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

Now I am back to send my reply to your reply! See what happend: I let you and everybody know my "improved" nickname: " gecko a friend of Tibet" !


And more about rapidly disappearing wilderness! There are serious clashes here all the time between "developers" and the public. Who wins? It depends on who is on power in City Hall and higher up. Right here in my next door neighborhood was a clash between city hall and us: a small park was sold to a developer to build 23 houses! No, they could not do it! By Law it was donated some time ago for a park! The city ( how stupid can one get?) had to pay over a half a million dollar to the developer, because simply they did not know what the LAW of this State is about parks! And the park is a park even now.

I did travel a lot by car in this part of the US, and I will write soon about my travel experiences--- I said that before.
I have also some Canadian stories, not much, but very pleasent. In many ways Canada has very attractive activities going on there! ( In my opinion as a tourist!)

My birds did not come tonight when I put the food out, but have seen some very dark clouds developing from North-West,---and on TV seen also a great deal moisture pushing this way from the South! The ingrediens of Noreastern.

About reading: almost every day I can make my own reading material through the computer. I have a Yahoo account which is almost only for Science reports daily coming on my computer-- free.
Than what ever seems interesting I print it, and when I close the machine, gather my printed stuff and like an animal happy with some tasty food, I go to bed to read til I fall a sleep.

My reading consist almost only from science reports: physics, biology, space, archiology, medical stuff and love to paint images from the microscopes. No, not abstract, but things which the very limited human Eye can not see!
Very few people appreciate it, no market for such things. But I think will make a WEB page, just for the fun of it. May be a papua from New Guinea will like it and buy it to hang it on the tree, where they live.

At 8 PM on TV Chanel 13 is a program about Manitoba! I better go. I hope is not about the snakes, but there are some bears too!

Winter does have good part too! Like our frequent conversations! I doubt that when busy in my garden, and you at work would have this lively contact. By the time we discover what good is about winter: yes it will be Spring!
Gecko Remember: friend of Tibet!
(had no time for smileys because of Manitoba!)

Excellent! Poor Tibet needs some good friends!

Have you seen my new project?

h2g2 Friends of Tibet - A2170982

Welcome, friend!

I remember now, chatting about our travels. Now I'm starting to repeat myself... or am I repeating myself again.

City Halls certainly seem to attract people who are too important and to busy to get things right. I'm glad that you and your neighbours were able to set the record straight before the so-called developer paved your park. Many years ago, when I stated working for the parks dept., I had to turn a 'vacant' lot into a small neighbourhood park. At the time, about half the local residents were happy to see the end of the 'weeds'; but the other half were equally unhappy to lose the 'wildflowers'. Of course, they were the same plants. I think, after all this time, I would side with the 'wildflower' people.

Today was very dramatic at the lakeshore. Waves of 2m or more were rolling over the pier and the wind was roaring like jet planes. The ducks could just make a little headway into the wind. But I saw a poor swan practicaly flying backwards! Nearly all of the geese were curled up in tight balls on the frozen creek surface, sensibly waiting for better weather and dreaming of lush, green grass.

The weather people have forecast 2 feet of snow near the lake. Today they blamed our weather on a storm from Oklahoma! I don't remember getting weather from there before.

JTG

I am back as usual after a day left out, because I spent the entire available time not only reading your articles, but went into very detailed search through Goggle about Tibet's History and lot of links.
There is so much data available that I just could read a fraction of it. Finally my eyes would not work anymore.

I installed Classic Goo dark background for my communications, but what ever comes up in my searches on white background is very hard on my eyes and I can read much less.
Printing makes it easier, because on paper I can read, but the screen bright light bothers me.

From the hard times of Tibet came to my mind, that similar very unfortunate happenings exist at the very same time in many other parts on this Earth.

A great big dictatorship of USSR is gone. However there is Chechnia in Russia which even so is fighting for their rights. How about on the Balkan where Yougoslavia was a country one time? How about Romania where the Hungarian ( Szekely) population is oppressed in pretty brutal way. What about in Africa's the oppressed people like in the South in Zimbawua ( don't know the spelling), and shall I bring up the american Natives ( Indians) even today?

JTG you know the human is just like any other animal: territorial, the bigger, the stronger, the aggressive gets the better food out of the pot! This is the story of the human.

