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

Eating 'Traditional Cottage Pie" for Sunday tea, (microwaveable frozen meal... It's - adequate.) There's not a lot traditional about it, to be honest.
It's accompanied by the music of Chuck Berry, specifically, 'My Ding-a-ling' live before a Canadian audience. It is so hilarious! Garth sure had some "vibes" as he would call them ( recordings of all types)
We have had rain for about 10-14 days now, usually just a few annoying showers. Guess what? The weather forecast predicts another week of it, and I have lost both my raincoat *and* now my umbrella. What is it about umbrellae that makes them so eminently loseable?
Nigel sent me a C90 tape of 'The Hitch-hiker's Guide' he taped from the LP. In a stroke of fate DNA himself might have appreciated, the last 5 minutes were cut off the end of the tape. Still, what a buzz to hear it, so nostalgic.
I am so disturbed by some pictures I saw, emailed from The Palestine Guy as I call him, Leslie at http://palestine.org.nz who sends me regular emails about the Mess In the Middle East. The pictures were of the mutilated bodies of four young men who had been killed in mysterious circumstances by the IDF, or as Palestine Guy calls them the IOF...
Well, that about wraps it up for the Traditional Cottage Pie, so it's off to get some Mallowpuffs for the kid and me, and to read 'New Scientist'. Lots of fun!

Pre-packaged food is wonderful isn't it
Sounds to me as if we need to swop climates. I hate hot weather and would gladly exchange it for some of your rain maybe not all of it.

I have a book on tape, read by DNA himself - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective thingy..forgot the title right now...or that may be the title..derrr...

I bought the thing in a charity shop and always wondered if it was the whole thing or some of it was missing... Then I read more of his books and realised that he likes some loose ends.

I would love to swap! We're having a really heavy scene "cold snap" right now, snow all over the show, except not herein this city, thankfully...

Wow, that would be good, read by DNA himself... I like books on tape.

I should be more careful what I wish for

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/3571844.stm

although it is now wet it is still hot and oppressive

snow, lovely

Hi, Blackberry Cat,

You are right, we should be careful what we wish for. Oppressive here too, in Birmingham, and raining and with more bad weather to come.

I have been watching tonight's programmes about Boscastle in Cornwall and it is heartbreaking. Watching what has happened in Florida was bad enough but to see this so close to home, and on the anniversary of the Lynton & lynmouth floods is devastating.

It is a relief that (so far) no lives appear to have been lost but with fifteen apparently still missing, it is surely just a matter of time. It is hard to imagine what the residents must be feeling. It is bad enough for the holidaymakers, who have probably losts cars and some belongings, but the residents have lost homes, businesses, vehicles, everything.

I dread to think how many have business equipment etc. on hire purchase. Insurance will probably replace equipment, furniture, cars etc. but the original debts will still be owing. Some will never be able to start again.

Boscastle was such a beautiful village, but tourists of the future are going to be very wary of staying there, as the Environment Agency appears to think nothing can be done to stop it happening again and it is raining heavily again, there already tonight.

Still, the "Dunkirk" spirit is apparently alive and well, and perhaps it takes a disaster like this to make us remember the things that really matter in this world - family and friends. Let's hope there is a very soon to brighten up the of the people of Boscastle and the surrounding area.

It was good to see the emergency services acting so promptly and bravely. Pity our "Emergency" booklet didn't give tips on what to do in these circumstances

Here's a few to cool you down,

Websailor

ta very much
yes, the emergency services were magnificent
insurance can never replace things with personal value either can it

Oh my goodness! How dreadful! We've had floods here, recently, as you probably know. That is terrible, my sympathy to all involved.

Yes, that's the terrible thing... I always think of photographs, and things given to me by people who are or were special when I think of things like that...
Hooray for Civil Defence and emergency services! Does anyone know what became of the 15 people?

no updates yet, still missing

I have just heard that a mail deliverer is missing, she disappeared on her route this morning, which is where they have been having "gale force winds" - the Wellington airport Koru club lounge lost its roof and 65 plane flights were cancelled. It's all going on everywhere isn't it! Look at this...
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3585142&thesection=news&thesubsection=general

sorry to hear that, does seem awful weather all round

All around the place... here it's still winter, so we should expect it, but not where you are!

its not as bad as the US but it does put in perspective my usual grousing about the weather