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

Hi

There were no H2G2 messages waiting for me this morning (I have already read Catharina's post from yesterday) and I am boycotting the R2 Coffee Bar at the moment (zero replies to my Tuesday morning post on the Coffee Bar; my Wednesday morning post was modded for no good reason)...

...So I thought I had better use the time to catch up with a few old friends.

My main reason for writing is: I'm reading another good one which you might be interested in.

Have you read Queen Noor's recent autobiography, "Leap of Faith"? I think it's excellent, probably because it's one of those biogs where I find I've got a surprising amount in common with the author.

It's very satisfying when that happens: it's like the author is confirming my own view of the world: "You see! I knew that's the way the world actually works, and Queen Noor agrees with me!"

Some of the things I have in common with Queen Noor (formerly Lisa Halaby):

We both discovered we needed glasses when we couldn't read the writing on the blackboard, no matter how close we sat... Both come from a family of two sisters and one brother... Both of us were solitary children, happiest exploring the countryside on our own... Both are impatient with small talk... Both of us hid rather than talk to parents' friends when we were young... Both suffered insomnia at an early age... Both dismissed as "posh"/"aloof"/"conceited" by classmates because of our unusual upbringings and shyness and lack of social skills... Both of us lost respect for a grandparent when we discovered their racist views... Both wore a protest badge at school (hers was a Civil Rights badge as she was brought up in America in the 1950s & 60s, whereas my protest badge was CND)...

I could go on, but the coincidences would probably start to look a bit weak!

I haven't got to the mentions of Egypt in the book yet, but I checked in the index, and Egypt is mentioned plenty in the later chapters.

Have to go now as my login session is about to run out, people are waiting to use the terminals, and all of this will be deleted if I don't post it.

Hope you're well & enjoying life, and you'll read this soon.


Rich

Hi Rich

It's great to hear from you!

Coincidence is a fascinating thing! I could write for hours on the subject but I'm kind of resinded to it I guess, part of the wonderful/sad world in which we live.

I will certainly check out the book it sounds interesting, I havn't read an autobiography in a while, I'm sure I will enjoy it particularly if it has an eygptian feel. I'm reading the same set of books as PG at the moment although I havn't had chance to tell her with what's been going on in real life and in the Coffee Bar! The No.1 Dectitive Agency series, very light reading but brings Botswana to life.

I've had a very frantic emotional week, Harry Potter finishing junior school, been the worst mum of the lot all through the production of "Oliver" mainly because my friend's granddaughter sung so beautifully and looked at me the whole way through smiling! again tonight at the parents/children's send off they even gave us a alcholic beverages from boxes!! God knows what I shall be like tomorrow, I'm not normally the tearful type!

I hope the CB returns to normal soon, there's been a lot of unpleasantness and intolerance.

Lots of

BDG

Hi again Rich

I was so tired last night I was making up new words! I'm resigned to being a fool!

See you soon.


BDG

Hi

I have also read some of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - I see there's a new one in WHSmith this week. The new TV show, based on the books, sounds interesting too, I wonder if it will be on BBC2? And will they be able to keep it on BBC2 or will Sky TV outbid them if the show becomes popular? (I haven't got Sky TV, only had Freeview since last January.)

Very wet here in Suffolk this morning, but there is a big crowd outside the local Iceland store, listening to a very loud warm-up man with a microphone, because the store is reopening after 8 days of refurbishment. And I see our large Woolworths is closing for 2 weeks of rebuilding next week.

If I visit my sister in Aylesbury during her kids' school holiday, maybe I'll get on to her computer and make a "guest appearance" one evening in the Coffee Bar. Although... my brother-in-law often has to go on the computer to check his e-mails (and play war simulation games for 2 hours!)

Talking of school-leavers: My sister is so busy & forgetful at the moment, she forgot that her youngest daughter would have to miss out on her last ever day of junior school, because of an early family holiday in France! Bad mummy!

I also have a niece who has just left school after A-levels, nephew who has just left after 4 years of A-levels (he's now 20)... and scarily enough, my oldest nephew is 25!

I feel old

Have a good friday,

00.57 17.7.04.

Hi Rich

I'll check out the new book, what's it called? I've yet to read Kalahari Typing School for Men, I didn't know there was another one out! Do hope they don't put it on Sky, we have freeview but very rarely watch any of the channels. Can't stand all the reality shows.

