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

What a start to the new year been out walking the dog's this morning and watch a few late revalers coming home still drunk from last night across the common! What a state, but they were very happy and wish me and the dog's a happy new year so I invited them in for breakfast, they declined and headded off towards the pub....... I can remember when I could do a new year party like that Priceless to watch

Happy new year to everyone

It's windy today. About like March.

Starting the new Year with March would be better than starting it with January.

It's windy today ? it's not, it's sunday

Hello prof

When I was little, the idea of going shopping on new year's Day was unthinkable. But now it seems like any other day, so why not? I fee sorry for the poor schlubs who have to work on a day that's a holiday for the rest of us. But I still want my coffee and pastry in the coffee shop.

It is strange how frosty cold weather does not satisfy cold weather lovers as they think the only winter weather is snow and nothing else. I am on a weather community forum and I do not think they will be satisfied until we get winters where it snows every day and that there are at least 5 foot or more snow. They spend most of the time looking at weather forecasts for weather in 10 to 16 hours and of course very inaccurate. The weather forecast has been changing greatly in the 12 hour forecasts let forecasts for five days.

I meant that weather forum members spend most of the time looking at 10 to 16 day weather forecasts which of course are very inaccurate.

" I do not think they will be satisfied until we get winters where it snows every day and that there are at least 5 foot or more snow."[Rosa Baggins]

Here in Massachusetts we get some four-day snowstorms sometimes. This month (January) we are expected to get 15 days of precipitation. The winter of 2014/2015, we got more than ten feet of snow. If this is to the taste of the people you mention, they should move here, assuming that they can afford our high living costs.

it costs a lot to heat your house during long, cold winters. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are generally more expensive than two-wheel-drive ones. Houses need thicker walls and more insulation to keep the cold out. Plumbers have to come out more frequently to thaw frozen pipes. What part of this is going to impress the people you mention?

I also think that the forum members want a return to the UK winters of 2009 to 2010, 2010 to 2011 and 2011 to 2012 and if we don't get anything like that is ignored. I watched a video on YouTube a UK news film showing what life was like in the winter of 1962 and 1963 and it was terrible as I saw people fetching buckets of water to their homes and the effect it had on the whole of the UK which was quite revealing on the chaos that it caused to many people. Even though it was only a short video, it showed the extent of the cold weather on a personal level. I don't think anything will impress them and don't think they will believe me if I say that in the North East of England when I my mother was living in the 20's to the 60's (except 1962-1963), that it only snowed three times, the rest would be a mixture of sleet, hail and frost.

evening all, I see that were (this thread) is back on track, I have years ago changed the way I heat my house, used to be gas central heating, but I took the plunge and now use a wood/straw based heating system, It has a great big fire box which takes a large round bale of old straw, one which the farmers can't use (damp, weather beaten stuff) which of course is cheap, really cheap in some cases only cost me 50p sterling, only doller for two of the buggers, and one of these supplys me with heat/hot water for up to 4 days if you are carefull, and a wood burning cooker! the start-up cost was a bit horrendius but after 4-5 years paid for itself, so now its only about £3 a week when its really cold the boiler thingy is Swedish and are availble at all good boiler thingy shops

Happy new year to all

Around the American midwest and south many people use corn heaters. The one I saw used an electric motor and screw type pump to feed a steady stream of kernals into the fire.

I can't help but wonder if their homes smell like burnt popcorn.

Its where I first saw that sort of boiler thing, in the mid west, and also in the place called "The Dakota's" also Montana too! When I was there, (Montana) with some of my family members and boy it was cold even their horses had thick rugs and coats on, we spent just over 18 months with them it so enjoyable, the missus had our first born there. We loved the space of the place, felt like we were in a western movie for most of the time due to the way they still use the horse, also I never forget the first time we went to WallMart..... the back of the pick up was full

We have been back more than a few time now, and i'm still impressed at the wonder of the place!

My other side of my family is in the place called Oz, which is somewhat different, its the only place that seems to fit Einstine's gravitational rules, it has its own time, as against the normal time everywhere else time runs quite differently their

A friend of mine has a heater that runs on pellets made from waste wood. Despite the cost of transport and production of these pellets it is a cheaper form of heating than so much else

coolio

"I can't help but wonder if their homes smell like burnt popcorn." [Baron Grim]

If they watch netflicks on their large screen TVs, that's got to add to the ambiance.

"A friend of mine has a heater that runs on pellets made from waste wood. Despite the cost of transport and production of these pellets it is a cheaper form of heating than so much else" [Pierce]

I have a neighbor who heats that way. He's young. Lifting that stuff keeps him in good shape.

Cats make good hot water bottles

I hadn't thought of it that way, but you have a point.

I have 6 of them, they do earn their living that's just one of their jobs.

My newest cat came from Montreal Canada