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

It's me azahar just giving you a personal hello. Does your name come from Tom Waits? My name means orange blossom in Spanish.

Anyhow, we've crossed paths a bit in the God- fact or fiction conversation thingy.

I like your personal intro very much - it's much more personal than mine is. And although I've handed out a few more personal facts in the conversation thingy - here and there - I'm actually not very comfortable doing so.

You seem quite down-to-earth and obviously you are quite intelligent and interesting. I think at times I may have bothered you on the God conversation thing - sorry, that was never my intention.

I'm very new to this, just getting onto this idea forum about two weeks ago. No doubt I'm making lots of mistakes and saying more - and most likely less! - than what people actually want to hear.

Anyhow, just wanted to give you a personal hello and tell you that I would like to hear more of your ideas.

besitos,
azahar

I'd almost given up having real conversations through this medium. will post proper reply tomorrow(wed)-very nice to hear from you.
Yeah-Tom Waits- Best album ever, for me, used the handle for years.

Rain.

Hey, you old you. Thanks so much for replying to my posting. I really thought you would just be pissed off at me somehow.

YEs! Tom Waits. I've been in love with him almost forever. In fact, a friend of mine actually dated Tom when she was about 17 and living in California at the time. Many many moons ago.

Raindogs is definitely one of the best albums. But you know, they kind of all are so wonderful in their own way that it's impossible for me to say 'this one is the best'.

As for you, you make me laugh out loud when you say stuff like - 'JUST DIE ALL OF YOU' - and other similarly outrageous comments you make. Okay, I presume you are being funny. But you see, that is just the sort of humour that totally creases me - the more outrageous the better.

I use this techique with my English students. They make the SAME mistakes over and over and over again! And then I bang my head on the table and double-dog-dare them to SAY THAT AGAIN! And I ask them if they are completely stupid in all the other areas of their lives, or do they just save it up for English class. And you know what? They all laugh their heads off at this. Today I was doing an exercise - making questions from mixed up sentences - and poor Manolo! He wasn't doing so well. Then it struck me - and I said it out loud to him - hey! in fact, this IS the way you make questions normally, all mixed up, so no wonder you can't turn that into a proper question in English! And both of us totally fell over laughing.

Whatever.

Either my students are totally masochistic or I am actually funny!

Anyhoodle, I shall look forward to when you have time to write to me again.

besitos,
azahar

I hate to issue another raindogcheque but once again I come to the table intent on answering and there is so much more that needs(this word italicised) answering I need a longer and longer run-up to fast bowl(you do cricket? does baseball carry these same words?-I don't know but that is a reasonable metaphor regardless). i've just found 'Hearts of Saturday Night' in the car and I don't want to turn this into some kind of fan site thing but it just does exactly what you need it to do...sublime. I have on occasions found your argument abrasive, but only ever really in a challenging way..which is good right? If you carry on thinking the way you do I'll have the doctor finish that lobotomy, as my mother used to say.
It genuinely is nice to talk and I'm less than pissed off with that.
Many things need answering but we'll speak soon. Chances are you are actually funny not the alternative. Trust me-I generally disappoint.
Rain.

You generally disappoint???

Oh WELL, then, just forget it

Hey, looks like you got your war!

By the way - do you ever sleep? When I see you posted on the God thingy it says 'posted five hours ago' and I have just got up, so that must be 2 or 3am your time.

Anyhow, don't worry about 'raindog checks'or feel obliged to reply - just drop a line whenever you feel like it, okey-dokey?

hasta la proxima,
azahar

Sleep is for the weak, and the waged. I sleep rarely and like the latenightedness of the whole internet thing. I will certainly drop you a line from time to time. I read your postings for today-we all seem to be settling down to roles-I get to be grumpy-how is that fair? I am the soul of reason and equity. I'd like to know where else is interesting to post though-the God debate is becoming rather circular.(that is of course in my humble opinion)
I got my war-you don't like the mini-series? In the Observer Newspaper recently here they did a number column- ""amount of wars fought over the last 50 years anywhere in the world where both sides had a McDonalds?" answer:0. This is what we do-we find poor people and we kill them. I'm still feeling quite ugly because, for historical reasons, we support the U.S. Not that I have a negative U.S. position but I feel that we are bracing ourselves for a buggering because our grandfathers sold the rights to our asses.Real people will always survive because we overcome by not being infected with the jingoistic fervour but I tend to do the 'Hell in a handbasket' cynic routine.
Nice to speak again-sometimes I disappoint-

Rain.

me again,

So, if you are Grumpy, then what does that make me? (perhaps better not to ask?) In fact, I suppose I am 'the brat'. You may have noticed that I mostly pose a lot of 'what if' questions, never meaning any offense at all (I'm just very curious) and yet people DO take offense. So what is that? Go figure.