May be in our civilization things look different, but only because it can be covered up in more sophisticated way!
______________________________________________________

We are here now in the middle of a big snow-storm, however nobody really knows what is happening, because the temp. is below freezing, yet some melted snow from above warmer air coming down as drizzel, freezing rain to make just a sheet of ice and than will come the heavy snow! It is a typical Noreaster where warm and cold meets producing real misery in this region.

This January is tough as it can be! I will be lucked up for 2 days minimum, all schools closed in NYC and East of the City, and mountains of salt to be spread again, -and who knows when and how will this winter end????

Time to close for this Day! See you soon on the Internet!

Gecko

I have worked on and finished in my opinion the Entry # 2175329 " Short Study about AIDS/HIV"
I also wrote a note to Fords Towel to review this article. What to do now?
Gecko

There is a lot of information out there about Tibet. But a lot of people still don't know anything about it.

You're right about there being all sorts of problems around the world. Western countries have done to other people just what the Chinese are doing to Tibet.

The difference between Tibet and the other places seems to be that there has been a conspiracy of silence to let Tibet meet its fate. This is, I think, because China invaded Tibet when European politics made it difficult to defend Tibet, partly because the legal basis for doing so also applied to many European colonies that were hungry for their independence, partly because of the impending Korean War. Since then, there have been all sorts of reasons why it is expedient to look the other way, mostly recently trade.

Tibet is important because the Tibetans have done everything 'right': in establishing their political independence, in seeking the aid of the UN, in renouncing violence... and where has that got them? Nowhere. In my opinion the Tibet issue is about the validity of our civilization, practicing what we preach.

JTG

I was wondering and was going to ask a question, but in your previous reply you answered my inquiry: what made you so much on focusing this issue, since as I said there are all over the world oppressions?

I got to know about Tibet and Nepal by my physician who is a devoted mounteneer, particularly likes the Himalayas. Though he has been around the world to climb high mountains, but of course the biggest, highest is the favored.
Also is connected to Buddhism, which he thinks is the most peaceful way of living. I am working with him about 20 years keeping my health problems under control.
But unfortunately last year 2003 as he went with about 10 friends for a well planned trip to climb a couple of peaks ( not the Everest), he came back in very short time!!
What happened? Spite that he was known for many years as a benevolent doctor to bring lot of medicins and his knowledge for helping people there,----all of a sudden this group of monteneers from America was greeted with great hostility, with guns and nasty words.!
This was just before the war broke out! Anyway: they were the hated ugly americans! ( Actually he was born in Europe) The group had to leave.
In Nepal though there are problems lately and that most peaceful way of living for some reason is changing!
I myself don't like this mountaineering "hobby", because these guys are using a lot of local people there, the SHERPAS who carry the loads of equipment and many give their lifes in these efforts to climb high altitudes repeatedly to make a miserably living.
I told him and also, that I don't have any respect for these " rich" guys, but I have respect for the Sherpas.
This could be a very deeply shocking Entry on these pages, since I have literature from the sherpas and their children, many of them as orphans!
_____________
Our misery with 14" snow is just mounting, but the money I had to spend for a path to get out from the house went to poor people they come around, work so hard. The persistent cold temp. is brutal on many things, my plants, my outdoor animals and the homeless people all suffer more than in normal weather.
Good night for today. Gecko

It would be very interesting to write an Entry about the Sherpas. One must admire their strength and courage; but, as you say, they are often taken advantage of. I read recently about an expedition to Mount Everest just to clean up some of the mess that climbers have left behind for years and years.

Nepal is a troubled place. I have also been reading news from Amnesty International about disturbing incidents in that country. There was also a recent report about Chinese border police entering Nepal illegally and paying Nepalese police to round up Tibetan refugees.

It is still very cold here, with lots of snow this week, and more on the way. On the bright side, the recent storms have left some very beautiful ice 'art' all along the lake shore. I walked out on the pier today - careful not to slip on the ice and fall in the lake - to take some pictures of some duck I hadn't seen before. Unfortunately, they were too shy, and kept a safe distance away from me.

JTG

Now JTG something is happening here: tomorrow a man suppose to come to FIX my computer WORD problem. I am really missing the SPELLING check and also help with grammar!
I am not writing any Guide Entry stuff anymore like this without any help of the computer.
It is a total mistery how and why I lost my WORD SOFTWARE which is a very new version (2 years old) and has tremendous programs with all kinds of "goodies" in it.
If h2g2 browser would be able to pick up a WORD written page, I could make in no time a very fancy Personal Page without any GML efforts.

