From quigonginger at yahoo.com Wed Aug 3 14:00:56 2005 From: quigonginger at yahoo.com (quigonginger) Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 14:00:56 -0000 Subject: Database update and a million questions for everyone Message-ID: Ginger sneaks into the office. The room is dark and the only movement is the revolving disco ball over Boyd's desk. Of course, some desks are so piled with posts, that it's hard to tell if someone is there or not. Ginger reaches into her bag and pulls out a note. She hangs it on the notice board. "There," she says nodding, "Everyone will see that when they get back." She steps back to read it: *************** HELLO EVERYONE! Whenever you get back, or even pop in, I have a few questions for quite a few of you. I did a review of the databases, and I just want to make sure that I did everything right, so if you happen to pop your head in, would you check your desk for the little notes I'll be leaving? Just so we're all talking about the same thing, the main database (the one with all 4 sections where we can indicate whether we have finished the section or not) will be referred to as MDB (for main database). The itimized databases (the 4 seperate ones which list each category individually) will be referred to as IDB (itimized databases). The one on the page where we do our little clicky thing will be referred to as CT (cataloguing tool). I'm sure you'll all be thrilled to know that I've redone the IDB so it is now in order. I had to add 0's to things that were over 10 as they didn't read it right and got it all in the wrong order. I also added any new categories that have been added since it was last done. That list is now totally concurrent with the CT, except for a few tiny details that will be brought to Miss' attention. I found some discrepancies between the MDB and the IDB, so I'd like to ask people for some clarification. Please feel free to respond to the notes on your desks at your leisure. If you didn't get a note, everything is groovy. ************ Ginger nodded. On to the individual notes: (feel free to scan down to your name) ANNE Dear Anne, I know you are busy with Harry. I believe it was you who requested the additional headings under Harry. They have been added to the IDB, but I didn't want to be presumptious and add your name. Feel free to add it, or to request that I do it. Thanks, Ginger BOYD Dear Boyd, You seem up to your ears in DD. I don't remember if you requested the new DD categories, but they are now in the IDB. Feel free to sign in, or ask me to do it. Thanks, and boogie on, Ginger CAROLYN Dear Carolyn, In doing LV, I found that a couple of sections had been removed from the CT that were still in the IDB. I left them in the IDB. You may do with them as you wish. I added TTTR to the IDB, but did not sign your name to it. Also, there was a problem with Harry. THe parentage/ancestry was given a number that was already taken. In order to keep the IDB in order, I renamed it 2.05.01.5.7 in the IDB only. HIS SWORD is 2.05.01.5.8 to keep it in order. I am sure you will want to change them eventually. Also, DITCH PLUGS is in the IDB, but not in the CT under Draco. Is that intended? After you've had a rest, dear, Ginger DOT Dear Dot, I have you down for Beasts, Beings, Spirits and 3.08-3.8.3.1 (magic through wandless). Is this all correct? I also added Fridwulfa to the IDB. I didn't sign you up for her as I didn't know if you were aware that she exists. Feel free to sign, or have me do it. Keep filking, Ginger KATHY SNOW Dear KathySnow, I added SOPPY CHARM to the IDB, but didn't sign you. It's under Lily. Would you like to sign it or have me do it? Thanks, Ginger DICENTRA Dear Dicey, Oh, dear, I did a big booboo with your Good and Evil section. You were down on the MDB for the whole thing, but in the IDB you were down for just Good and Evil, and maybe a couple of the other subsections (except the one Sean did). I had added your name, but then I thought I'd better check with you, but then I couldn't remember if I had added your name to all the subsections or just some of them. Could you please check this out and get back to me? The subsections in question are: Religious influences, Wicca, Redemption, and LAMBASTING. I'm really sorry. I also have you on the MDB as doing Arabella Figg, but Kathy K is in the IDB under her. Have you figured this out between the two of you? Or is this something that needs to be addressed? Thanks, Ginger KATHY K Dear KathyK, I have you down for Group Dynamics on the MDB, and everything under that except Trio Dynamics and MWPP on the IDB. Were these added after you did that or were you planning to do them? I added your name to the MDB on several things that you had signed up for on the IDB, so I don't know if they are done or not. Could you let me know or sign them off there? Also, please see the last paragraph of Dicey's note above. Thanks, Ginger KATHY (Potioncat) W Dear KathyW, I believe you requested the addition of Students' Ages, Adults' Ages and DD's age. These are now in the IDB if you wish to sign off on them. Also, I have you down on the MDB for Personal possessions through toys/games. You are only listed for part of that in the IDB. It was mixed up before, so you may not have seen all of them. I'm just wondering if you intended to do all of it. If so, please referrence the IDB at your leisure and sign off or let me know if you don't intend to do it as I have a list of unsigned thingies (which I'll post later) and I'll add them to it. Thanks, Ginger GINGER Get a life, girl. You'll do anything to get mail, won't you? Love, Ginger From quigonginger at yahoo.com Wed Aug 3 14:06:23 2005 From: quigonginger at yahoo.com (quigonginger) Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 14:06:23 -0000 Subject: I knew I'd forget something Message-ID: Carolyn, the MDB is missing 1.01.4.2, spying and betrayal, which you are down for in the IDB. I didn't add it as I didn't know how many posts there were in it. Just letting you know, Ginger From carolynwhite2 at aol.com Wed Aug 3 19:46:32 2005 From: carolynwhite2 at aol.com (carolynwhite2) Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 19:46:32 -0000 Subject: Database update and a million questions for everyone In-Reply-To: Message-ID: --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "quigonginger" wrote: Ginger, officially now classified as a National Treasure queried: Dear Carolyn, In doing LV, I found that a couple of sections had been removed from the CT that were still in the IDB. I left them in the IDB. You may do with them as you wish. I added TTTR to the IDB, but did not sign your name to it. C - Ah, I think they were 2.10.1.0 Lord V/Possession and maybe 2.10.1.1 Lord V's agenda. I think I ditched them temporarily whilst I sorted out what topics I wanted to use. I'll reinstate some sections here once I've, um, finished the review. I've added my name to TTTR. Ginger: Also, there was a problem