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

Read the second one (post 20). I didn't know I'd posted the first.(post 19)
B***DY Newbies !!!! (He does grow on you)

Oh we all do that, sometimes three times.

In fact I never have been to Canada, although I have been close (Vermont). I suspect that if you have been to Newark it was merely to reach the airport, and you did not see much of New Jersey to think it was a place to ever return to except as passage to New York. Am I correct?

Your right d'E. Only spent two nights in Newark with a day in New York. A friend of our sons lived in Newark and worked in New York he knew that we were in Canada and invited us to do that. Our first view of New York was from a park in Newark a wonderful panorama the statue of Liberty to our right and the whole of New York spread out to our left, really spectacular at night.
A quick visit to New York. Up twin towers (what a tragedy), a walk down Wall Street a boat trip to the Statue from Pier 17. A truly great day.
From Newark we took the train to Pittsburgh to viiit an old friend of mine.
You must have been on a skiing holiday in Vermont.
Ancient Brit

A skiing trip in Vermont would make sense, but this was a summer holiday with my parents when I was moody teenager. The trip was dreadful, although the scenery is beautiful.

Ah, but I've been to Vermont on a ski trip. Never been to New York City or New Jersey. Actually, I may have passed through New Jersey on my way to Washington once, but that was probably when I was asleep during my co-driver's turn at the wheel.

Ah, the Elephant's arse. Lol. I'm not sure how many Canadians, even, know about that one. Have you heard about it d'E? Basically, if you turn a map of southern Ontario 90 degrees so that east is on the bottom, then the part of Canada between Lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario resembles and elephant, with the part near Detroit as the tip of the upraised trunk, and the part near Buffalo the front foot. The tail is the peninsula between Lake Huron and Georgian bay, and the spot just under the tail, where the "arse" would be, is the location of the town of Owen Sound. Kids love that interpretation.

That's two memory joggers that I've given you GL. Glad to be of service . I hape you don't use that word 'arse' when your telling the children about the elephant.
Motoring round the area of Lake Ontario is just like being at home there are so many familiar names,London of course but, Cambridge, Stratford, Waterloo, Flamborough, Ancaster, Grimsby, and Lincoln are all places that I am familiar with in England and there are many others. You should know too d'E that York is a wonderful 'Old' city in Yorkshire and we have a Newark (famous for brewing beer) not so far from where I live.
Enough geography.
See you Ancient Brit

There's also Paris and New Hamburg nearby. Kitchener (right next to the cities of Waterloo and Cambridge) used to be called Berlin before the second world war.

London has all sorts of things named for their British counterparts. The river that runs through London, Ontario, is named the Thames. Some of our major streets are: Richmond, Adelaide, Cheapside, Dundas, Oxford, York, King, Queens, Wellington, Hyde Park. Other main streets, which I don't know whether the names are of British origin, but which sound as if they might be, are: Fanshawe, Windermere, Highbury, Southdale, Wharncliffe.

And did you know that Toronto was originally named York? Some of the boroughs that go to make up Toronto are called Scarborough, North York and Agincourt. My grandmother lives in Toronto, very close to the Humber River.

You'd think that those who named all of these things could have been a bit more imaginative.

They were a lot of thick Brits GL. . I think a lot of Wolfe's army were from the old Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Regiments. It's a good job he beat the French or there would have been a lot more French names to get your tongue round. My home here in England is not far from the river Humber. Windermere is a lake in the Cumberland Lake District and Highbury is the home of the Arsenal Football team. What about Gariuslupustown or Ancientbritville, maybe a bit over the top eh!

Just for fun, I did a Google search for Garius. Discovered that in the early '80's there was a robot-like toy made that was called Garius.

http://www.artvilla.com/zoids/z1/garius.htm

Lol. Not quite a town, but more than I expected.

He's a great guy. Could give a whole new meaning to your home page.

Hello again.
I was given this the other day, thought you might like it.
I have also read with interest some of the earlier posts in '53rd Conversation' so I know that you are not unknown to Montana Redhead.
I hope you don't mind me directing her over here to read it
---------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the transcript of an ACTUAL radio conversation of a USA naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October 1955.
The conversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations 10-10-95.

Americans. Please divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid collision.
Canadians. Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid collision.
Americans. This is the Captain of a USA Navy ship, I say again divert YOUR course.
Canadians. No I say you divert YOUR course.
Americans. THIS AIRCRAFT CARRIER, US.S.LINCOLN, IS THE LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH ,THAT'S ONE-FIVE DEGREES NORTH,OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.
Canadians. This is a lighthouse. Your call.?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
d'Elaphant (and Zeppo, his dog) might see it here and Titania may forgive me.

Clearly the lighthouse should have moved.

Well, of course. Doesn't *everything* move for the US military?


Don't worry, AB. I *do* have a sense of humor!

I hate to burst your bubble, AB, but that account is fiction.

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/lighthouseandaircraftcarrier.htm

Look around that website - it is very interesting!

but it's funny. who cares if it's true or not? although yes, it does leave something behind if it isn't true.

I got sent to that site by a friend after I passed on an email about how a young Fleming (discoveror of penicillin, can't remember his first name) was saved by a poor Churchill's father. Fleming's father then offered to give Churchill's son (Winston) an education in return, which was accepted. Later in life, Churchill was saved from pneumonia by the penicillin discovered by Fleming. Made a great story. But, alas, it was also fiction.

Troll around that site a bit. There are tons of good stories like this. Some of them are even true!

...Hello there - hope you don't mind butting in

Inspired by AB's contribution, went searching for a few American vessels that had actually managed to collide with lighthouses, but found such events seem to be (disturbingly) commonplace. Gave up entirely when the site below revealed that one lighthouse was rammed seven times in a seven year period :

http://www.loraincityhistory.org/lorain_lighthouse.html

Mind you, this particular edifice IS on the Ohio shore of Lake Erie. Seem to remember hearing once that the good people of Cleveland once managed to set fire to their lake, so I suppose we shouldn't be too surprised...

Pin

Where was the Edmund Fitzgerald again? Was that on Superior?

Or am I overdoing it, quoting 70s songs?

Garius - The story came to me on my local golf course. It amused me and I thought that I could use it to try to improve my understanding of conversations in h2g2. I tried this with . I got quite a bit out of that exercise but upset some people in doing it. Sorry that you may find this a little boring but it really does intrigue me.
This thread was started by Titania (who seems to stick firmly to her policy of disownment). I jumped in way back around posting 7?. d'Elaphant (and Zeppo, his dog) interjected around posting 14. We had an interesting diversion up to my posting 31 the real purpose of which was to see if I could get others involved. Specifically Montana Redhead and Pinniped. There are now six participants it will be interesting to see if anyone else joins in and why.
I find your contributions to the thread very interesting and enjoyable but what about the first paragraph in posting 31 ?
Once again Garius I am sorry for mucking about in your space.
Titania I'm still pressing the correct reply button
Ancient Brit

Ah well... seeing as you've mentioned my name twice already AB, I thought it was about time I jumped into the conversation again, but don't expect me to stick to the topic... and I will continue to press the reply button in the *latest* posting!