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

It isn't just that I can't load at the moment - I've been trying to send the money I raised through sales to the charity and that website isn't loading either...

That's disappointing that the nature reserve wasn't wheelchair friendly - was it a local council one, or any organisation that you can contact to see if they'd be able to make it wheelchair friendly in future?

Yes, the railway exhibition certainly was a highlight of the year. Do you know what your uni is planning on doing with regards returning to work?

<BB<

Ah, that is strange - I did see news that a website provider had problems at the weekend, so maybe that affected the charity website, but that wouldn't explain I hope the websites have been working for you today The charity will be very pleased with your donation

I checked online and see that the nature reserve is partly owned by the RSPB, but the main footpath is owned by the council - I will contact the Footpath Officer who helped me with my other footpath query, to see what can be done

Yes, my uni released the definitive information today - everyone who is not in a student-facing role is to stay working at home until at least 4 January. That leaves more space in the buildings for the people in student-facing roles. My box of tea should still be OK, but my packet of biscuits will be well out of date by then! Are things clearer for you now, or is it still being worked out?

I had a good day yesterday - I went to a little farm park and saw and

Maybe that was the reason - I've since been able to donate the money . While it took longer than I expected to get the money from Lulu via Paypal, it all worked out in the end.

Where we worked we're still expected to start work one day a week from the 5th October - I asked if I could work there more often as I don't find the idea of being home alone most of the week particularly appealing, and they've reluctantly agreed to let me work two days a week, though one of those days I'll be the only one in my team in the office and the other day there'll only be one other. But there'll be other people in the office.

Not sure what to do about as the fridge isn't going to be on. I'll have to have a thermos of I suppose.

To be honest the uni only seems interested in boasting that they've done particularly well in the WhatUni league table this year as well as that we've now got a coat of arms:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBX2zi04uxY

I had a quick glance at at nammet time and saw some farm photos.

Tomorrow my wife and son are back at school - my daughter is back on Monday.

<BB<

Glad everything worked eventually so you could make the donation

Good to hear there has been a little bit more flexibility in relation to work patterns. It is definitely a scenario where ‘one size does not fit all’ - I can imagine some people will be worried about leaving the house and would be glad that you can do more than one day in the office so they don’t have to...

That is a dilemma about the but a thermos of milk sounds like a good idea - almost the opposite of my system, as I had to put the hot water in the flask to carry it from the kitchen to my desk, but was able to carry the milk container ok.

Ah, yes I noticed your uni in a global sustainability league table that we’re going to be applying for, so boasting is a hobby of the powers that be Fascinating about coats of arms - my unis both had full ones, with crests and bearers, but then went for simplified versions instead, to be more modern!

Glad you found my photos I found a catphrase http://wordhistories.net/2020/02/24/lay-lead-macduff/ - we did Macbeth at school, but I didn’t notice I was saying the phrase wrong until I was doing a crossword at the weekend and realised ‘lead’ didn’t fit!

All the best to your wife and son for the new term

I'm not sure to what extent me being in the office extra will impact on others in my team - they main thing I'd like is of course to be in the office at the same time as everyone else in the team, but I'm not sure that'll happen any time soon. Possibly not at all if the rumoured plans to only have hot-desking staff in future come to fruition.

I think the crest is one way the new VC is seeking to make a mark. When I started the then new VC had changed Solent's logo from a ship to a squiggle, then the previous VC changed it from a squiggle to a circle and now the new VC has given us a coat of arms...

I suppose there could be far worse things that you could do on MacDuff.

<BB<

"I suppose there could be far worse things that you could do on MacDuff" -

Yes, given the way your needs were [not] taken into account, it is unlikely that others will have theirs taken into account as required, but in theory it would be the best solution... Good luck with it all... Yes, future hotdesking plans are rumoured over here as well, which also brings challenges, but different ones from home working... Hopefully staff associations will help to bring people together again, but it isn't easy, especially at the moment with change still happening all the time...

I hope your recovery is going well and I hope your son had a good day.