It would be great if you could pop in the CB one evening.

I've had an exhausting week and its late now still listening to Jason, but my bed awaits.

Will talk again soon.

Have a great weekend.



BDG

Hi

Saturday, 9.45am

New book is called "The Full Cupboard of Life", out now in paperback, elephant on the cover, number 4 in the series I think.

I agree with you about the reality shows on TV.

Hope JR is broadcasting when I visit my sister, as I sleep in the same room as sister's computer, so can listen to radio jackie on the internet at any time of the night!

Speak soon

Rich

22.45 Sat 17th

Hi

Just been listening to Jason it's a shame you can't listen! It will be a treat going to your sister's in a room with a computer all night makes you sound like a naughty school boy! Jason is very good and so quick on the email's when he's live!! I don't think he's Bc though, just don't think he's got the time or inclination at the moment! I think Bc (if it is a man?!) is someone else, Don possibly?!

Involved in running a Fun Day tomorrow, for my sins so better have an early night for a change!

Thanks for the info on the next book, by my calculations it's number 5!

We are like ships passing in the night.

BDG

Hi

Just typed a message to you, then I lost it because the terminal froze on the "you have one minute to go" message I was forced to use one of the old terminals today cos the new ones were all occupied when I got to the library at 10.01am!

When I first started using my brother-in-law's PC, I did see a few saved websites that maybe a certain person didn't want anyone else to see... Nowadays, I use my sister's login account which is perfectly clean.

Occasionally I have had a peek at a 20-minute webcast of a Paris fashion show featuring 50 different models in bikinis, but don't tell anyone!

Good news about JR's e-mails. Perhaps you'll hear one from me over the summer!

Hope you have a fun day today, and you haven't got the weather that's outside the library at the moment - rain pouring down and rattling on the skylights.

Speak soon

Mon 19.7.04. 9.01am

Hi

Just a quick reply as I have a million and one jobs to do before I go to work!

The rain held off yesterday at the Fun Day until 3pm when it bucketed down, I ended up under a parasol with the Park Ranger and two new local councillors who had come to show their faces!

Harry Potter enjoyed it and helped supervise the drawing competition for the kids to draw what they wanted to have in the park. Funnily enough a paddling pool seemed to be the most popular.

I'm really hoping the weather improves this week now the kids have finshed school. Not working tomorrow so maybe we will get to talk real time.

Have a good day.



BDG

19.7.04 A few minutes later...

Hi BDG

Under a parasol with a park ranger, eh? Your secret is safe with me!

Re: the Ladies' Detective Agency series - I forgot about "Tears of the Giraffe" when I was counting them up! The new one is in the library this morning, but I have too many other books to read at the moment.

Just off to Nick's message boards - www.r2fm.co.uk - to see what damage I caused yesterday when (stupidly, I admit) I registered under a false name. I didn't realise that a few people there had been involved in a slight disagreement on Saturday night, and I walked right into the aftermath of it. That'll teach me to try to be clever!

Hello

We must have just missed each other this morning, perhaps tomorrow?

I shouldn't worry about what you call yourself. I don't use my real name because it is very unusual! Are you Ernesto the Bull? It's harder to follow threads and what people are saying on a more complex board like Nick's. Perkins gave me sound advice once never worry about what's gone before, because when you look back on threads they often don't make sense after the event!

I think his site is very good technically and he has obviously put a lot of hardwork in to it. The main drawback as far as I'm concerned is a particular person who shall not be named! Most of the "girls" are put off by this, the guys don't seem to mind so I guess it's a bit of a man's thing over there. We'll see! All adds to the interest of life on the world wide web!

Yes it was Tears of a Giraffe that's the one I've just finished.

Speak to you tomorrow.

BD

10.29pm Monday

Hello again

I think I'm going to join you in boycotting the CB at the rate things are going. We were modded tonight for some harmless Latin! Cor blimey! Mr G's first venture into the CB and we all ended up being modded. It made us laugh though......

I must admit it has crossed my mind who mods the mods?!!!! Perhaps they are feeling lonely and feel they need a purpose in life. Or is someone complaining? Who knows?!

It will be great when you go to your sisters! Bring on the box room!

See you in the morning


BD

Hi BD

Mission accomplished on Nick's board - I sent Ken Pollard the details of a new CD by one of his favourites, he received the message and replied, so that's okay.

