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

While my laptop's off being repaired , I only have hootoo access here at w*rk. This means I won't have nearly as many chances to talk to people; I'll have to wait until there's nobody behind me... I just thought I'd mention this, in case anyone thinks I'm ignoring them at any point.

I don't know how long the laptop will be out of action, and I don't know how much the fix will cost either... but that's a separate issue. Anyway. Having finally gotten a hootoo-only email account, I don't have access to it, so anything that anyone's sent to that account will just have to mount up for a while. What a masterpiece of bad planning, on my part.

Aw..it's hard being separated from one's baby, er computer. It will be back home before you know it . And I don't think anyone here would accuse you of mean-spiritedness, so no worries

Psst! Ivan, if you're not already using the Plain skin, I'd definitely recommend using it at w*rk since it uses the same background/font colours as your Windows' settings (if you're using Windows, that is)

You need to *be* in Plain skin to be able to choose it in Preferences - try this link:

<./>UserDetails?skin=plain</.>

Traveller in Time on his head
"Or use brunel, Tools/options/accessibility ignore colors."

Thanks for the tips. It's unfortunate that the things I'm supposed to look at here are mostly speak, and a page of decent English will be noticeable at any time...

What is your job Ivan? If you want we could all go into txt spk and then you'd be looking at gibberish and people wouldn't be able to catch you out

/**************************************
/*
/* Traveller in Time on his head */
/*
/**************************************

Const
SPK = "Do you not have to make reports?";

My job? I design systems, subsystems and other things like that, with the intention of detecting welfare fraud. I don't write the code, I just determine what it should do; then some techo writes lots of code (in M204, if anyone's at all interested) and stuff and I have to review it...

I also have to plough through stats on compliance projects and the results of enforcement activities.

(How's that for a meaningless answer?)

The fact that I have a degree in Modern Standard Chinese and East Asian politics seems sadly irrelevant.

No, I don't like my job. I'm coming to believe that it's morally indefensible in some aspects.

Jeez, Ivan. One thing to work doing something you hate - quite another to do something that doesn't sit well with who you are. Maybe you might consider a change, you know, before it sucks your soul away?

Nyss, I am looking for other work, but I qualify for long service leave in September, and I'll be damned if I'm going to miss out on that. (Three months' paid leave - that's my pound of flesh for ten years of irritation. Ten years ! ) If I move to another government agency I can take that entitlement with me, but if I leave the public service before ten years is up I lose the lot.

After ten years of this organisation (not always in this dreadful job), I'm keen to try the private sector - also known as the 'real world'...

Any fantastic ideas yet for how to spend that, er, pound of flesh?

Hi Ivan!

Which skin you use on h2g2?

*wonders why she makes so obvious mistakes in grammar *

Hati, I use Brunel, but I've tried all the skins at one time or another. The thing is, they all look nothing like any screen I am *supposed* to be using...

Here, have a hot drink. Medicinal.

Nyss, I'm not sure what to do with my three months when I finally get them. If I don't use them they will accrue an extra nine days a year, and I'll be entitled to a cash payout if I quit. Of course I could also take the time off and use it to find another job. I'll think about this for a while...

*sips *

The plain skin looked the most innocent for me. Then again, I did a bit different w*rk, I guess.

I just got the quote for the repairs to the laptop. New hard drive $300; labour $99 per hour. If it helps, the full cost would work out to maybe 170 or 180 quid.

But I thought it would be worse than that, in all probability.

The main thing is that I should have the thing back by the weekend - and there's a public holiday on Monday, so guess what I'll be doing in my holidays... Escaping from RL, that's what. See you then!

Ivan.

I won't have my laptop this weekend after all... some spare part or other hasn't turned up at the workshop... This is so irritating!

Well, b**gerrrrr! That's really too bad, Ivan. Sometimes I wonder if the cost of repairs is worth it, though of course a new laptop would cost considerably more than 200 quid. Do you trust your repair guys? Call me paranoid but I would probably worry about them sticking in something that would make it necessary for further 'repairs' within, say, six months or so.

Anyhoodle, you will be gone for yet another weekend, but certainly not forgotten. Also, it will give you a bit of a chance to remember what RL is!

hasta pronto!

az