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

Don't be so precious - you know you were the one who wanted to trample over me, the mods, and anyone else who got in your way.

Nonsense. Begone.

Such pusillanimous spirit from one who dogged the boards in umbridge when caught breaking teh House Rules

Why are you here? Why would anybody go where they are unwelcome?

I'll tell you why, Frank: "There's only one thing worse than being talked about, and that's not being talked about". AHL's insolent, infantile and inexcusable interjections here are designed to ensure that we continue to talk about him. That's why Folly's suggestion was a good one.

As another poster put it, rather neatly, not so long age, "I don't know why anyone bothers with the poisonous old git. He is enjoying himself. The only way to beat him is to totally ignore anything he says. It will drive him mad."

I'll tell you what W4 - grow up, cast the beam upon beam from thine own eye, stop following me from thread to thread, stop trying to be awkward when responding to ANY thread (mine or others, including challenging mods on copyright) and, you know what? This board could be lots of fun for all.

But as long as frank carries an enormous chip on his shoulder because mods suspended him, and as long as you give him bad advice about fiddling the rules, and as long as you make totally trumped up criticisms of other posters, you will get nowhere.

In the end this board belongs to the BBC, not you, is dedicated to BBC orientated fun, not yours alone - so wake up and smell the coffee.

I'll end, for now, by suggesting that you and folder go right back and actually count the times I criticised you two personally BEFORE you sniped at me. - Actually, the same applies to frank - I asked him ONCE to be polite - instead he started his bullying campaign (YES, frank, bullying) - and it seems he gained full support in that from all of you here.

Well done, what nice Christian boys and girls you are.

Now that I can't ignore. Christian! How very dare you? The only god that I acknowledge is Bacchus.

Well, perhaps a little less time at the well with Bacchus would allow you to see more clearly what is going on

I knew a woman once who always wanted the last word.

I wondered why during my being out-of-town there were 55 new posts! I thought for a nasty moment that things might be unhappy here but then I decided surely not. But...........


I heard my first cuckoo of the year yesterday. And watched my first ducklings. Oh~~and saw my first Mayfly. All so splendidly wonderful.

Poor Polly, all these awful angry men invading your space. You should tell us to go away.
Hope you have been well and enjoying life. It is certainly warming up a bit now; central heating turned off and clothes hanging on the line instead of being draped over radiators. The birds are very active, even in town; the loudest blackbirds are those nearest the traffic. 100 decibel birds around our way. This year the starlings are back in town with their amazing multicoloured plumage. they gleam all colours under the sun when they are, as I say, under the sun.
Off to Gib on Thursday to see the rock apes and meet my new in-laws. That will be fun.
Bye for now.
fxx

Mornin'g all!

I can't believe this weather! Other than a short sharp shower yesterday morning, here in Bedford, we're enjoying sun, sun,sun. And this morning is sunny again. The rain yesterday was caused by my washing my car on Friday evening. I've had the car a year so I thought it was about time I know we're promised rain later but let's enjoy this lovely spring while it's here. Spring really is the best time of year.
I, too, heard my first cuckoo yesterday, Polly. No duckings, though - I didn't go near water other than the pond in our garden!
Things are a bit quiet on the bird feeders, though, which is sad. We get some goldfinches and off course, starlings and dunnocks and the odd bluetit, but last year and the year before we were seeing great tits, cole tits, my favourites - long tailed tits, greenfinches, even a greater spotted woody. Don't know where they've all gone, but hoping they will remember that we do serve a superior menu, and come and try us out from time to time.

Off to the garden centre today to restock the pond. I had 5 goldfish 3 years ago but, thanks to a visiting heron, now down to one - Ella. (I named them after Jazz singers, though it was difficult to tell my Billie from my Dinah from my Sarah, etc) I don't mind about the heron, though, we're so lucky along the great ouse valley to have heronries and they are quite a common sight overhead and in the shallows, waiting to pounce. Really a wonderful bird.
Thought I might get a gang of shubunkin for the pond - prettier tails than a goldfish - fanlike and fluttery - and silvery mottley orangey coloured. I dare say the garden centre will rip me off, but they're the only local supplier.
Have a good day, everyone.

Try a shoal of golden orfe, if you can get them. They are spectacular surface feeders and very fast swimmers when in the mood. I used to have ponds back and front in my old suburban home but the chap who bought my place filled them all in, covered the area with gravel and parks his cars where fish once swam, the Philistine!

Terrible weather today, cold wet and windy, now I may need to turn the heating on again. Come back sunshine.

Yes, miserable isn't it Frank - I turned the heating on when I got in this evening and then turned it up - I had the shivers - either man flu or pig flu - what do you think?

