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

Hi, gecko. I'm glad things got sorted out and that you're finally back in your old space again.

JTG

Yeah! Good to be where I started the h2g2 carrier!
Wrote some Journals to bring you up to date. More stuff is coming. I like the Journal format, because I can write the way I write and I can delete also. Good spot in this communication forum. Have to go now. I'll be back.
Gecko

See you soon.

I really think this was the worst snow-storm I experinced here on the East Coast of USA.
Truly was a BLIZZARD, and it was just brutal! We knew a storm is coming, in fact 2 storms one after on the top of the other. But nobody thought it is going to be this bad!!
The wind in a Blizzard is like millions of needels punching into your face once you go against it! It feels like your getting frozen right on the spot!
It was a scary situation to be locked in a house and help was very uncertain to get for digging me out!
But it did happen! Help came and will be back tomorrow because this is not a one day job!
To survive it is good to make 100 X-mas cookies! ( if the electricity will let you bake them!) One way of getting rid of the fear while getting buried under the snow more than a foot depth and just coming more snow coming down and drifting in the wild wind and... well, that is the story for today!
Gecko <>

I'm glad the snow didn't bury you completely. Just think of all the little creatures who live under the snow all winter. I read once about a village in Japan, the snowiest place in the world, where there is so much snow that they don't even try to shovel it away; instead, they dig tunnels through it and live like mice every winter.

I've been watching your blizzard on the news. Here, the weather is sunny and mild today; but our turn will come. The big concern here is that the power will go off again when the temperature is dangerously low. Some areas had another blackout for several days recently.

JTG

I personally think it is crazy--- as so many things-- what they do with this millions of dollar plowing, salting , sanding day in and day out.
But in this metropolitan area the business must go on and are no other way to get around,-- specially in the suburbs but by cars.
Today I had the second time the help to come to clean up from about 20 inches of snow on the drive-way! I have never seen this much!
And the wind was still brutal. The birds are in total panic, but manage to feed them!
My car was dug out, but I did not go anywhere yet. The roads are
" trecherous" for my small car. Big 4x4 you can go,though has been plowed diligently, but this amount of snow they just can not push aside.
The Sun was out and laughing at us today, the temp. will go up and Wed. rain will come. But to wash away this mess? no, Sir! We can wait for that.
I wish at least the wind would stop! And so they say: It comes from North-West from CANADA! There are many nice days in the summer from the Canadian breeze, but in the Winter just forget it here in this God-for-saken part of the world.

OK, so much for that, however if you loose power in your place, that is the most frightening experience I can have. For a half an hour --yes, we lost electricity here, but that was bearable. Winter is not for me anymore.

Wish you well! Are you enjoying the Holiday Season? Do you sing such things as: " I am dreaming of a WHITE Christmas?" I rather sing:
"I love Paris in the Spring time! Gecko

P.S. Two friends of mine left for Europe ( Germany) in the biggest snow storm! At least went to the airport and guess spend the night sleeping(?) on the floor.- No news, what happened. Wow! I am glad to stay put if I did not leave in November. G.

Hey, don't blame Canada. I think this cold weather is sent from your fellow Americans in Alaska . Any cold that we get from the folks in the Canadian arctic we must take with good grace. After all they have more than enough cold up there.

The best thing to do when the snow falls is just relax and enjoy a good book. I always shake my head in wonder at the people who dash out into the blizzard, when they don't absolutely have to, just to become a part of the problem by blocking roads for the snow plows. Really, most of us wouldn't be missed for a day or two if we just stayed at home in bed with a book. After all, most of us don't really do anything that important.

I certainly don't sing "White Christmas" ... anything but that!

JTG

OK, it is all my fault. No excuse JTG! I did not write. I did all kinds of Christmas stuff, some was good, some was just silly ol' me doing silly things.
OK, than, my Holiday is here on SUNDAY: Winter soltice and than is over.
I stand in the window and watch the Sun Standing Still = soltice.
And next day the Sun will come up earlier, the day will be longer and we are going into Spring and Summer....
Excuse: I forgot that first Winter is coming right now... but it is much nicer to know: it will end---soon. Even if you call it wishful thinking, it is still true: Winter will come to an end.
So we celebrate since ancient times since the humans discovered Winter Soltice in the Northern Hamisphere! Joy to the North! When the winter is over: Spring will come, in just 3 short months! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year too! Now I said everytning.
Gecko
P.S. Plse write if you find my msg. Thanx.!!!

That's right! Winter Solstice is the least silly of things that we poor humans celebrate! I'll join you in raising a toast to the promise of a new year and another spring. After all, we have science on our side. Wishing for spring may seem like a huge leap of faith on a frigid winter's morning. But astronomy and our own watches provide irrefutable proof that the days grow longer - if not appreciably warmer.