I am waiting with some doubts, that my WORD software will be fixed and I will be able write normally.
My doubt is there, because I had somebody working on this problem already shortly after I lost it, but no success. Also there is a danger to loose a lot of data, if not everything. Though I have a "burner" and many things has been saved on separate discs, but anyway this is a risky operation, and no need to tell about the money can cost.

I put a cap on the expense, because computers gotten very much cheaper here and ultimately I can install an auxiliary machine just for writing. My Internet operation never had any problem and now I renewed my Anti-virus protection also.

________________________________
To our daily report on the weather: the cold is very persistent! No let up from - 10 Celsius sometimes with biting icy wind, which is unbearable for me. Fortunately my new car is working well, though I have to get used to it. The 14 inch snow we got this week is not helping and with the very cold arctic air sitting here day and night became very depressing.
Sorry for this letter, this is not the best I can do, but you see with a cripeled computer and miserable weather one can not produce cheerful literature!
But there is always a tomorrow,--- and hope! should come- and
"Will see!" say the blind man! Gecko

I think a week of snowstorms may also have something to do with our inability to produce anything cheerful. We must have been the victims of the same bad weather.

Good luck with your computer repairs! But don't let GUide ML put you off writing. There's nothing wrong with writing in plain text and letting the Sub-editors add the GML.

I haven't bothered to save anything, mainly because I am too lazy (and cheap) to get around to it. There are some things that I would miss if they were to suddenly vanish. I ought to set aside some time to save them.

I must have been a bear (or a vole) in another life, because all I feel like doing in this weather is sleeping!

JTG

3 AM. I woke up,because I slept since 8PM. Was totally exhausted from the REPAIR job on the cpmputer. The man was a very good person, worked very hard more than 3 hours: NO SUCCESS!

mY FRIEND, WHO WORKED ON THIS PROBLEM
NEXT WEEK WILL COME AND THE ENTIRE MACHINE WILL HAVE TO BE CLEANED AND REINSTALL THE PROGRAMS. BIG JOB. will do it.( 3 hrs again but WILL BE with SUCCESS!)

I heard about problems with computers, but I never had it. Now I learned and know what it is. A man made machine. So much for that.
If only I knew, what and how it went bad?
Never mind JTG! It's only a machine. Guess I get some more sleep. Soon will be ground hog day! 40 days more sleep because of the winter??? And yet: will be Spring! ( SOME TIMES IN THE FUTURE) Gecko

I think we should wake the groundhog up early; we've had more than enough winter already.

Oh dear, I'm sorry the repair man wasn't able to get your computer fixed. I'll keep my fingers crossed that your friend will be able to. You're right though; when all's said and done, it's only a machine, even though they sometimes seem like living things.

Today, Sunday, will definitely be a day of rest, as it is very grey and dreary here. The temperature is supposed to rise in advance of yet another snowstorm.

Sleep well.

JTG

Today I got to this machine very late and I'm tired to make sence.
It was so bright sunshine here, that the sunglasses came handy ! I saw the ground hog as every year on the morning TV while making breakfast! Yeah, but an other borogh of NYC was no sunshine! Now I don't believe in anything! The 40 day sentence for winter can not be as bad as what was done in January! It is customary in this region to get the worst storms in March! But it can not last!
Most certainly the "warm" air felt real good today in the upper 30's!!!and I did things only, because the weather let me do it! Ran my new car a bit around, I got it in the worst time to break it in!

I corrected the article ( yesterday) in every aspect as Fords Towel told me. Perhaps I'll submit it to Peer Review after I review my courage to do this "mistake"! I'll see in the morning where I am standing with the SCOUTS of h2g2.

Now I got new, very wonderful source for real good stuff: "Have you seen the Himalayas lately?" ( this would be the title!! WOW!)
The sherpas came from Eastern Tibet! Sherpa word means Easterner! They are about 35000 sherpas: wonderful people! Ofcourse Tibetiens!
Next: come for a " walk" on the slopes of the Himalayas with
gecko

Oh, no! When you lose your faith in groundhogs, what's left to blieve in?