with Harry. THe parentage/ancestry was given a number that was already taken. In order to keep the IDB in order, I renamed it 2.05.01.5.7 in the IDB only. HIS SWORD is 2.05.01.5.8 to keep it in order. I am sure you will want to change them eventually. Carolyn: Anne - can you comment on this one? I can make the change to suit whatever you want. Ginger: Also, DITCH PLUGS is in the IDB, but not in the CT under Draco. Is that intended? After you've had a rest, dear, Ginger Carolyn: Isn't DITCH PLUGS a Draco theory? I think you reviewed Draco in the end, did you keep the theory or move it elsewhere? I have a memory somewhere of us discovering it wasn't actually a Draco acronym...? Ginger: Carolyn, the MDB is missing 1.01.4.2, spying and betrayal, which you are down for in the IDB. I didn't add it as I didn't know how many posts there were in it. Just letting you know, Ginger Carolyn: We ditched Spying and Betrayal as a category in MDB, and I've now taken it out of the IDB as well, thanks for spotting that. Muchas gracias for taking the time to do this! Carolyn PS: Just a note of further clarification - MDB = the database called 'Allocation of Review sections' IDB = the four databases called '1.Text analysis', '2. Character Analysis', '3. Wizarding World', '4. Other topics'. From quigonginger at yahoo.com Thu Aug 4 11:59:34 2005 From: quigonginger at yahoo.com (Ginger) Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 04:59:34 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [HPFGU-Catalogue] Re: Database update and a million questions for everyone In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20050804115934.72556.qmail@web30201.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Carolyn wrote: Ginger, officially now classified as a National Treasure Ginger blushes and wonders: Which nation? Ginger: Also, DITCH PLUGS is in the IDB, but not in the CT under Draco. Is that intended? After you've had a rest, dear, Ginger Carolyn: Isn't DITCH PLUGS a Draco theory? I think you reviewed Draco in the end, did you keep the theory or move it elsewhere? I have a memory somewhere of us discovering it wasn't actually a Draco acronym...? Ginger: Actually, it is a Draco theory, but the problem was that there was a typo in the CT and it was DITCH PLUGS, when it was supposed to be DITCH PUGS (Draco Is The Centre of Harry Potter Universe-Go Slytherin). I just now went back to message 1795 and discovered that we did indeed discuss that. We decided then to DITCH it because there was only one message and it just said what the acronym was. I forgot about that. Sorry. I'll delete it in the IDB. Carolyn: Muchas gracias for taking the time to do this! Ginger: You're most certainly welcome. It keeps me off the streets. And I get e-mail from actual people rather than just junk mail. Actually, I had fun. I know, I need a life. Ginger, off to look into writing a filk. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com Thu Aug 4 16:52:37 2005 From: spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com (dungrollin) Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 16:52:37 -0000 Subject: Database update and a million questions for everyone In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Ginger: > Dear Dot, I have you down for Beasts, Beings, Spirits and 3.08- 3.8.3.1 > (magic through wandless). Is this all correct? I also added > Fridwulfa to the IDB. I didn't sign you up for her as I didn't know > if you were aware that she exists. Feel free to sign, or have me do > it. Keep filking, Ginger Dot: Yep that's right. I signed myself up for Fridwulfa too. Filking's on the back burner for now, as I seem to have lost my sense of humour somewhere. > GINGER > > Get a life, girl. You'll do anything to get mail, won't you? Love, > Ginger If you need a distraction from all this hard work, try saying this with a German accent (replacing w with v and th with z): "A wizened wizard with a withered visage visited a whisky bar on whimsey, in the window was a winsome widow, whither this wizard whizzed." Dot From willsonkmom at msn.com Thu Aug 4 23:28:00 2005 From: willsonkmom at msn.com (potioncat) Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 23:28:00 -0000 Subject: Database update and a million questions for everyone In-Reply-To: Message-ID: > KATHY (Potioncat) W > > Dear KathyW, I believe you requested the addition of Students' Ages, > Adults' Ages and DD's age. These are now in the IDB if you wish to > sign off on them. > Also, I have you down on the MDB for Personal possessions through > toys/games. You are only listed for part of that in the IDB. It was > mixed up before, so you may not have seen all of them. I'm just > wondering if you intended to do all of it. If so, please referrence > the IDB at your leisure and sign off or let me know if you don't > intend to do it as I have a list of unsigned thingies (which I'll post > later) and I'll add them to it. Thanks, Ginger Kathy W: IIRC, someone else did DD's age and it was to be catalogued under Dumbledore. I will take a look at the IDB. The plan was to keep the other three ages together, but I'd have to go back and look at posts to remember "where" they were going. I will take a look at the IDB for them as well. I did not do toys/games before. You're right, I didn't see them. Why don't I finish that up. Take me off Magical Items 3.8.... etc...I'm sorry to say that when I first signed up for those I anticipated a little more free time in my life. I hadn't put my name in the database for them yet. The data base looks great! It's much easier to see which headings are together now. Great job!!! A box of your favorite Honeydukes to you. Kathy W. From willsonkmom at msn.com Thu Aug 4 23:47:24 2005 From: willsonkmom at msn.com (potioncat) Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 23:47:24 -0000 Subject: Database update and a million questions for everyone In-Reply-To: Message-ID: - > Kathy W: > > I did not do toys/games before. You're right, I didn't see them. Why > don't I finish that up. Take me off Magical Items 3.8.... etc... Me again: I just went to the two databases...wow, did I really sign up for all that? I don't mind, you understand...But for some reason I thought someone else had plants and food. So, if anyone did, speak now or I'll take it on. So to update, I'll continue with the items in 3.11--3.14 unless someone else had chosen them. I will not be doing the 3.8 headings. I won't be starting for a few days anyway. Kathy W. From quigonginger at yahoo.com Fri Aug 5 08:21:23 2005 From: quigonginger at yahoo.com (Ginger) Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 01:21:23 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [HPFGU-Catalogue] Re: Database update and a million questions for everyone In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20050805082123.29421.qmail@web30205.