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

OK, HS. Take the P if you must. The fact that all this is under a heading mentioning az can get confusing when you've other things on your mind and alcohol in your blood!

toxx

Hi, az. My thoughts have been with you and your Spanish friends since yesterday. I haven't joined in the debate on the 'God' thread because I'm sure feelings are still to raw, and anyone more remote isn't really in a position to express a valid reaction in such circumstances. I just want you to know that I send sympathy and best wishes.

toxx

thanks toxx,

Well, you know it cannot be a 'truly' personal thing for me since I didn't lose anyone near and dear in the attacks. But there really is a solidarity going on here. It's very strong. And I have lived here long enough, 12 years, to feel that this is my home.

I also feel afraid because part of me thinks this might be the tip of the iceberg, especially if al-Qaeda is involved.

As you read on the God thread - I want these all these f**kers dead.

Now.

It's really horrible, how it has affected the entire country. Everyone is being brave and supportive, but they are also scared.

I feel scared for all of us. And I've been crying since yesterday thinking of all the people who lost children, spouses, family . . . it is too much to really think about. Anyhow . . .

az

Hi again, az.

I have little to say of comfort except that I heard a Spanish person, presumably not directly involved, say that it isn't quite such a shock as 9/11 would have been to the Americans. There have been other such outrages in Spain before, although none of the same scale. Similarly, we have had previous incidents which have 'bracketed' me in a way: the Birmingham pub bombing (I'd used that pub) and the Manchester shopping centre. Here in Stoke we're just about half way between those cities.

Mainland USA had not been attacked by anyone other than local nutters before, I think. I can understand their strong reaction, even though it now may seem excessive. My guess is that, like us, you won't actually experience much more than the tightening up of security - which will probably only affect you if you travel a lot.

Cheers, toxx

Did 200 people die in the Birmingham pub? Did little kids going to school die? Were body parts strewn all over the place? Hundreds of body parts?

I'm sorry, but your Spanish friend was wrong.

And I'm sorry but I am so upset. I'm not making much sense and I feel like I am so angry and sad and like I am fighting against the whole world - somehow.

I'll be better tomorrow, I hope.

az

I don't know the stats, az. The Spanish person was an official on Radio 4. The Birmingham pub bombing was a pretty bloody business as you can imagine. The place was packed at the time. 'The Tavern in the Town' as I recall.

However, my point was that our countries have known this kind of thing before, unlike the USA. The same programme also mentioned that Franco's sidekick was blown up by Eta so thoroughly that his car flew over an apartment block. The Spanish people themselves subsequently dubbed him 'The first Spanish astronaut'.

toxx

"OK, HS. Take the P if you must."

Firy 'nuff, toxx. I hardly ever change subject headers, so don't even think about them. mea culpa!

az

Be angry, sweetheart. But not so angry that, if the bombers (whoever they are) gave themselves up today you would rejoice to see the crowd pull them to pieces, even if their bombs did that to the bodies of others and the lives of the victims' families. I don't give a damn about the bombers, but I do give a damn about ordinary people, and everything we ever see shows us that violence begets violence - your feelings, the anger everyone in spain feels is natural. But any form of revenge on this cowardly act would raise more 'martyrs' who would think it heroic, not cowardice, to take revenge for their martyrdom. Everyone would suffer, not just those who took revenge, and the cycle of violence would become engrained in Spanish society. No anger is worth that.

Morning, HS. I don't tend to change headers either, but I do notice the main heading of the whole thread which you couldn't have changed. So that was a bit of an excuse. It was mostly the booze.

toxx

Feeling somewhat more normal today. Have to admit I also consumed vast quantities of wine yesterday, which didn't help with coming across even remotely 'sensible'. So, yesterday was a real emotional mess of a day.

One thing you have to understand is that nobody blames Eta or the Basque people. All Spaniards from all over Spain are united against Eta and terrorism. Basque people are not the enemy. Eta is.

I don't know if the al-Qaida connection is real or not. The van they found with the cassette of Arab whatever on it sounds almost like a red herring. Like, why would they leave a cassette in the van? Why even leave the van?

Some people are saying that PM Aznar is withholding information about an al-Qaeda connection until after the election tomorrow. Because otherwise he wouldn't get one vote.

Well, time for a very late lunch.

Thanks for caring guys.

az

Yikea - major mistake.

<>

One thing you have to understand is that nobody blames the Basque people for Eta.

az

Hi az. Trial scheduled for 6th July but prosecution all in a tizz and on the run. We expect trial to be dropped or at least postponed. Dangerous move as we're passing the 3 year mark and human rights have surely been violated re timely trial.

Most lawyers seem to be incompetent, but our team are, at last, good; and they have ME on side. Not a lawyer, but a sound brain and competent researcher.

Oh yep, if she doesn't already know, do you mind if I mention this thread to Adelaide? I know you've had your differences, but let's hope they are differences of opinion only.

toxx

hi toxx,

Why do you think the trial will be postponed again?

Meanwhile, I've always told Della that I have nothing personal against her - it's just that we disagree on many different topics. If you want to invite her to this thread then that is your choice, I don't mind.

az

Hi az and thanks for the reply. The prosecution have already attempted to have the trial postponed but been turned down by a judge. It was because they have no adequate reply to our reply to their evidence. Our expert agrees with me that their expert's report proves little or nothing. This has caught them on the hop.

They are now saying they want to bring all the images on my computer into the calculation. The police themselves agree that 95% of them are much as one would find on the top shelf of newsagents. If they want to prove that I'm a normal hetero why bother? I'm perfectly prepared to admit that.

Anyway, my defence is based on my assertion that I didn't download the 30 nasty images in the indictment. The prosecution strategy is irrelevant. It just doesn't address the question of whether I did download them. They're obviously floundering.

toxx