Ah, yes - changing the logo is a good way of making a mark A fascinating evolution from ship to circle via squiggle

The trouble I find with our staff event is that they tend to like holding expensive (2cents) meals onsite at Solent's fancy restaurant where they cram as many people in as possible. This is all very well if you like expensive, crowded meals but doesn't cater for those of us who don't. To be honest, I'd just like to socialise with people I know.

I've had a bizarre Lulu e-mail saying that the paper is wrong and I've had to change my s to be on different (thinner) paper. So I've just done that. I'm considering putting 'The Nativities Are Restless' available too, but wondering whether it is a bit too controversial/offensive. What do you think? Not that I expect it to cause a lot of controversy considering 'What The Dinosaur' only sold one copy (was that you?)

Lately I've been watching a programme called 'Sense8', have you heard of it? It is very good, reminds me of a cross between 'The Tomorrow People', 'Orphan Black' and 'Heroes' though needlessly violent and too many sex scenes than is necessary. Each episode begins with the warning, 'Contains Suicide Imagery and Product Placement' - there is a suicide in the opening episode and I don't think the product placement is having that much of an effect on me as the only thing I've bought this week is ferry tickets and Isle of Wight Garlic Mayonnaise, which I doubt was what the product being placed was as the Isle of Wight hasn't featured in the story. Yet it is odd that that is what viewers are warned about but violence, medical procedures, drug abuse, sex, nudity and orgies aren't worthy of comment Despite this it is a good series, though overly ambitious and unsurprisingly cancelled after 2 series.

<BB<

Ah, so your official staff association won't be holding those kinds of events any time soon Our official staff association likes climbing mountains, which is not my idea of fun, but it is outdoors at least! I was thinking of subgroups as well - eg book clubs etc - which can bring people who know each other together, but will need more logistical planning than before. My book club has gone quiet, but the disabled staff group virtual get together was very good, as people often struggle to get to venues in person, but everyone was able to log in to the videoconference.

I saw your message on about the glitch that gave you the wrong options - bizarre indeed... Glad you've managed to make changes to satisfy the computer again. I see I didn't 'like' every page of Nativities are Restless, but that was because 'like' was not really the word for topics like A87827205 Has potential, though, if you read it now with fresh eyes and check the pages are suitable to include - might sell a few copies in December.

I'm sorry What the Dinosaur hasn't sold more yet, as it is a great book for everyone who likes dinosaurs I haven't bought a copy from your lulu, as I bought a copy of the prototype that the h2g2 lulu made, so that is a new sale for you

I haven't heard of Sense8 - glad you're enjoying the main story. That is a fascinating juxtaposition of content warnings Glad the product placement did not have an adverse effect on you! I haven't managed to start the second series of Dirk Gently, because of the prospect of needless violence, but I will do soon, as I have finished the series I was watching (Travel Man - barely contains any physical proximity to Richard Ayoade, never mind anything stronger! ).

I hope you all have a good weekend

The club, board game club and choir weren't part of the official staff association. Sadly the person who was running the boardgame club has left, singing is officially banned as it is considered dangerous and as for my attempts at the running club, the person who was likeliest to come out for a run with me is in my team and not allowed to work on the same day as me any more.

Sense8 is about a group of 8 individuals all around the world who were born in the same second and, as adults, have developed strong telepathic powers which enables them to communicate with each other and share their skills and abilities despite being all around . So the series is set in Korea, India, Kenya, Berlin, London, Iceland, Mexico, Chicago and Los Angeles simultaneously, with any scene potentially starting in any one of those locations and involving up to all of them as characters from other countries begin communicating with each other. So scenes often change perspective between, say, London and Kenya. From a UK perspective two of the characters are played by 7th Doctor Sylvester McCoy and Freema Agyemen who played Martha Jones in the David Tennant era. The series was co-written by J Michael Straczynski - who created and wrote almost all of 'Babylon 5' - and the Wachowski siblings, best known for 'The Matrix'.