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Dot: If you need a distraction from all this hard work, try saying this with a German accent (replacing w with v and th with z): "A wizened wizard with a withered visage visited a whisky bar on whimsey, in the window was a winsome widow, whither this wizard whizzed." Ginger: I have enough trouble speaking plain old English with a Midwestern accent. If you want to hear something funny with accents: My mother was raised with a southern (US) accent, and has spent most of her adult life getting rid of it. It only comes out when she's mad or if she is trying to pronounce something in French. She took French in High School and that's how she learned it. I bet it would drive a true French person up a tree. Take care, Ginger __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kakearney at comcast.net Fri Aug 5 19:46:13 2005 From: kakearney at comcast.net (corinthum) Date: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 19:46:13 -0000 Subject: emailing this list Message-ID: Kelly jiggled her key in the side door one last time before angrily putting it back in her purse, kicking the door, and then stomping around the outside of the catalogue office to the front door. Entering the office, she finds it dark and empty; it seems everyone is still on book holiday. She scrawls a quick note and tacks it to the notice board, next to Ginger's database notice (thanks, Ginger, very helpful): "Anyone able to get here through the side, email-the-list-directly door, rather than the webpage? I've tried sending a few test messages to HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, but they seem to be lost in cyberspace somewhere. Seeing that I can't get to the front door from the ship, I was hoping to use the email access rather than constantly bothering Carolyn. P.S. Carolyn, I'm back in the US for two weeks, so if you haven't applied some of the review results I sent you, let me know and I'll do them myself. P.P.S Finished HBP this morning; are we waiting on anyone else for spoilers?" From carolynwhite2 at aol.com Sat Aug 6 12:13:14 2005 From: carolynwhite2 at aol.com (carolynwhite2) Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 12:13:14 -0000 Subject: emailing this list/Spoiler ban lifted In-Reply-To: Message-ID: --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "corinthum" wrote: > > "Anyone able to get here through the side, email-the-list-directly > door, rather than the webpage? I've tried sending a few test messages > to HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, but they seem to be lost in > cyberspace somewhere. Seeing that I can't get to the front door from > the ship, I was hoping to use the email access rather than constantly > bothering Carolyn. Hiya Kelly, good to see you back. Haven't the foggiest how to use the emailing feature, but one of the MODS, around here might know. (Shouting in CAPS to see if any of them notice and reply). > > P.S. Carolyn, I'm back in the US for two weeks, so if you haven't > applied some of the review results I sent you, let me know and I'll do > them myself. Feel rather guilty about this. I confess I have not yet had time to implement your lists. If you have time before you sail off again, that would be great! Could you also check our databases to see if you have been correctly signed off on the stuff you set out to do? Ginger has just tidied up and synchronised the two lists.. > > P.P.S Finished HBP this morning; are we waiting on anyone else for > spoilers?" Nope, you were the last, so I'm lifting the spoiler policy as of today. Cheers Carolyn From quigonginger at yahoo.com Sat Aug 6 12:21:42 2005 From: quigonginger at yahoo.com (Ginger) Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 05:21:42 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [HPFGU-Catalogue]Spoiler ban lifted In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20050806122142.15782.qmail@web30203.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Carolyn wrote: Nope, you were the last, so I'm lifting the spoiler policy as of today. Ginger: Welcome back Kelly! Snape is the HBP! DD dies! Filch and Trelawney are secret agents for the Royal Navy's Muggle Awareness Program (US edition only). Oh, boy, it's good to be spoiled. Ginger, 450 posts behind on the main list, and working on it. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kakearney at gmail.com Sat Aug 6 15:29:12 2005 From: kakearney at gmail.com (Kelly Kearney) Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 10:29:12 -0500 Subject: Testing, again Message-ID: <66a31d520508060829a08bf01@mail.gmail.com> For the third time, Kelly marches around the outside of the catalogue office to the side door. Pulling out her key, she sticks it in the lock, says a quick prayer, and turns... Just testing, again, please ignore. From annemehr at yahoo.com Tue Aug 9 14:48:19 2005 From: annemehr at yahoo.com (annemehr) Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 14:48:19 -0000 Subject: Database update and a million questions for everyone In-Reply-To: Message-ID: --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "carolynwhite2" wrote: > --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "quigonginger" > wrote: > Ginger: > Also, there was a problem with Harry. THe parentage/ancestry was > given a number that was already taken. In order to keep the IDB in > order, I renamed it 2.05.01.5.7 in the IDB only. HIS SWORD is > 2.05.01.5.8 to keep it in order. I am sure you will want to change > them eventually. > > Carolyn: > Anne - can you comment on this one? I can make the change to suit > whatever you want. Anne: Hi, I'm back from a long weekend away, picking up the last of my kids from her summer away and visiting Hershey Pennsylvania. Hershey makes an incredible chocolate-caramel bar with cappucino flavor with a real KICK to it. O.o Anyway, yes, I'll put my name down for all the Harry sections and check the parentage/ancestry section. It'll have to wait until later, though, after I do lots of laundry and sort through the mail... And let me add my thanks to the pile, Ginger, for all this work you've done! Anne, worried that if Dot has lost her sense of humor, then life will no longer be worth living From boyd.t.smythe at fritolay.com Wed Aug 10 14:24:18 2005 From: boyd.t.smythe at fritolay.com (Smythe, Boyd T {FLNA}) Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 09:24:18 -0500 Subject: Dumbledore Message-ID: Yep, he's still mine in all his sad glory. Or is it fierce joy? Wait, that's quiddich. Daft sincerity? Noble delusion? Grand humility? The answer lies within yourself, grasshopper. I'll finish my review of his categories in all my vaingloriously purblind deconstructionism. (Online thesauri are the deftest!) --boyd, who, when reading the main list, thinks often of the following exchange between master and student in the classic TV show Kung Fu Young Caine: "Of all things, to live in darkness must be the worst." Master Po: "Fear is the only darkness. Never