Didn't get the fish for the pond at the weekend as other things took over - as they do - so I'll leave it till next weekend - I'll have a look at the golden orfe as you suggest, but I always though they got rathr big - the ponds only about 8 foot by 4 foot.

Off to an interview tomorrow for a different part time job as my driving one is fizzling away - I don't get half the hours I did 18 months ago. The new one is as an energy assessor - going into homes and measuring up for improving consumption etc. It's government funded apparently, but I will have to be convinced the hours are going to be pretty well guaranteed otherwise I might end up doing a load of training for precious little extra income.

Anyone know about that sort of job?

all round.

Folly,
It isn't 'Warm-Front' by any chance, is it? I almost contacted them last winter and then heard so many bad reports about them.

I have started to put out those half coconut shells that are filled with seeds and fat. The robins love them. As do the other little birds. I've had more birds in the garden this Spring than ever before. And a wood-pigeon almost lives in the bird-bath.

Dear Frank~~~I just adore all you angry chaps. Well~~~almost all of you.

Heelo Poll, and you others.

The energy company turned out to be a con! (Why am I not surprised?) It was actually a training college tryingt o sell it's £4000 training programme so that you could then set yourself up as an assessor. No guarantee of work, you have to find it yourself and the course takes 8 months! SO, you fork out £4000, don't work for 8 months and then hope to get work! I cut the interview short as soon as it was clear what was going on.
A warning! Don't have anything to do with 'Energy Assessors" of Birmingham. They don't make it at all clear until halfway through the interview what's involved.

Since then - Tuesday - I've been off work with this 'orrible cough/sore throat/ weak limbs thing. Never had a throat like it. Anyone for a lemsip?

Glad to hear you're having success with the birdies, Polly, I don't understand why this year is so poor in our garden. Only things that lighten the day are the lovely gold finches - collective name? 'charm', that's nice, isn't it?
Plenty of wood pigeons of course and collared doves and starlings, and we do see the odd robin, chaffinch and dunnock. But the mornings are livened up by the blackbirds and in the evenings they are joined by the thrushes. Such beautiful singing, what more could we want?

Hello Folly.

I'm not feeling too good either. I've been feeling odd since Monday evening. I've been very nauseous, and, like you, sore limbs. It feels like the start of 'flu. But I put it down to menopausal things! I often feel this way. I wasn't sure whether to see my daughter today because of how I have been feeling. I miss her so much. But since being out I now have a sore throat. And I feel so weak and limp! I've been getting into bed in the afternoons and sleeping for a few hours as I feel so 'washed-out'.
Thankfully I shan't need to cook supper for myself tonight.
I do hope you don't get any worse, Folly. I've got a few Lemsips in the cupboard (horrible things).

Since living here () I have had no starlings visit me. I love their naughty ways. They used to sit on my washing-line ~ lots of babies ~ and turn upside-down. Or peck at the nylon rope that I used on a swing under a tree. There are plenty of dunnocks though and all kinds of tits. But I don't hear many blackbirds.

WE seem to share symptoms, Poll - can bugs travel the ether?

I don't mind Lemsip. Far better than Beechams honey and lemon which has a vile smell and taste.

I seem to be left now with an uncontrollable dry cough that splits my head apart. I haven't been to the doc yet but I think I ought to get some antibiotics to ward of anything else. Just looked out some cough medicine and ahah! Benylin Dry cough jollop! BUT! Expiry date 2002!!. I'd risk a year or so, but not 7!

The worst thing about this is that I can't seem to settle to do things. I've got loads of parish council work to get on with but I just can't concentrate on it. I'm not even having much luck reading my book. Hey ho, I'll just hope I get over it soon.

Off to an early night now - night night all

Must say I rather like Lemsip, almost makes me wish I got ill more often. And I have to agree with you, Folly, that Beeechams honey and lemon is vile.

£4,000 to train as an energy assessor! That does seem rather steep. I imagine you must be able to do it for a bit less than that - and in less than 8 months - but I doubt there's much work around at the moment, given the state of the housing market. The whole thing's a shambles, I suspect, with a lot of cowboys getting involved.

I hope you two haven't got swine 'flu. Did you you see that someone had described the supposedly impending pandemic as a porkalypse. Now that's really quite clever.

Wish I knew the names of all the birds that frequent our garden. There's a variety of pigeons/doves, of course, that nest in that blasted sycamore, and at least one very cheeky robin. Not sure I've seen any thrushes or starlings, but there are blackbirds, and what else do you really need? I've always loved that R S Thomas poem, A blackbird Singing. What I have noticed this year, in this vicinity, is an awful lot of ravens and red kites - or maybe a few red kites that cover a large area.