yes, we do use the preview button, but we aren't touchy about the same things as other people are. We really say very little off this page. When we post to Peer Review, we are as positive as possible and make little suggestions. That 'another forum' thing was not true and not fair.

We're just going to lie low. That's not difficult. We feel quite flattened. If other people can say what they like at their site, by what right do they get to smash into private convos at ours?

Still bewildered, but mostly just sad.

Thank you for taking the time and energy to slog through all of that not nice Thread from Hell - yeah it was a rant, but it is SO validating to hear someone say it was justified.

Just thanks for being here and being you.


Arpeggio, for LeKZ

Well it appears that what alot of what I said was needless then, but I wanted to be sure. I tend to repeat myself a lot, that's a personal failing and I know it annoys people. I tend to repeat myself a lot, that's a personal failing and I know it annoys people.

If you need to talk to me I'm here, or at my page if you prefer. If you want to talk in private then ask for my e-mail address and you can have it no problem.

I'm really sorry people keep picking on you. They should have kept their distance if they realised that you were still sorting things out from last time, and if they didn't realise then it still isn't excusable.

Have a . Inside is.... a (I'm too much of a cheapskate to buy a real gift, even when it's all virtual)

It may be that my browser isn't working properly, but you seem to have vanished off the face of h2g2. If that is so then I suppose you won't be able to reply, but if it isn't please say so.

When I go to your page I get the bog-standard 'welcome to the page of researcher....'. Have you left? Or is it my computer doing strange inscrutiable things?

If you are lurking as a visitor then you won't be able to reply, but you can e-mail me if you need to.
[email protected]

Dastardly - they banned LeKZ off h2g2 for a week!

That seems rather harsh. Not a particularly positive move under the circumstances.

Now there's a nice understatement for ya!

I have been emailing LeKZ, and I will go a lot to try and support them, during this forced break, and also afterwards ... what I want is that they should be free to always speak plainly over here. Surely we can do something to try and facilitate that, in the future?

Bah. I only hope that the other party/ies involved in this have also been suspended, or at least threatened with the same. Otherwise it really does seem like tptb are picking on LeKZ unfairly.

Pillowcase, please send them my very very warmest regards, and if any of them would like them. And tell them that they are missed.

I don't want the other parties to be suspended, or threatened to be suspended ... I was under the impression that there was no major disagreement!