assume that because a man has no eyes, he cannot see. Close your eyes. What do you hear?" "I hear the water. I hear the birds." "Do you hear your own heartbeat?" "No." "Do you hear the grasshopper which is at your feet?" Caine opens his eyes and looks down at his feet to see a grasshopper there. "Old Man, how is it that you hear these things?" "Young Man, how is it that you do not?" From kakearney at gmail.com Wed Aug 10 19:23:44 2005 From: kakearney at gmail.com (corinthum) Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 19:23:44 -0000 Subject: Symbolism categories Message-ID: I signed myself up to review the symbolism categories, which appeared to be still unclaimed. That should keep me busy for a while. I haven't had a chance to apply any of my previous reviews yet; I'll try to do some of that tonight, but probably won't get it finished as I'm heading off for a week vacation on my own time before again setting sail. I'll will make sure the category definitions are up to date in the "3. Wizarding World" database for all categories I've already completed. -Kelly From elfundeb at comcast.net Thu Aug 11 00:18:55 2005 From: elfundeb at comcast.net (Debbie) Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 00:18:55 -0000 Subject: Child Abuse/Equality&Fairness In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Debbie cracks open the door to the freshly cleaned catalogue office and peers inside. A skeleton staff is on hand, perusing the latest review list and marking off their selections in the margins. "I'm not ready for this yet," mutters Debbie, but before she can close the door again, Captain Carolyn swoops down, with Manager! Ginger at her heels, and pulls Debbie into the office. "What'll it be for you this time? How about a little Child Abuse?" she cackles evilly. "Ginger, please show Debbie to her new quarters." Debbie attempts to escape through the cracked door, but Carolyn and Ginger each grab one of her arms and they toss Debbie into the cupboard under the stairs to Kneasy's tower. It is pitch black inside, and she can hear the spiders scurrying about, but as she gets used to the darkness she realizes to her surprise that the interior of the cupboard has been transfigured into the Gaunt shack. "OK, I'll do it," Debbie shouts from inside the cupboard. "But only if I can extend my leave for a couple more weeks. I just finished my reread, and I'm thousands of posts behind on the lists." "Request granted," barks Carolyn, and pulls Debbie out of the cupboard. She shakes off a couple of spiders as she heads for the door of the catalogue office, but stops under the threshold and hands Carolyn a memo she's been holding. "Did you ever see my Equality and Fairness report? I finished this before HBP, but I don't think these changes have been made." Debbie --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "Debbie" wrote: > > Carolyn: > > > So, what this boils down to is splitting 1.1.5 between either > 1.1.7.1 > > (Child abuse/mistreatment) - that's for the bullying stuff, or > 3.2.6 > > (Racism & bigotry) - for the discrimination stuff? > > Yes, except that I'd put the bullying stuff in a separate subcategory > (primarily because I've already reviewed those posts, but have been > avoiding Child abuse like the plague). When the forest has been > properly thinned we can decide whether to merge them. > > I'm now finished with Equality and Fairness. Not having heard any > objections, I've done the following: > > 1.1.5 Equality and Fairness (was 115, will be 0) > I've moved the 10-15 posts that needed recoding, and the category > (1.1.5.) can be eliminated. > > 1.1.5.1 Inequality, Bullying and Discrimination (was 216, now 77) > I've removed all of the discrimination posts, plus assorted > repetition and irrelevancies. A few were recoded to 3.2.6. (Class > System, Racism and Bigotry) but most of the posts were already coded > there. This leaves 77 bullying posts. As I mentioned above, I > recommend that they be moved into their own subset under Parenting > and Child Development, rather than being merged into Child > abuse/Mistreatment for now. > > > I have actually said several times that 3.2.6 poses some problems > in > > overlap, so I am glad to see this happen. However... should we now > > move 3.2.6 up into metathemes, because it is such a major theme? > > > > DOUG - Oy! I know you are working on sections 3.1. - 3.2.6, have > you > > got this far yet, what do you think? > > I agree with moving 3.2.6 Class System, Racism and Bigotry to > Metathemes. It could be plonked right into the gap left by the > elimination of Equality and Fairness. However, I'd tweak the title > slightly to say Class System, Bigotry and Prejudice. > > As it's the last subcategory under 3.2, and it contains 406 posts > (including 9 posts I moved here from 1.1.5. and 1.1.5.1.), I'd be > willing to bet that he hasn't gotten to it yet. From carolynwhite2 at aol.com Sat Aug 13 17:20:17 2005 From: carolynwhite2 at aol.com (carolynwhite2) Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2005 17:20:17 -0000 Subject: Never tidy up... Message-ID: Miss Havisham staggers into the office, white and trembling. Many moons ago..like last weekend [mind tries to recall sequence of past events and fails..], I thought I'd have another spotlight put in my office, and get the room repainted. Chortling, or puffing, I spent the weekend emptying the room and finally gazed around the echoing cavern in triumph on Monday evening, thinking 'Tomorrow..Men..Paint...Progress...' but then my eye alighted on my main phone socket. Oh dear. It was in the wrong place. But as I frowned and pursed my lips a happy solution occurred to me. I'd have the line diverted to another set of wires over in the other corner, a now defunct second line. Giggling merrily I called BT and said 'can you do it?'. 'Sure', they repied, 'no problem, 9am tomorrow'. Any Brit reading this will know the danger signs, but did I heed them? No I did not. There then ensued a Kafka-esque routine that has alternately left me speechless and screaming - and just bear in mind that my entire flat has also been piled high with furniture and files from the room being decorated, the cats were totally freaked by said Men with Rollers, and the whole place is steadily covered in dust, sticky paint cans and endless dirty mugs.. BT, after leaving me without any phone access for two days finally explained that to transfer the line about 8 ft across the room, they would have to treat my account as though I had moved house. 