So, here's to Solstice and the promise of spring.

JTG

already this morning I jumped to the window! It was just coming up on the horizon: was getting lighter and lighter and the clock was showing almost half past 7 AM! And suddenly there it was! So bright I could not look at it anymore!
This was a morning when there were no clouds anywhere in this region! And suddenly the air was filled with the warmth of the bright Sunshine! Yeah, was hardly at freezing point and was no snow anywhere eighter!

This is going to be a most beautiful day! And it was a most beautiful day as I can say: because by now the Sun went to sleep also so suddenly as it got up!

It was possible to do a couple of things outside, because the temp. really let me clean up a few things: like take out stuff from the old car, which I sold. And poke around the new car, which still has misteries to learn before is too late.

I really finished my Season's Greetings "obligations" made decoration on the mailbox from 150 little lights. Well this is more for the neighbors, this way I am "good" who fits in. ( secure the peace and cut off from gossips!) So much for that. I also will not bake more cookies for a while.

Have some birds coming to the feeders to keep me smiling and having fun with them. There is a bird which is telling me: it will not be a very severe winter! ( Because at this time should not be here, but in the South!)
Have 2 squirrels which of course ruin a lot of fun. They have plenty of food from the oak trees, but the "forbidden fruits" are always more attractive.

I am closing for tonight, though in these days of the Solstice I am in a very "vigorous" mood and shed my darkening days depression.
and and more
Gecko P.S. Thank you for your response about the SOLSTICE! and one more to that!

Careful! Too many and you'll become .

It's too late for me to fool my neighbours. One look at our garden, which I suspect is more loved by birds and squirrels and especially the neighbourhood cats than by the other humans in the neighbourhood, is enough for them to know that I don't "fit in".

Looking out of the window now, it seems that the weather is having a difficult time deciding whether or not it is really committed to bringing us winter: It is bright and sunny, but quite cool and windy. The yew keeps tapping on the window screen as if it is asking permission to come inside.

JTG

Thanks to make me giggle with my lizard chuckle about to many which means for a lizard : tender balmy air swinging around to warm up a cold blooded animal. So a lizard becomes more talkative chattering about some lizard emotions, like:
I Sunshine! I know it will be a lot warmer soon.

I am thinking of the height of Summer Solstice right now at the South Pole, where my friends went to a deep sea swim in the icy waters which feels so good for them! Gosh! ( Immidiate death for a lizard),-- but even so we are the same members of the Animal Kingdom on this dark Planet called Earth!

So much for the distribution of species among us.

It was promised by my Guardian ( Jimster from DNA hub) who brought me back to this h2g2 site, that I will have my Gecko picture published when I write an EDITED GUIDE ENTRY for the betterment of humanity including us with all the other animals. etc.
So I picked some themes # 1: "THE ORIGIN OF AIDS OR HIV",-----( do you want to mess with animals?)
the other subject matter: "WINTER SOLSTICE OR 10,000 YEARS HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS" etc. etc...--
Now that the days will be longer and my obligations are filled with cookies ( to crumble) I will get down to writing which is not my ( How do you make a cup of tea? I mean looks like a cup of tea?)
That is it. I need a cup of tea. See you later.
Gecko

<--- That's supposed to be tea; but who can tell? There appears to be something on the saucer, too. I wonder what. I'm not so dainty as to drink from a cup and saucer. Give me a big steaming mug so that I won't have to run to the kettle too often.

What a beautiful day, today! It looks like being a green Christmas in Ontario this year, though perhaps a wet one.

The sunrise this morning was glorious. I stood at the very end of a pier, looking out across Lake Ontario towards the rising sun. Although the sun was hidden by thick clouds above the horizon, the mornng sky was filled with deep salmon-pink which was reflected in the waves from the horizin right to my feet. It was like actually standing in the sunrise. Marvellous!

JTG

Happy Solstice!

Your previous posting with the Sunrise is very lyric ( a form of poetry) which I like very much. Nice, very nice JTG. !!
Enjoyed reading it. <>

Today in this region of Long Island was definetely Spring like weather, I took my coat off as I arrived at the beach on the Sound.
There was no human here because of the very end of X-mas shopping.
But far from to be alone! Hundreds of birds stood on the parking space like a very disciplened army. They stood motionless looking all in the same direction until:
I stepped out of the car!
with a big loaf of bread in my hand. It is that time which comes only once a year and everybody is busy eating themselfs sick.
So the birds also had a X-mas meal with proper amount of screaming, pushing, fighting and close to give me knock on my head too.
Magnificient beautiful birds of the Sea! Their beauty is mesmerizing.

