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

Glad you like it. I like to use my imagination. My father always said "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." Or was it "A waist is a terrible thing to mind"... I can't remember.

Was your father a fool too?

How are you settling in? You had a few visitors here yesterday. Nice to know you're loved, eh?!

.. I've got it! A Terror is a wastful thing to mind! No, that's not right, either. Yes, my father is a fool (he's turning 53 tomorrow, just so you know how foolish he can be). And I did enjoy having all those fools drop by and say "welcome, hello, how d'you do?" I'm going to like it here. Now I'll have to think of something to actually write about.

No problem, Arlecchio.

I wonder if there is a good short form of your name. I use GL for myself when I don't want to type my whole name. I suppose we could use "A" for you, or Arl. What do you think?

*Unscrews wolf's head handle from cane and offers a sip of the brandy inside to Franacropan.*

So, deackie, you were here before under another name. Did we ever cross paths then? What was your name? What is the Green Room?

TTYL (ta-ta-yells-Lupus)

Isn't the green room where actors wait?

Oh, and Garius, they're already calling me "Arl" over at Lil's, but if you can think of something wittier, go ahead.

Did you notice, by the way, that I left a note on your page?

The Green Room is the general meeting place for h2g2 Anonymous addicts http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F69708?thread=118817 Our current therapy activity is planning the revolution, inbetween quaffing and getting to the top of the postings list. You're both more than welcome to pop in and say hello to everyone.

Thanks for the brandy Garius, and at this height it has a powerful effect. I can face the treck back down now....well maybe in a minute or two *eyes the cane*

*Profers the cane to Fran again.*

Help yourself

Yes, Arl, I had noticed that they were using that short form after I had already posted here. Glad to see you are getting used to the place and have made some friends. I did notice the note on my page, but I ended up posting here, rather than there.

Oh, that makes sense. Fran, you can hang around as long as you like. The more the merrier, as my father always said. Or was that something else, too? Hmmmm...

Are you sure your father was a fool and not a wise man?

Many wise men were wise simply because they knew they were fools, where the rest of the world was unaware of their own foolishness. I believe Socrates said something to the effect of "True knowledge lies in knowing that you know nothing." Or, listen to the lyrics of the Beatles song "Fool on the Hill" for a similar description of the wiseman/ fool paradox.

I could go on, but that would not only be foolish, but boring.

Hello, Arl. I did finally post to that other conversation on my page. I tried earlier, but the site was down, I think.

Socrates (or rather Plato) wrote something like that. Once you realise that you know nothing then you can start to find out reality. Similes of cave, sun, etc.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I suppose that as we know nothing, we shouldn't try to find out anything because we're only ever going to know a little and this is dangerous. We'd best all be fools then . I'm glad that's sorted.

Probably Socrates and Plato both spoke on this topic, as the former taught the later (I think. May have been the other way around). The idea that wisdom is knowing that you know nothing is what lead to the famous Socratic Dialogue.

Now, Nihilism, I believe, was based on the idea that nothing can be known. This leads to some frustrating conversations (such as the scene from the Hitchhiker series in which they converse with the REAL leader of the Universe.) It also leads to anarchist activities, and other such things. There are good and bad ways of interpreting everything.

Nihilism is a belief in nothing and is a contradiction in terms if you think about it. I believe nothing exists, oh, hang on to believe nothing exists I must exist, and so must belief, therefore I have just disproved my entire theory, b******s!!

This is true.

I believe I know nothing on this subject.

In that case I think we have to look to you as our foremost expert.