'Fine', I said weakly, who cares, just get me set up again. Paperwork duly arrived in triplicate. But snaggette..although I could make calls again, no broadband internet connection. And approximately 4million calls later, I still do not, though I now have free dial up on narrow band, which has taken two days to sort out. Hey, but Richard in Ireland on AOL support is a star... Totters out of the office for a pick me up at the George. Watch out for some mega nasty theorising, stuff the love tripe on TOC at the moment. Carolyn From carolynwhite2 at aol.com Sat Aug 13 18:19:51 2005 From: carolynwhite2 at aol.com (carolynwhite2) Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2005 18:19:51 -0000 Subject: In non-PC mode Message-ID: Just picked this up from a website: http://www.venganza.org/ Enjoy From spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com Mon Aug 15 16:10:22 2005 From: spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com (dungrollin) Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 16:10:22 -0000 Subject: In non-PC mode In-Reply-To: Message-ID: --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "carolynwhite2" wrote: > Just picked this up from a website: > > http://www.venganza.org/ > > Enjoy I'm half-way through "How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World" by Francis Wheen; if you haven't already read it, I think you'd like it. Back in Africa again, and there's another bloody murder by witchcraft trial in the village at the moment. It's ever so depressing, and the poor old madwoman that they blame strange deaths on has confessed again. Thanks for the link, anyway, that cheered me up. Dot From carolynwhite2 at aol.com Mon Aug 15 19:56:51 2005 From: carolynwhite2 at aol.com (carolynwhite2) Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 19:56:51 -0000 Subject: In non-PC mode In-Reply-To: Message-ID: --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "dungrollin" wrote: > > I'm half-way through "How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World" by Francis > Wheen; if you haven't already read it, I think you'd like it. > > Back in Africa again, and there's another bloody murder by witchcraft > trial in the village at the moment. It's ever so depressing, and the > poor old madwoman that they blame strange deaths on has confessed > again. > > Thanks for the link, anyway, that cheered me up. > > Dot Carolyn: Haven't read it - I'll take a look on Amazon when I next do an order. He's one of Hoggart's regulars on the Newsquiz I think. As I live in Haringey, where poor little Victoria Climbie was tortured to death by her relatives because they thought she was possessed by the devil, your village in Africa doesn't seem so very far away. All covered up by black-on-black stuff within the social services department, ashamed to admit to white people that this sort of thing could happen in Britain. Plus there was that black boy's torso ['Adam'] that they found in the Thames, which they thought was a ritual tribal killing. If the woman has been accused before, is it likely she will get off again? Carolyn From spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com Tue Aug 16 09:14:32 2005 From: spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com (dungrollin) Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 09:14:32 -0000 Subject: In non-PC mode In-Reply-To: Message-ID: > Carolyn: > Haven't read it - I'll take a look on Amazon when I next do an order. He's one of Hoggart's regulars on the Newsquiz I think. > > As I live in Haringey, where poor little Victoria Climbie was tortured to death by her relatives because they thought she was possessed by the devil, your village in Africa doesn't seem so very far away. All covered up by black-on-black stuff within the social services department, ashamed to admit to white people that this sort of thing could happen in Britain. Plus there was that black boy's torso ['Adam'] that they found in the Thames, which they thought was a ritual tribal killing. > > If the woman has been accused before, is it likely she will get off again? > > Carolyn As far as I understood (which may not be very far) from a long phonecall last night, a young man got on a bus, apparently well; 3 hours later he was vomiting, and then died. Sounds like a haemorrhagic fever to me, but I don't know what the autopsy discovered - and it's kind of irrelevant to the villagers anyway, whatever the cause of death, the cause of the cause of death was witchcraft. All sorts of other absurd fakery later (and my patience wearing thin, though trying to be diplomatic) and the old woman has confessed again*. Apparently, whatever malign spirit is possessing her has bumped off 20-odd other people recently, and has declared Seraphin (the elder brother of the man who died and our field station technician) next. He is completely hysterical. Really and truly hysterical. Unfortunately the priestess of a wierd semi-christian cult (Dehima) at one end of the village has shown an interest in Seraphin and woke the chief up at 4am to say that she'd had a vision of him tied up. Her involvement is (IMO) entirely political - if she could convert Seraphin (who is right at the centre of the small animist enclave which is all that remains of the Baoul? indigenous beliefs in the village) it would be a real coup for the Dehima, and against the animists. I suspect that she's been after him since the last witchcraft nonsense which happened last summer. So she wants to convince Seraphin that she alone can protect him from this spirit. The upshot of all this is that we have a technician who is drunk and terrified and (obviously) not working. Mass hysteria is running high, and the village is waiting for a witch-doctor to come and exorcise the spirit. The divisions between the Christians and animists (though from a westerner's point of view their beliefs seem almost identical, it's just the rituals which vary) are deeper than ever. The old woman has been fined 4 crates of wine (somewhere in the region of ?40 - a fortune), and everyone is asking us for money (which they do all the time anyway) but not for malaria treatment or for rehydration salts or for schoolbooks for their kids, but to pay for a charlatan to kill a few chickens and ... well frankly I have no idea what he'd do, but I'd bet you anything it would really piss me off. I hide myself beind "How Mumo-Jumbo..." declare myself immune to sorcery (it is well-known not to work on whites), and wait for the sun to creep over the yard-arm, announcing the first gin of the day. It's such a fabulous *waste* of time and resources by people who are already dirt-poor. Dot who's sorry if you didn't want to know all of this nonsense, but she didn't know a way of shortening the story any further. * Actually they don't ever use the French translation of this, they always say "Elle ? recconu..." - she recognised/realised that she had used sorcery to kill someone. It doesn't seem to be a premeditated thing, which (I assume) is why she was only fined. From ewetoo at gmail.com Wed Aug 17 04:30:26 2005 From: ewetoo at gmail.com (ewe2) Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 14:30:26 +1000 Subject: Jasper Fforde is a naughty man Message-ID: <20050817043026.GA13269@4dot0.net> Is Comic Crime Fantasy an existing genre or has he invented it? Now I have to wait