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

Gotcha! I shall just have to make a point!!! 'Flue' with an 'e' is part of a chimney. I think it's the bit that goes up to the roof. The abbreviation for 'influenza' doesn't have an 'e'. Yeah, I know, this was a typo. Sorry, I should have known, and anyway it isn't nice to criticise people. Forgive?
How very nasty though. I hope you're fully recovered?
Yes, Kew is wonderful. There was a series on the television, about a pair of 'tree-minders' who went practically round the world, studying trees and the way they were handled. It was fascinating.

Do old people, perhaps with heart conditions jump into saunas? I'd have thought the shock wouldn't be good, unless, of course, they're inured during earlier life. And do you really batter each other with birch twigs? Why birch? It's my favourite tree. I don't like to think of it being mauled!!

Birch twigs *gently* whisked against one's skin are used to stimulate the circulation.

And it smells good too. That, plus I seem to remember there's some substance in birch twigs that is good for you, but I can't remember what.

And if 'influenza' is the complete word, how come 'flue' isn't the short form for it?

People with heart conditions should stop at 70-80 C and *not* switch to cold instantly but instead cool off slowly.

There's an 'ancient Finn' (basically what his user name means) that has wrotten a series of interesting articles about saunas and snow and stuff:

<./>MA201154?type=1</.>

Unfortunately, he's not often online - I've been wanting to ask him for info about the origin of the so called 'Nordic Walking' which is one of my 'entries to be added to the the Guide when I have the time or inspiration'

Clever And if 'influenza' is the complete word, how come 'flue' isn't the short form for it?

Because, and I speak instinctively as one who considered herself a linguist in another life in-flu-en-za are separate syllables, so the 'e' doesn't belong to the 'u'. QED?????

Has Ancient Finn left any articles? Nordic walking seems very strange, but has a wonderful reputation. I'd have thought you'd be a superexponent? I shall Follow That Link!! Then probably realise that my question has been answered. Oh, I am and

...goes off to boil herself gently with birch twigs.....

Found it and copied the recipe for pastries. Shall I send you one??

Thanks for the offer, but my mother makes delicious pastries - I need to go see her over Easter, me thinks...

Oh yes, and the syllable explanation for 'flu' seems logical - now, all I need to do is to find an example that contradicts that speficic theory...

I wait with interest.....

I went to a wonderful meeting last night. It was good to be 'allowed' out alone We had a speaker on the subject of 'What Children Say'. She'd been an Infants' teacher, and was a born entertainer - as a teacher has to be from time to time. I'm still giggling at some of the tales she told.

When I got back, my Master had cheese and biscuits and a glass of wine ready. How about that for a fun night out????

Cheese... and wine...

I haven't seen you posting at Lil's for a while - maybe I should have warned you beforehand that we tend to be quite a chatty bunch of people, and sometimes the backlog can be a bit - uh - overwhelming.

Should you have the time and patience to keep up with it, you'll discover that the topics seem to range from very trivial to very serious.

I know some people have felt excluded when first joining the conversations, because we seem to know each other so well (well, no wonder after seven years of conversating!(is that a real word?)) but feel free to talk about yourself, your pleasures and worries and rants.

Even if no one seems to reply to one of your postings, most of us read every single posting religiously, and probably nod understandingly - something that doesn't show online, unfortunately.

Great to see you online again! (Yes, I do in one of your other threads...)

Vista? Seeing as how it's so very incompatible with other stuff I'll try to avoid it as long as possible...

Hello! It's nice to be back. I'm not completely at home with the New Thing, but (if I were younger) there's time!!
Yes, I must pop back to Lil's, and drop a spoke in the wheels. I haven't found it as exclusive as another room, from which I joined this to escape! People obviously develop shortcuts when they've conversated (a word with a future, but not much of a past!!) for a long time. It's the same in RL, isn't it.
I'd vowed I wouldn't touch Vista till forced to do; it took me long enough to tame XP, which I probably have by no means mastered, but I could do what I wanted to do, and at my age, that has to be enough! I went so far as to buy a copy (yes, buy!!!) of XP2007, which looks quite different from my elderly version. I just hope it'll be able to read my old files etc. I haven't actually created anything yet; I've been too busy installing, uninstalling and mucking about with incompatible drivers. Why do we do it?

Good to see you back online!