Of course they are tame and one can look at them very close. The feathers are in perfect shape! Sparkling in the bright sunshine
yet these birds are wild and nobody takes care of them! Yeah, no human spoils them! Left alone to Nature's care you can look the unspoiled beauty.
After feeding the second loaf of bread I came home in this Spring temp. weather!
Now I have to figure out, how to write a Guide Entry! ( I have the research material more or less) But to write on Word-Pad and than Copy-Paste is a question if it will work.(?)
Gecko

Thanks, gecko. Sunrises inspire poetry because they herald a new day, whereas sunsets, nice though they are, merely signal that it's time for bed.

I can imagine you standing amongst all those squabbling birds. What a noise there must have been. It made me think of the last time I visited the sea, a stop at St. Augustine, Florida, when the wind was blowing sand and spray from the waves across the parking lot and the birds were all lined up, looking out to sea.

<--- peace dove pretending to be a seagull.

JTG

ps Let me know if I can help with your Guide Entry. As a retired Sub-editor, I still remember some of the tricks of the trade.

Thanks JTG! You posted 4 hrs ago. This is the best communication on this Internet.

As I am writing here now by traditions it is Christmas Eve and in the Old Country it was this time ( apprx. 4PM) when the real candels were lit, the Family gathered and usually sang Christmas songs. - And than came the opening of the presents!

Here I could write a short story to Journal Entry from my memories.

Have done it, but than will appeare in very very long short lines on the side of the Personal Page. You can see it now from my previous Journal stories there!

QUESTION: How can a Journal Entry preserved in normal text posting format?

Why does it turn into the never ending LITTLE SHORT LINES going down, dawn at MY Personal Page???

I would appreciate if you could advise me on this problem first.

The GUIDE ENTRY for editing I would write on Word Pad, off from Internet. When my text would be acceptable BY ME, than I would want to transfer it by COPY AND PASTE to somewhere, like to writng workshop?? or what ever it would be the best. Since it is basically MEDICAL connection and Biological research theme about AIDS or HIV, I guess would belong with other such writings as I have seen articles about medical subjects.

Anyway: Journal Entries are easy to do and I really enjoy reading other people's journal stuff.

But the Guide Entry needs more work and I'll will need a little more time yet. Thank you very much if you could advise me.
Gecko

P.S. I will return to tell you something about the Sea Gulls from yesterday's feeding event! That was fun!

Guess the Tradition got you anyway JTG. (Very quiet over there. I hope everything is allright)
I got through the traditional day(s) and now the visitors are coming.

Promised notes
About the Sea Gulls: There are organized groups with declaired territory and above all they have A LEADER! This is a big bird, possible old and experienced. Has an anormouse mouth and he is the only one who screams like nobody could match that.
The rest of the birdarmy is quiet, just busy to catch the food. Big Mouth Leader also catches some food, but he still keeps his leadership continousely screaming and leading the group in the direction where the food is coming from.
You don't want to see an introuder coming from somewhere else! Because it might be that he/she? will have a fatal injury to the head and taken the food away!
Oh these birds! So delicate! Symbol of peace! With razorblade sharp beaks capable of ending lifes of those who are looking like enemy!
So is Life and Death in Animal Kingdom.
Gecko

I don't know much about formats or why some things work and others don't; but I think you should be able to cut and paste into an Entry. There are already some Entries about AIDS and HIV. You may want to take a look at those, just so that you don't waste a lot of energy going over ground that has already been covered. On the other hand, you may find that there are areas which ought to be addressed.

Are your seagulls the big ones with black backs? Every year, at about this time, we get a few of those joining the smaller blue/grey gulls which hang around all year. They stand around watching the squabbling of the smaller ones like indulgent teachers watching the children in a school yard.

JTG

Very useful, clear and loud reply JTG! Thanks : Obvious why I am keeping for a full year by now the communication with you. ( Started with the Dalai Lama!)

With speed reading I went through the Entries about Aids/Hiv. It seems in a quick overlook ( no time for details though) the entries possibly coming from 2 reserchers: Hell and Z. I think they are medical students, with biological background particularly Hell.
I had an unpleasent experience with Z, but I don't know much about Hell.

I can leave out certain aspects which are covered. But there is a specific reason I picked on this subject. I don't see to be touched upon yet by these fellows. They are going on a path. Whether it is good or bad, that is beside the point,- because we are dealing with an unresolved subject no problem solved, no cure, no elimination from the face of the Earth of a horror illness.
What ever is there today to know about this illness, definetely is
inadequate!
I started to search on this and will see what will happen, because I am writing on a different computer, and don't know how the transfer will work, if at all.

about the birds: yes there are different species here, the big one is dark and there are only a few of them. Later will write about this more. I have to close for today! Thanks again.
Gecko