again. Argh. The Big Over Easy. All your favorite crime clichs and then some. Read it now. That is all. ewe2, avoiding all contact with eggs for a while. -- "I reject your reality and substitute my own!" - Adam Savage From carolynwhite2 at aol.com Wed Aug 17 06:36:29 2005 From: carolynwhite2 at aol.com (carolynwhite2) Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 06:36:29 -0000 Subject: Jasper Fforde is a naughty man In-Reply-To: <20050817043026.GA13269@4dot0.net> Message-ID: --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, ewe2 wrote: > Is Comic Crime Fantasy an existing genre or has he invented it? Now I have to > wait again. Argh. The Big Over Easy. All your favorite crime clich?s and then > some. Read it now. That is all. > > ewe2, avoiding all contact with eggs for a while. > > -- > "I reject your reality and substitute my own!" - Adam Savage Carolyn: It's good, isn't it? I started reading it at the weekend! I meant to start a third re-read of HBP, but um, got lead astray.. From spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com Sun Aug 21 10:13:52 2005 From: spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com (dungrollin) Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 10:13:52 -0000 Subject: Jasper Fforde is a naughty man In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Sean wrote: > > Is Comic Crime Fantasy an existing genre or has he invented it? Now I have to wait again. Argh. The Big Over Easy. All your favorite crime clich?s and then some. Read it now. That is all. > > > > ewe2, avoiding all contact with eggs for a while. > > > > -- > > "I reject your reality and substitute my own!" - Adam Savage > > Carolyn: > It's good, isn't it? I started reading it at the weekend! > > I meant to start a third re-read of HBP, but um, got lead astray.. Dot: Heh. It's been sitting seductively on my shelves for a couple of weeks now, waiting for me to finish a disastrously dull work-related tome. Gave up trying to resist. S P O I L E R S I love the idea of fending of a murderous armour-plated dinosaur-cum- Humpty-Beast by shouting "SOUFFL?!" at it. And is that Thursday overtaking ostentatiously at the bottom of page 161, or have I missed something? Dot From ewetoo at gmail.com Sun Aug 21 11:42:39 2005 From: ewetoo at gmail.com (ewe2) Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 21:42:39 +1000 Subject: [HPFGU-Catalogue] Re: Jasper Fforde is a naughty man In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <20050821114239.GA19404@4dot0.net> On Sun, Aug 21, 2005 at 10:13:52AM -0000, dungrollin wrote: > S > P > O > I > L > E > R > S > > > I love the idea of fending of a murderous armour-plated dinosaur-cum- > Humpty-Beast by shouting "SOUFFL!" at it. > And is that Thursday overtaking ostentatiously at the bottom of page > 161, or have I missed something? Oooh well spotted Dot. I liked the back-references to Jack's drinking habit and the flying boat. It's nice how he's expanded the "universe" by following up some threads from earlier books. ewe2, bored now he's read it all. -- "I reject your reality and substitute my own!" - Adam Savage From spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com Sun Aug 21 14:35:42 2005 From: spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com (dungrollin) Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 14:35:42 -0000 Subject: Jasper Fforde is a naughty man In-Reply-To: <20050821114239.GA19404@4dot0.net> Message-ID: S ' P O S E I O U G H T N O T S P O I L Sean wrote (a while back): Is Comic Crime Fantasy an existing genre or has he invented it? Dot: Try Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, (Douglas Adams). You'll enjoy the Electric Monk. I'm not a great fan of detective fiction though, I've just got a soft spot for clever things that make me laugh, so there may be more and better stuff around. Dot: > > And is that Thursday overtaking ostentatiously at the bottom of page 161, or have I missed something? > Sean: > Oooh well spotted Dot. I liked the back-references to Jack's drinking habit and the flying boat. It's nice how he's expanded the "universe" by following up some threads from earlier books. > Dot: Unfortunately I don't have WOLP with me to check the minutiae of how Caversham Heights evolved into TBOE, the idea is that Caversham Heights was unpublishable, and had to be rewritten isn't it? I didn't realise until the end that Lola and Spongg were the undeveloped characters (what were they called, generics?) lodging with Thursday in the seaplane, though I dimly remembered Arnold. Re- reads in the offing, I think. Definitely looking forward to The Fourth Bear. From ewetoo at gmail.com Sun Aug 21 14:50:43 2005 From: ewetoo at gmail.com (ewe2) Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 00:50:43 +1000 Subject: [HPFGU-Catalogue] Re: Jasper Fforde is a naughty man In-Reply-To: References: <20050821114239.GA19404@4dot0.net> Message-ID: <20050821145043.GB19404@4dot0.net> On Sun, Aug 21, 2005 at 02:35:42PM -0000, dungrollin wrote: > S > ' > P > O > S > E > > I > > O > U > G > H > T > > N > O > T > > S > P > O > I > L > > Dot: > Try Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, (Douglas Adams). You'll > enjoy the Electric Monk. I'm not a great fan of detective fiction > though, I've just got a soft spot for clever things that make me > laugh, so there may be more and better stuff around. Silly me. Of course DA predates JF. Mind you Dirk Gently is completely confusing until you realize he's just very careful. > Dot: > Unfortunately I don't have WOLP with me to check the minutiae of how > Caversham Heights evolved into TBOE, the idea is that Caversham > Heights was unpublishable, and had to be rewritten isn't it? I > didn't realise until the end that Lola and Spongg were the > undeveloped characters (what were they called, generics?) lodging > with Thursday in the seaplane, though I dimly remembered Arnold. Re- > reads in the offing, I think. Definitely looking forward to The > Fourth Bear. Yes I want to reread Something Rotten to sort it out in my head. Forgot about the Generics completely. -- "I reject your reality and substitute my own!" - Adam Savage From carolynwhite2 at aol.com Sun Aug 21 17:16:40 2005 From: carolynwhite2 at aol.com (carolynwhite2) Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 17:16:40 -0000 Subject: Jasper Fforde is a naughty man In-Reply-To: <20050821145043.GB19404@4dot0.net> Message-ID: --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, ewe2 wrote: > On Sun, Aug 21, 2005 at 02:35:42PM -0000, dungrollin wrote: > > S > > ' > > P > > O > > S > > E > > > > I > > > > O > > U > > G > > H > > T > > > > N > > O > > T > > > > S > > P > > O > > I > > L > > > > > Dot: > > Try Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, (Douglas Adams). You'll > > enjoy the Electric Monk. I'm not a great fan of detective fiction > > though, I've just got a soft spot for clever things that make me > > laugh, so