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

"The romans used a vinegar soaked sponge on a stick as bog roll" [Bob Stafford]

Dare I ask what the sponge was for?

one starts to wonder if they recycled the vingar

Horse liniment fro leg dressings

If they misplaced the rum, maybe it'll turn up somewhere near me.

vinegar soaked sponge for bum cleaning better than

1850 B.C. The Egyptian pessary is the earliest contraceptive device for women. A concoction made of crocodile dung, honey, and sodium carbonate is inserted into the vagina to block and kill sperm.

Sperm might not be all that gets killed.

I wouldn't be testing it

Are you sure? Maybe you have an extra opening that you don't know about .

I want thrilling NOT killing

Now that I've found it on the internet it must be true

You've just given me an idea for a pun.

Cream or current

Reminds me of the first time my father found me reading a book.

After looking over the book (an elementary text on astonomy), he remarked, "Don't believe a thing just because you read it a book."

Then and now, that's always struck me as sound advice, that after all, one can lie as readily in print as by word of mouth, and the written language carries with it no guarantee against error.

Back to fake news studies on CM Wire.

The fake news artists are beginning to remind me of Baron Munchausen's eight legged rabbit.

" the written language carries with it no guarantee against error." [ITIWBS]

It is, however, somewhat easier to verify if anybody has produced more reliable sources. How often do you think you remember what someone told you, when your memory depends on how well you hear, and from what distance or angle, and whether you were distracted by something you were doing or thinking at the time?

You're right about all that.

Very few these days have memories as strong and well trained as a medeival or ancient bard or skald.

I like to write things down when I'm at meetings. It's amazing how different my notes are to what I remember afterwards.

I'm also a compulsive note-taker.

I even sometimes take notes on movie and other entertainment events.

I take notes too.

Then forget where I put them