Yesterday I said something about how 'love' from an imagined source (god) could not actually exist, except within our own limited human perception of the whole thing. And then 'the boys' got all up in arms about this. But later on, when Noggin said exactly the same thing, that was somehow fine with them. Strange, huh?

So it seems I have an innate gift for annoying people.

It turns out that this has to be a circular discussion SINCE NOBODY ACTUALLY KNOWS THE ANSWER. I agree with you that sometimes it does bog down, but every now and then someone says something refreshingly interesting.

At least Hasselfree seems to 'get' me. I don't threaten her at all, no matter what I say. In fact, she gave me her email address the other day and now we are also in touch that way. She is quite a lovely and interesting person.

Also, toxxin likes to 'push back', but in a nice way, when he doesn't agree with something I've posted (which is mostly always). But you see, that is the whole reason I do my 'brat' thing - to get a response from people, especially those who maybe seem a bit smug in their own postings. In fact, I NEVER tell people they are wrong - I just ask something that might make them think a bit more about what they have just said. Throw them a curve ball (I think that is both cricket and baseball lingo) so to speak.


hang on, I'm just going to post this and continue as my old dinosaur of a computer likes to shut down at the most inconvenient moments. . .

Just wanted to say something about 'the subject that shall not be named'. The you-know-what.

At least Britain has historical reasons for backing the US. I have no idea why the Spanish prime minister is also doing so (though I have heard he has been promised help from the US to oust the ETA terrorists from this fair country once all this you-know-what stuff is over).

Yes, the mini-series has been quite interesting, though I suspect us lowly sorts (the public) are being mis-informed constantly. Also, we only get to see the fireworks displays, not the bloody and horrific results of them. Do I actually WANT to see carnage and total human despair - of course not. Do I think we all SHOULD be seeing this - yes I do.

If only Iraq had a McDonalds!

Otherwise and that, no I don't know of other interesting discussions - at the moment I tend to go back and forth between the God thing and the Tell Us A Joke thing (seeking balance always)

What else? Well, like you, I seldom sleep. I'm thinking I should put my computer next to my bed so I'll have something to do during the wee hours other than willing the ceiling to go to sleep again.

Okay, siging off now. Hey, you have yet to disappoint! Get on that, wouldja? I'm dying to see how you do this

yours in (man!)
azahar

ps
the song Heart of Saturday Night almost always makes me want to cry, but in a nice way.

sorry, me again!

Just wanted to tell you that I am now FAMOUS - one of my entries got accepted by the BBC powers that be. All about FEARS. My really small entry, totally anonymous, comes the first under 'Inverse Vertigo' - a term I thought I had invented but apparently not. Or maybe so and they're now just using it. The thingy for this is A930151 if you're interested.

Meanwhile just had a bash at some people who said they had a 'fear of dwarves' Like, say what? So of course, I totally told them off in my usual charming fashion. Okay, these people 'mostly' equated dwarves with clowns. The conversation was 'Fear of Clowns'. But I mean, honesty!

I mean, how stupid - how totally insensitive! - do you have to be to think that some other human being with a physical difference from yours is SCARY to you?

GRRRRRRRR.

Anyhow, I let them have it. Both barrels. Saying that unless one was totally unintelligent, or completely stupid, or otherwise stupendously uneducated, (not sure if I got that far) they could never call a person SCARY just because they were physically different.

In fact, there had been a conversation called 'Fear of dwarves' but I saw that this has since been removed. Lucky for those guys, or else I would have had a major bash at them as well.

Meanwhile, have you ever heard the song by Randy Newman called Short People? It's so wonderfully sarcastic. I also love Harry Nilson, John's old drinking buddy. Wonderfully cynical, yet totally human lyrics. Not unlike Tom.

Okay, I promise to leave you alone now! If you write to me then I'll write back. If you don't write, then I won't pester you. Deal?

azahar

I am beginning to think that you are totally insane (nearly mistyped 'inane' there). I don't understand where you are going with the posting thing- I have been looking for some purposeful conversational stuff for a while-q: we is friends-yes?, as far as this kind of thing goes? would you even think of saying to a friend that if they didn't think of calling you Saturday-then O.K. you'd understand? No longer friends?

Relax more...Dope!

I kind of fell out with Hass early on and I don't know where we stand(not fishing), I kind of understand the approach, and after the initial problems (OK after me initially kicking off at her)I have had very friendly post from her-I really just don't do 'near death' stuff very well. I had a friend who died several times over the course of 2 days after running accross a road and being hit by a taxi while out with me (Stella-never again). Nothing spiritual, nothing magic...BANG. He lived (after a fashion) but several of the people we got close to during the month camped out in intensive care didn't. I don't do spiritual in that sense.
Very pleased you are famous-Can I sell my story, I knew you when you were nothing? Please don't check my postings at 'tall people' (I'm 6'2") absolutely no problem with Munchkins, I mean people of limited stature.