there may be more and better stuff around. > > Silly me. Of course DA predates JF. Mind you Dirk Gently is completely > confusing until you realize he's just very careful. > > > Dot: > > Unfortunately I don't have WOLP with me to check the minutiae of how > > Caversham Heights evolved into TBOE, the idea is that Caversham > > Heights was unpublishable, and had to be rewritten isn't it? I > > didn't realise until the end that Lola and Spongg were the > > undeveloped characters (what were they called, generics?) lodging > > with Thursday in the seaplane, though I dimly remembered Arnold. Re- > > reads in the offing, I think. Definitely looking forward to The > > Fourth Bear. > > Yes I want to reread Something Rotten to sort it out in my head. Forgot about > the Generics completely. > Carolyn: I thought it was brilliant -wasn't sure to begin with, but he sustained the plot right to the end. I kicked myself for not thinking of Rapunzel after they found the 28ft hair (!). There's a kind of ruthless pathos to pregnant egg characters, don't you think? I mean, most women feel like exploding every month, but I like the idea of literally doing so as you produce your offspring. Cut out all this motherhood crap wouldn't it? Let JKR take it as an example of carefully-sustained multi-book plotting with dead clever jokes and limitless pastiche thrown in. Wonder if Voldy's thought of infecting the world with veruccas.. And Sean, I assume you have never visited Reading, or indeed Swindon? Trust me, they are *so* lucky to get this cool series dedicated to them. Basically, they consist of a series of appalling roundabouts, with some 1960s office blocks thrown in for a laugh. From ewetoo at gmail.com Mon Aug 22 01:49:41 2005 From: ewetoo at gmail.com (ewe2) Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 11:49:41 +1000 Subject: [HPFGU-Catalogue] Re: Jasper Fforde is a naughty man In-Reply-To: References: <20050821145043.GB19404@4dot0.net> Message-ID: <20050822014941.GC19404@4dot0.net> On Sun, Aug 21, 2005 at 05:16:40PM -0000, Carolyn White wrote: > --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, ewe2 wrote: > > On Sun, Aug 21, 2005 at 02:35:42PM -0000, dungrollin wrote: > > > S > > > ' > > > P > > > O > > > S > > > E > > > > > > I > > > > > > O > > > U > > > G > > > H > > > T > > > > > > N > > > O > > > T > > > > > > S > > > P > > > O > > > I > > > L > > > > Carolyn: > I thought it was brilliant -wasn't sure to begin with, but he > sustained the plot right to the end. I kicked myself for not thinking > of Rapunzel after they found the 28ft hair (!). There's a kind of > ruthless pathos to pregnant egg characters, don't you think? I mean, > most women feel like exploding every month, but I like the idea of > literally doing so as you produce your offspring. Cut out all this > motherhood crap wouldn't it? Heh. I am proud of myself for getting the Rapunzel clue, but the Jack Spratt/Jack and the Beanstalk clues were much cleverer. And how's that for a reworking of Humpty Dumpty? The mad scientist did it! Jack appears to be the only one who dimly suspects that there's a novel going on. But I didn't get the Lola and Spongg clue until Dot mentioned the Generics argh. > Let JKR take it as an example of carefully-sustained multi-book > plotting with dead clever jokes and limitless pastiche thrown in. > Wonder if Voldy's thought of infecting the world with veruccas.. Let's hope she doesn't throw in a Norwegian Blue eh? Beautiful plumage :) I actually groaned at that. > And Sean, I assume you have never visited Reading, or indeed Swindon? > Trust me, they are *so* lucky to get this cool series dedicated to > them. Basically, they consist of a series of appalling roundabouts, > with some 1960s office blocks thrown in for a laugh. Six to eight months from now I will likely have cause to, although I hope not. The British have been making jokes about Swindon for quite a while, but Reading is a new victim for me. I actually hope to see the good bits of london! ewe2, making growly penguin noises about a decent book to read now. -- "I reject your reality and substitute my own!" - Adam Savage From spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com Mon Aug 22 13:55:12 2005 From: spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com (dungrollin) Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 13:55:12 -0000 Subject: Jasper Fforde is a naughty man In-Reply-To: <20050822014941.GC19404@4dot0.net> Message-ID: > > > > S > > > > ' > > > > P > > > > O > > > > S > > > > E > > > > > > > > I > > > > > > > > O > > > > U > > > > G > > > > H > > > > T > > > > > > > > N > > > > O > > > > T > > > > > > > > S > > > > P > > > > O > > > > I > > > > L > > > > > Carolyn: > I thought it was brilliant -wasn't sure to begin with, but he > sustained the plot right to the end. I kicked myself for not thinking > of Rapunzel after they found the 28ft hair (!). There's a kind of > ruthless pathos to pregnant egg characters, don't you think? I mean, > most women feel like exploding every month, but I like the idea of > literally doing so as you produce your offspring. Cut out all this > motherhood crap wouldn't it? Sean: Heh. I am proud of myself for getting the Rapunzel clue, but the Jack Spratt/Jack and the Beanstalk clues were much cleverer. And how's that for a reworking of Humpty Dumpty? The mad scientist did it! Jack appears to be the only one who dimly suspects that there's a novel going on. But I didn't get the Lola and Spongg clue until Dot mentioned the Generics argh. Dot: I thought immediately of Rapunzel, but for some reason was convinced she was blonde. Didn't it go "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair?" Or am I being ditzy again? Oh ? and I found it. The Eyre Affair, p 278, as Thursday and Bowden are coming out of the patch of bad time: "The first occasion was on a road somewhere in the Home Counties. It looked like winter, and ahead of us a lime-green Austin Allegro estate pulled out from a slip road. I swerved and drove past at great speed, sounding my horn angrily." Carolyn: > Let JKR take it as an example of carefully-sustained multi-book > plotting with dead clever jokes and limitless pastiche thrown in. > Wonder if Voldy's thought of infecting the world with veruccas.. Dot: Unfortunately, I think they're attempting quite different things. Fforde chucks in little points that he's sure will be useful, but I'm not convinced he's sure when; I've never had the impression that the series is heading for a conclusion that he's had all planned out for ages. Which makes it easier for him, I think. JKR, on the other hand, has (perhaps foolishly) turned the whole thing into a game with her fans, so that we'll jump on such points immediately. Problem with JKR is it's difficult to tell the difference between red herrings, genuine clues, and (ahem) sloppy writing that seems to hint at stuff but is really just filler. And undoubtedly we'll be dead pissed off if the sloppy filler doesn't even turn out to have been a red herring (I'm thinking of Florence, and suchlike). Fforde can get away with bits of filler because he's never promised his fans red herrings. And personally, I reckon facial herpes is more Voldy's style. Dot From paul-groups at wibbles.org Wed Aug 24 03:56:20 2005 From: paul-groups at wibbles.org (kippesp) Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2005 03:56:20 -0000 Subject: connection down, but being worked on Message-ID: It seems that the phone guy cut the cable guy's line today. But there is a nice cable workman right now working on the problem. Impressive given that it is 11:00 pm! From carolynwhite2 at aol.com Sat Aug 27 19:49:36 2005 From: carolynwhite2 at aol.com (carolynwhite2) Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2005 19:49:36 -0000 Subject: connection down/have you fixed it?