I'm glad you saw the sun; perhaps you could describe it to me. It seems such a long time since it shone here that I've almost forgotten what it's like.

Actually, that's not quite true. I took some pictures yesterday of the sunrise shing through ice. But it certainly has been a very dull, grey winter.

We had a power failure overnight, which, in light (or dark) of recent blackouts is very worrying in winter temperatures. There was some freezing rain overnight... sort of a good news, bad news situation: On the one hand the freezing rain probably caused the power failure; but, on the other hand, the mild temperatures meant we didn't freeze solid before the power came on again.

I am looking forward to your Sherpa article. They are interesting people who deserve to have something good written about them.

JTG

This is not the first time tonight to get to the computer. I have been gathering lot of information this afternoon about this enormous subject around the Himalayas. I truly enjoy doing this. Yet I am not a climber of mountains! Though had some montaineering experience. My theme is not about climbing anyway.

But before jumping to an other part of the world I'd like to get my labourus article about HIV to submit to Peer Review, but don't know how to do it. It is in Collaborative Writing workshop. Can you tell me how to get it from there into Peer Review???

Today all day long the temp. was above freezing and had lot of rain.
Yes, the most frithening event to loose power because of freezing rain! I am glad, that electricity came back to you soon. Here we did not have such a happening this winter, but til the end of March there is always a possibility. But the temp can not go down so deep as in January.

My birds were very busy eating today. I have a red belly woodpecker also. Now that is a most handsom bird. The seagulls came into town, because nobody can go to the beach and the handouts now are around the garbage dumps at the restaurants! I eat lunch frequently at McDonald and than they always get a little share from me. I get a lot of fun from the birds.
This rain really helps to wash some of the snow away, but there are such mountains in parking lots, that til April still will remain some of it.
I also went to the library to secure an ultimate rescue for WORD, if my computer on the coming week end still would not function.

So much for today, but I'll still go back for a short time to get more info what is going on in the Himalayas with the "Tigers of the mountains" So they call the sherpas.
Don't worry, the SUN is there, you'll see it soon. Your ground hog did not go back to sleep. Here he was confused, so it is not sure what will happen. Hope for the best.
Gecko

Hmmm... I've just been trying to figure out how you move an entry out of the Collaborative Writing workshop. I think what you have to do is go to the Collaborative Writing workshop page, where your Entry is listed with a lot of others. You will see a table with the entry name, number, your name, and so on... At the side, there should be the word 'remove'. Clicking that should give you back the options of submitting again to Peer Review. I've never done that, so you might want to ask someone in the Collaborative Writing workshop forum first, just to make sure.

Good luck!

JTG

This is unusual for me to write at this early hour in the afternoon.

Don't worry I wrote at the same time to Fords Towel who commented on this AIDS/HIV article. I did not go to his page yet. But

There is something else I want to write about so quickly:

THIS IS A VERY GOOD NEWS!

A Mocking Bird came to the feeder today! Mockers like warm weather and stay around only in very mild winter. I have no idea, how this bird was here today? It is true the food was unusual: left over pasta noodles can be very temting to some birds. This mocker brought the good news:can not be so cold any more.
It was a wonderful day with 43F temp, lot of sunshine and many many happy faces all over.
Now this is it for today! Hope the mild air goes further up to the North also!
a wish from Happy Gecko

That is good news! And your bird did send us nice weather, too. It was beautiful and sunny today.

I've not seen any mockingbirds in our area yet. It's probably been too horrible for them to stay around here this winter. But now I'll keep my eyes open.

Today, around my feeder, there was a gang of fat little squirrels, whose constant bickering kept most of the birds away. The only birds I saw were a small crowd of sparrows hiding in the honeysuckle. There is a pair of cardinals, but I think they have too much dignity to eat when there is so much raucous behaviour.

There have been some unusual ducks on the lake. I tried to take some pictures, but they wouldn't let me approach close enough to take any good ones. I'll try to find out what they were.

Spring's coming... eventually. Hooray!

JTG

I've just made a h2g2 Friends of Tibet button. It's a bit crude, being made of wood and bits of wire, but you're welcome to try one:

A2268506

JTG

I tryed to put it on my page with GML it did not go. This is just so typical with GML.
Gecko

It should work as long as you have chosen the GuideML and not the Plain Text option.




Free Tibet!




Did you miss a < when you cut and pasted, maybe?

JTG