Apparently it is the first ever 'television' (well, web) series involving a transgender main character (Nomi Marks) played by a transgender actor (Jamie Clayton) with transgender directors and co-writers (Lana and Lilly Wachowski - though along with J Michael Straczynski).
It gained a very loyal following, and I can see why, but I think it was just too ambitious - apparently involving filming entirely on location in 16 cities located in 11 countries at a budget of $9 million per 50 minute episode. Would being a less-adult production have given them a wider audience, or did their cult core of fans enjoy it specifically because of the adult content? I don't know. But they were spending per episode almost what it costs to make an entire series of 'Doctor Who' - with the best will in the world this isn't sustainable without a huge audience. (http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/site/tariff_prices_for_independents.pdf)

<BB<

Ah, that is a shame the boardgame club organiser has left, as that was a great idea for a club. I guess it would have its challenges in the current circumstances, but hand sanitiser would help.

Ah! I had heard some of the publicity around Sense8 and Jamie Clayton's role, but I think I realised it wouldn't be something I could watch so didn't pay any attention to it after that. The premise sounds good - I see the influence of Tomorrow People - but I can imagine it is hard to follow wtih so many people and locations. $9 million per episode is ambitious indeed! Shows there must be money in Netflix, but the Wachowskis have cachet thanks to The Matrix...

Yes, difficult to pitch these things... Reminds me a bit of how Torchwood was pitched - I quite liked the first two series, as they were like Doctor Who, but the later series, which were more intense, did get more viewers (although that was helped by the move to BBC One). Those tariff prices make interesting reading

I was a bit under the weather at the weekend, because I picked up an infection and my arm was sore, but the swelling started to go down last night so it feels much better today. I did some birdwatching, as sitting in the hide (which is now a 'setting') with the twitchers was quite relaxing, so I added to my bird list

Well, there are games that don't involve swapping cards etc, but as no-one is going to be around at work for a while it isn't going to happen anytime soon anyway.

Sense8 could be considered a Pyrrhic victory as though it was cancelled after only 2 series, it was made in the first place which has to be positive. Over ambition isn't a bad way to 'fail' if it can be said to have failed. Not really surprising though at a time when I'm feeling isolated and alone I find a series about telepaths able to always be together quite comforting any way...

Sorry to hear you were under the weather at the weekend but hope you're recovering again now. The weekend was warm here, I did a bit of running and we all played tennis on Sunday for a bit too.

<BB<

Glad you did some good outdoor activities at the weekend Yes, the infection site is now itchy, which is a good sign, and I have some cream to put on it.

Yes, that is a positive that there were able to be two series of Sense8 and its ambitions were realised to a substantial extent. Glad it's comforting for you I'm glad of the internet as a medium for keeping mentally connected to people.

Sad news about Dame Diana Rigg but we are honoured to have a lovely portrait of her and Patrick McNee in h2g2 A87878768

We're all currently indoors socially distancing for potentially 14 days.

At my son's school in order to maintain social distancing bubbles each class has its own part of the school playing fields it has to stay in during break and lunch times. Unfortunately the part of the field his class is in has plants that he is allergic to, and so he has been suffering increasingly from hay fever this week, having extremely puffy and running eyes and nose. On Thursday morning he has woken up with a fairly high temperature (37½° C, which is higher than normal although 38°+ is considered a fever) and a constant need to clear his throat, which isn't quite the same thing as a persistent cough. Having a runny nose means he has lost his sense of smell and when we phoned the official 111 number as the school asked us to, this qualifies him as having potential Covid symptoms so we are self-isolating for 14 days.

We tried getting a test done but the closest centre was Aberdeen, which by the time we clicked on was fully booked. After 2 days of being unable to book anywhere within the UK the school let us have a home test, which we managed eventually to get him to take and send off so hopefully we'll get the negative within '2 working days'. All a lot of fuss over hay fever - though better safe than sorry.

<BB<

Oh no - I saw the news, and what a palaver it all is - sorry to hear you've been caught up in it... Yes, Aberdeen is a tad far for you all to go... Thank goodness a home test could be found, and it sounds hopeful that the result will indeed be negative - better safe than sorry, though, yes. I hope your son feels much better soon as well, having a few days off from sitting in a field full of allergens.