I see SC/DSN used to go down the pub after watching Jim'll Fix It. Why am I not surprised...

I suppose the "no foreign words" rule is justified. Someone might post something offensive in Dutch - Mods wouldn't know what it said, but it would offend FBN...

Must dash, as I have a book due back on Thurs, which I have only just started!

See you tomorrow?

21.46 20/7/04

Hello

I have been very tired today and you are my only post! Took HP to the opticians and met a lovely lady with 5 children who is just about to have a romantic novel published. She gave me her web address and I've posted in her guest book! I fibbed, I have made another post.

I was so tired I forgot to go to WH Smiths to buy Kalahari Typing School for Men. I ended up on the sun lounger all day reading my son's leaver's award book from school "Journey to the River Sea" by Eva Ibbotson, absolutely lovely book full of young love and adventure up the Amazon. Read the whole book from start to finish and it brought a tear to my eye on the final page. HP is still reading Lord of the Rings so we sat quietly together reading our books.

Your point about using a different language is true, except I don't know anyone who speaks Latin are there rude words in Latin? Perhaps I should ask Jason or am I just naive? J and I got modded on a couple of postings for no latin, and nothing that I could see contravened house rules, still I don't get worked up about it. It made us all . It was strange really because Journey to the River Sea had one of the coffee bar's favourite sayings "Carpe Diem" in it!

Glad you got things sorted out with Ken, leave me a message over there sometime!

Probably won't bump into you tomorrow, I have to be at work early. Speak soon.

Lots of
BD

Hi BD

Do I know your login name on Nick's site, or is it a "Mystery"?!

Well done to your son for his leaver's prize. I've been meaning to buy a few of those excellent kids' books from WHS to read for myself, perhaps the fantasy series by Garth Nix?

I'm still not sure about reading J.K. Rowling - haven't read any HP novels so far, and I get very annoyed when people like Johnnie Walker seem to assume that JK is the only person who has written fantasy/wizard books in the last fifty years...

Looked in the library's Latin dictionary, only rude word I could find was 'nothus' - but I think that's just a literal description of someone's parentage! Better not use it on the CB anyawy!

"Carpe Diem" = " of the Day"...

Hi

School holidays started yesterday afternoon in Suffolk - but of course my lucky sister was already on holiday in France yesterday, standing on the slope of that French alp, watching Lance Armstrong whizz past on his bike. Lucky sister!

I tried to look out for her during last night's Tour de France highlights on ITV2, but there were 999,999 other spectators in the way on the mountain-side.

I've been on the R2 country music MB a few times this week. Briant tells me that he is about to go Broadband. Is the Coffee Bar ready for this, I wonder?

Hi

It's not that much of a mystery is it?!!!!

Must very late for an appointment, running out the door putting my lipstick on........

Speak to you tomorrow.

Lots of
BD

22.36 22.7.04.

Hi

Sorry I was in a earlier on today, been mad all week at work! Glad it's Friday tomorrow although I have to go and do some work for a charity that I run in the morning, for my sins! On my only day off!

The CB board has been down all night tonight, wonder what's going on there then?! Had a couple of emails with Catharina and spoke to Mike on the phone apart from that it's been very quiet!

Do I get to see a picture of your library? Would be very interested love old buildings.

I would recommend the HP books, really enjoyed them. My HP is mad about HP and goes on the Warner Bros site where there is a message board and he writes stories, I think he's very good, much better writer than me and he's only 11!

See you soon.

BD

Hi BD

Sorry - I'm a complete dummy - still can't tell who you are on Nick's site - help please?

Your reward will be a nice piccy of a certain Corn Exchange built in 1841, where my maternal grandfather actually used to exchange corn!

I was coming back to the Coffee Bar today, so that plan was foiled by the maintenance work.

Instead, I might just join Oprah's book club on oprah.com. This month they're reading "Anna Karenina". She's a hard taskmaster, that Oprah.

Happy St. Bridget's Day, by the way - I'm not Catholic, but I do like a good saint!

01.45am 24/7/04

Hi

Here I am listening to J but fading fast! Had terrible putter problems tonight and this is my second attempt to post.

Your first instinct is right about my pirate identity!

I'll look forward to my reward. Probably still be in bed when you get to the library today. So hopefully I'll see you on Sun morning and we can play pirates?

I'm hoping it's the sun lounger and Kalahari Typing School for Men for me tomorrow, whoops I mean today.


BD