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

True, and yet, not enough.
I'm not yet thinking about retiring, although I guess I would do if I had the means.

"means" means what? I have the square root of FA and am therefore trying to devise a way of survival in a place where the 'civilised' world will leave alone until I die. I managed on less than $1-a-day for seven months and built a house into the bargain.

I looked up FA and I'm none bthe wiser now:
noun: the syllable naming the fourth (subdominant) note of the diatonic scale in solmization

Means meaning: money, freedom, a place to go to

Blocked twice bu Auntie


Sweet *** all - in polite English Sweet Fanny Adams - but it means the same. The *** word is now overused - if you watch any American film, every other word is *** or ***ing - it is sad.

Yes, it has even made its way into the German language, although, interestingly, it's just used as a curse, because the word we have for this ourselves is very similar: just exchange the u for an i

Ouch - now **** and &é"'(§è! gets yiked - what language are we allowed to talk in?

Hmm, I guess it's the automatic moderation routine, even if you can post it, there are some words which are referred to the moderators for having a closer look (as was the case in the poem thread). I'm sure it should be back once they've seen it doesn't contain anything offending.

It's back, as I predicted.

So it is - I never mean to be offensive but in the 'politically correct' world we have to suffer - one cannot be too careful.

Sad - but even here - I have to leave the door of the flat open if Fatima goes to buy a bar of soap. If not - I will get accused of raping my great niece.

The world has gone completely mad.

Good gracious, I thought that was only possible in the USA

Sadly not - I think I sent you the story of the beggar girl here. My 60-year-old cousin in England, who works at an infant's school, cannot pick up a child and cuddle it, if it is upset. But - in the 'bidonville' - things are a little more natural - the babies are still allowed to sit on my lap - be cuddled and be sung to sleep. There is nothing wrong - but the world of suspicion has gone too far.

Yes, it's very sad that things have come to that. And yet children are abused, no matter what you try to protect them.

Yes - and very - very complicated. Love - loving, trust - respect are all things to be learned. Badmini (in Arabic - leave me alone) returned today.
New rules - new game. She says, "I want to stay here". I say, "OK obey the rules,"
A complicated inter-cultural fight.

I'm not sure it's all down to different cultures, but mostly to different generations.

Both

Yes, your're probably right.

Poets: A remarkable thing is that two months ago I met a Moroccan who wrote poetry in French. He started to write in English and I now have 50 or more of his poems. They are remarkable and totally different from those written in French. The change of language has - somehow - allowed him to express all the frustration, fear, despair, anger and bitterness, of the past sixty years here in a very different way.
I hope I will be able to help him publish the work - it is very good.

They're those you post on the Acrostic Poems, right? They really are very good.

But the others - non acrostic - are incredible. The fact that he can write an acrostic poem is pretty amazing, but the thoughts that come out in the other poems make you think.

Yes, it's often amazing what people can do once they learn about a new medium to express themselves. I guess that's one of the reasons that painting, sculpturing etc are often used in therapies.