Somewhat less drama over here - my two favourite charity shops reopened, with the one-way system I thought they would be able to do. I had a goodish browse, but couldn't linger too long as it was quite busy so I didn't buy anything. I also discovered my second Dirk Gently DVD is NTSC not PAL, so the TV didn't like it, but hopefully it will work on the laptop.

My sister is in an Area of Intervention, and I see the Wirral has been marked as an Area of Concern now so I will keep watching the statistics...

Sending virtual best wishes to you all

It is indeed a palaver - the booklet that came with the test says that if you haven't received your result, phone a number - and if you manage to get through all the menus, it eventually tells you 'We are continuing to have a high volume of tests at present, please continue to hold'.

Sorry to hear about the second 'Dirk Gently' DVD is having problems with your telly, is it working on the laptop?

How are things within the Wirral?

<BB<

Wow, sorry the palaver continues, and hopefully you get the result tomorrow Your cartoons about the situation are very apt.

The news I saw mentioned that there are quite a number of cases on the Wirral in schools, but apart from that I haven't seen anything specific. Let's hope this 'rule of six' thing is enough to sort it out...

Yes, I've been able to configure my computer to play the Dirk Gently NTSC DVD The trailers are for Doctor Who! Did you see 'Twice Upon a Time'? The DVD contains a Dirk Gently Season 1 Recap, too, which is handy I'm now ready to start watching it this week

We have indeed had the all clear this afternoon, so that's good news.

I did indeed see 'Twice Upon a Time' - it was okay but very much went out-of-the-way to make the First Doctor appear old-fashioned and unenlightened. While when Doctor Who was originally made in the 1960s it was a product of its time and there were occasional instances that would not be done today, there was no reason to go overboard and make the Doctor out to be patronising and sexist just to make him the subject of jokes, I thought. So it was a good idea but I think it should have been done better.

I think I'll go outside now as I've not been there since Wednesday.

<BB<

Yay! Great news about the test result, and great news about the outside! Enjoy

It is raining just now, which is a surprise as the forecast didn't say it would, but it is still quite warm, so I will go out shortly.

Ah, that is interesting about the portrayal of the First Doctor - seems to be a way of introducing sexist stuff and then blaming it on the Doctor, even though it was the scriptwriter who wrote the words for the Doctor. I noticed something like that in a book I read for my bookclub. 'Redshirts' was clever overall, with plot-within-a-plot storyline about the redshirts in Star Trek. However, the female character was given misogynistic lines in some sort of weird argument that the future was so far post-sexism that women were sexist against themselves Luckily that was forgotten about later in the book, so it wasn't too bad. Could be done better, though, indeed.

I enjoyed a 6-mile run yesterday along my usual route yesterday, not that I've done it this month... It was funny, I went through the woods rather than follow the tarmac path for the first time in ages - I'd avoided that areas as two trees had fallen down which made it awkward in places - and was delighted to see that those trees have been removed. Unfortunately two different trees have fallen down and block the path in different places, but on the whole these are much smaller trees, so that's an improvement.

I beaded some face masks over the weekend - if you need face masks beaded, let me know. The ones my wife bought a while ago just had string and looked c[_]o but the loops for ears were too big for the kids, so I've put beads on so you can adjust them and they're now c<[_]>o if my attempt to draw a facemask with a loop either side works.

I never knew that post-sexist sexism isn't apparently sexism - sounds to me like someone saying 'I'm not sexist but...' on the grounds that they think that you can say that and then no matter how sexist you afterwards it'll be okay.

Later on I hope to see if we have any left on our tree - they're very tasty and I'd planned to pick them off last week, but I suspect the wasps have got them now.

<BB<

Glad you had a good run, but that is a shame about the trees. An improvement that they were smaller trees, yes - the next ones are likely to be smaller still

Good diagrams - I can visualise how the beading works Clever solution

Yes, 'I'm not sexist but...' is a good analogy for that section of the book

I hope you find some on your tree Do you know what variety it is? Dad had a Discovery on his allotment for a while - it yielded a few tasty little each year (and a few for the wasps and blackbirds too).

I had a funny at work today - I telephoned someone about arranging a meeting, and they asked me to e-mail them to ask when they were planning to send an e-mail to ask about arranging a meeting