I re-read this with my perspective and realise it may sound terribly offensive. I mean, and use the term 'Munchkin' to refer to anyone whose height starts with something lower than a 6. God bless you all BUT, not very big are you? Don't growl at me like that. No, STOP...NOW, NO DON'T HURT ME AAAAARRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

insane? quite possibly

inane? gee, I hope not

short? depends on who I'm with

<>

ummm, well, I thought I was being friendly, yes.

I worry sometimes that typing is not the best way to express onesself. From the look of your last two postings you seem to have re-read, and reinterpreted my post several hours apart. That makes me think you were not entirely happy with the oriiginal content and it festered. What I meant to say was, hopefully unambiguously: I really don't see why you should apologise for more posts- like you were not welcome. You are. From what I can see you are not in any way inane. I was simply trying to point out that people who are friends do not ask permission, or in some way apologise for contact-which you seemed to be doing in your earlier posts. That's it-I was trying to say 'don't be silly, of course it is nice to hear from you-post often-it's welcome'. I told you I disappoint often. I seem to have a problem getting even normal friendly signals across. Nice to hear from you,

Rain.

So, then... *rushes in, has another hug for raindog, who she already has ACEd, and rushes off again*

I was on my way out to have some much needed (going out for cafe con leche in the mornings is one of my favourite things! like whiskers on kittens, etc) but now I'm going to wait and meet a friend for breakfast in awhile.

So, decaf azahar - can you stand it?

Okay, thanks for clearing up any doubts about me being welcome. Which I'm sure didn't come from you, since I am never sure that I am welcome anywhere. Well, except during my classes. I reckon that if people have paid me money to spend an hour with them, then they must really want me there!

But once that hour's up - I'm outta there (so as not to wear out my welcome, you see).

Hey, maybe I should get my friends to pay me as well - then I would never be in doubt about being welcome or wanted.

Anyhow, I know lots of things about you that you don't know about me (cos your intro page is more personal) so here are a few facts about me:

I'm 46 1/4 years old.

I'm 5' 4"

I live in Spain (but I think you know that)

I was born in Winnipeg, Canada and have lived in Toronto, Bristol, Seville and Salamanca.

I teach English, as you know, but I am also trying to start up a clothing biz (so wish me luck!)

I am stupendously uneducated, but I think I somewhat make up for that by being rather clever.

I have three cats and would probably also have a dog (a REALLY BIG one, wolfhound or something) except I live in a flat.

And now I really really need my

later alligator . . .

Just a quick helloooo.

You may have noticed that I am now only speaking in quotes in the God-fact or fiction thingy. This is only cos it seems that my postings are apparently only considered to be either 'fine' or 'funny' if I make an inadvertent typo. Ho hum.

Over-sensitive? Me???

I'm presently reading a book called Life of Pi by Yann Martel, which promises to be 'a novel of such rare and wondrous storytelling that it may make you believe in God'. Can't wait. So far, it's actually quite a wonderful book. The prose is often so poetic that I can hardly stand it! (of course I mean that in a nice way!)

Heard you had a big exam yesterday. Hope it went well. I saw a quote recently by a professor who said - 'exam rooms are decidedly short of oxygen' - or something like that.

hasta la pasta, baby!
azahar

Lies, lies and more lies!

Apparently I have got over being over-sensitive and am back to bantering on the God conversation.

NOT that I'm ever saying anything of interest or importance, of course, but you know . . . find it hard to refuse a challenge I guess.

Just so you didn't think I was lying in my last posting when I said I was now only speaking in quotes. It was true at the time, but somehow truth has a way of changing itself into some other sort of truth . . . lucky for us, I guess.

Otherwise we'd all be a pack of liars! Haaaahahhahaaaaa!

Ok I agree with you completely. I have read some of the latter postings and I could not argue that the patronising behaviour is anything other than deliberate. See my latest post in 'God' and please explain to Hass. I use irony as a weapon. OK it is not entirely effective but a damn sit better than getting the US Military involved,

Forgive me,

Rain

P.S., had a lurcher until Christmas, sort of Wolfhound lite. Beautiful dog, not a happy story. Sofie, still very missed by all of us. Agree with you probably not 'til retirement before another BUT miss the company and doggishness-never been cattish? just don't suit me. Feel free to kick your teddy out of the pram on 'God@ did it for effect-Hope it helps. I have a clearly defined 'miserable git' persona-I'm fine with most critics BUT extremely unfair to limit the perceived sense/relevance of responses, perhaps, due to sex diff.

Thanks for the hug-however brief our liaison it was real fine.
Anytime you feel like using me for a hug and then simply casting me aside like a limp dish rag-feel free
Rain.

Thanks for the hug Skugga-however brief our liaison it was real fine.
Anytime you feel like using me for a hug and then simply casting me aside like a limp dish rag-feel free
Rain.