The incompatibility (what an odd word!) of Vista is exactly the reason why I won't touch it even with the end of a long stick.

It's a lovely word!! It should be set to music. I won't offer to sing it to you, as I've only 3 notes left from a noisy contralto.
So far, I repeat, so far, incompatralala hasn't done more than surprise me, but I still haven't tried to install my scanner or the digi camera. Other stuff just pointed me to the appropriate webpage, whence it could be downloaded effortlessly. The first Surprise came when I tried to install the router. I put in the disk, which spun ('span' would be nicer) endlessly, and I couldn't eject it, so I rang the software support guys. 'I bought this laptop this afternoon, now I want help. Is this a record?' Reply: 'No it's a CD' No, actually, he told me gently that I don't need a disk, the router will install itself without!! It did too, and here I am to prove it. Of course, I haven't yet done anything clever, like seeing if it can read files from the old one, but I also bought XP 2007, and when you're saving a Word document, it asks how you want it saved, and gives possibilities like Word 2000-2003, so perhaps it'll be alright. I'll let you know.

"I don't think I'm qualified."

Eh? How? The Salonistas are a pretty mixed up gathering of Real People, Imagined People, Imagined Creatures and - last but not least - Imagined Bots.

All of whom are of very different ages, very different religions, very different origins, very different opinioned, and very different what-ever-you-can-think-of-thingies.

"Don't push, I'm going."

See, that was exactly the one thing I was fearing - that you wouldn't feel welcome...

Nobody asked you to leave, no one will ever ask you to do so, and no one will ever push you, period.

In order to better understand why you feel this way, would it be OK if I asked you why?

Oh dear, I've blobbed again! Sorry , but this was intended as a mildly humorous gesture towards the comments on 'standards' which appear on the introductory page. Standards which I strongly support, as I think you know. It expressed a hope that I shouldn't disgrace myself in an unguarded moment, and a 'prepaid', so to speak, apology should I do so.
Nobody, repeat, nobody, has been other than utterly welcoming, but, as I was writing, I felt that my post was getter longer and less pertinent all the time. 'Don't push' was an acknowledgement of this impression.
Don't be cross. I'm honestly very, very happy with those whom I've met here. And I do enjoy the .
Dig

I'm relieved to learn that I misunderstood your posting!

But it was kind of you to worry about me , and for that I'm grateful!

Does your department of transport do starnge things? I'm about to launch a tirade, when I've collected my thoughts....

Department of transports?

Actually, in Stockholm we have a pretty all-covering net of public transportation (I've never owned a car) - but the accuracy of departures and arrivals varies enormously depending on which method of transport you choose.

I used to go to w*rk by commuter train but about two years ago there were such hideous delays and so many cancelled train departures that I changed my mind. We had a *real* winter that time and a lot of old trains still in use.

The problem with the old trains was that all the techie bits were placed underneath the carriage and would stop working when covered by too much ice - and the company responsible for said trains failed to de-ice the trains fast enough.

That's when I decided to go by commuter bus instead, to a large travel centre where I then change to underground.

I remember listening to a British lady who lectured about the differences between the UK and Sweden when it comes to everyday life. Some things stuck in my mind:

'My bicycle shed (in Sweden) is warmer inside than my flat in London!'

'At first, I laughed when I saw the Swedish bus time tables, with departure times like 5.34, 12.51 and so on - only to discover that yes, the bus *would* depart at exactly that time!'

Oh - and feel free to rant all you want! We all do it at some time, and Agapanthus is especially gifted when it comes to ranting in a very well worded and entertaining way.

'I used to go to w*rk by commuter train but about two years ago there were such hideous delays and so many cancelled train departures that I changed my mind. We had a *real* winter that time and a lot of old trains still in use.'

You've ruined my illusions!! I've always had this image of Sweden as a place where everything ran by clockwork, figuratively of course, and where all is perfectly organised. To see that you have similar problems to ours - though of course, they could *never* be so severe - comes as an enormous shock.

(Once again, I'm staggered by your command of this language. Sorry to go on about it, it must be terribly boring!)
Going to have a look at Agapanthus now...

Locating Agapanthus' best rants might be a bit difficult since she posts them in the Atelier thread and not in her journals.

We do however have an Atelier quote file, where variuos gems might be found:
<./>F38024?thread=1224719</.>