/OI YOU LOT In-Reply-To: Message-ID: --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "kippesp" wrote: > It seems that the phone guy cut the cable guy's line today. But there > is a nice cable workman right now working on the problem. Impressive > given that it is 11:00 pm! Miss Havisham stumbles blearily into the catalogue office. It's August Bank Holiday weekend, overcast, chilly and coming on to rain. She feels guilty for not being here in a while, and looks around at the dust and curling piles of paper, untouched in weeks.. 'I have an excuse' she whispers..'it's all BT's fault..I don't have my broadband back yet..and I'm, well, sulking...' 'And I've got a new job, and they seem to expect me to be at their stupid offices all day...' Pauses to reflect on the injustice of it all. 'And Kneasy's got his feet up on a beer crate watching the cricket..and it's all dead boring.' She decides to call the register, but answer comes there none, not even a whisper from Ginger who's onto her fourth re-read and having sinister thoughts at her folks' place. Annoyed, Miss Havisham winds up the tannoy: OI, YOU MISERABLE LOT, HOLIDAYS COMING TO AN END! THAT INCLUDES THE IT SUPPORT STAFF! WHAT'S ALL THIS RUBBISH ABOUT DIGGING UP THE ROAD..REALLY YOU ARE JUST REBUILDING YOUR COMPUTER FOR FUN, ADMIT IT.. She wanders off, muttering aimlessly, thinking of a suitable depth charge to send in Tim's direction. All excuses now void.. we need our interface or the whole project goes nowhere.. stomp stomp.. From ewetoo at gmail.com Sat Aug 27 21:00:04 2005 From: ewetoo at gmail.com (ewe2) Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2005 07:00:04 +1000 Subject: [HPFGU-Catalogue] Re: connection down/have you fixed it?/OI YOU LOT In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <20050827210004.GA31964@4dot0.net> On Sat, Aug 27, 2005 at 07:49:36PM -0000, Carolyn White wrote: > Pauses to reflect on the injustice of it all. I have to stay here all day in case a cleaner wants to throw half the kitchen out behind my back. At dusk I was seen scrambling about in a dumpster trying to retrieve my spatula and two saucepans. The government seems to think I don't need money what with the free accommodation I get for minding this mausoleum. The dog keeps sneaking off to play across the road because I'm a boring sod, I've lost the will to FILK, Jasper Fforde won't write me another book this week, and my best mate's mum won't let him borrow the car to come visit. I can't sleep and there aren't enough firefly episodes in the world to last until the movie comes out. And the catalogue site has been down for so long my browser's forgotten it. > 'And Kneasy's got his feet up on a beer crate watching the cricket..and > it's all dead boring.' I reserve the right to sulk about that too. > She decides to call the register, but answer comes there none, not even > a whisper from Ginger who's onto her fourth re-read and having sinister > thoughts at her folks' place. It's catching. > Annoyed, Miss Havisham winds up the tannoy: > > OI, YOU MISERABLE LOT, HOLIDAYS COMING TO AN END! This must be some new definition of "holiday" we haven't been told about. > THAT INCLUDES THE IT SUPPORT STAFF! WHAT'S ALL THIS RUBBISH ABOUT > DIGGING UP THE ROAD..REALLY YOU ARE JUST REBUILDING YOUR COMPUTER FOR > FUN, ADMIT IT.. There is a special hell reserved for those people. And people who design UI's. > stomp stomp.. I shall shuffle indignantly in my chair a bit. And drink coffee. ewe2, feel my penguin rage. -- "I reject your reality and substitute my own!" - Adam Savage From spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com Sun Aug 28 13:16:14 2005 From: spotthedungbeetle at hotmail.com (dungrollin) Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2005 13:16:14 -0000 Subject: OI YOU LOT In-Reply-To: Message-ID: > Miss Havisham stumbles blearily into the catalogue office... > She decides to call the register, but answer comes there none, not even a whisper from Ginger who's onto her fourth re-read and having sinister thoughts at her folks' place. > > Annoyed, Miss Havisham winds up the tannoy: > > OI, YOU MISERABLE LOT, HOLIDAYS COMING TO AN END! > > THAT INCLUDES THE IT SUPPORT STAFF! WHAT'S ALL THIS RUBBISH ABOUT > DIGGING UP THE ROAD..REALLY YOU ARE JUST REBUILDING YOUR COMPUTER FOR FUN, ADMIT IT.. > A burning sensation on her left arm wakes up Dungrollin (with a start and a snort), who was fast asleep at her desk. She rubs her arm; "She's calling us." Dung now has a perfect imprint of the lines and swirls of the wooden desk on her cheek, including one compass- gouged exclamation of "ADDS NOTHING NEW!!!" in mirror-letters, carved by some frustrated and now long-gone cataloguer in days of yore. Some other poor foolish enthusiast who must have also fallen for Miss Havisham's practised patter and careful flattery, yet managed to escape, apparently with their life, if not necessarily their sanity. Dungrollin gazes hopefully out of the window, and savours that last word again. Sanity. Hmm... She grabs a post-it note and scribbles: "Dear Miss, I have got a big fat horrid PhD viva in <> 9 days. Will call you when the hangover subsides. Best, Dung." Dungrollin sticks the post-it note to Miss's computer screen, glances at the inexplicably shuffling penguin in the corner glaring at a half-empty cup of coffee, and then legs it out of the window after her sanity as fast as her legs will carry her. From carolynwhite2 at aol.com Tue Aug 30 19:44:37 2005 From: carolynwhite2 at aol.com (carolynwhite2) Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 19:44:37 -0000 Subject: Normal service resumed.. Message-ID: You'll be pleased to know that Paul has the catalogue is up and running again at long last.. Carolyn From quigonginger at yahoo.com Wed Aug 31 14:58:30 2005 From: quigonginger at yahoo.com (quigonginger) Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 14:58:30 -0000 Subject: Almost there Message-ID: BUGGERIT! Oh, that's hot. The next time I try to make a Protean charm on something, I'm adding less Essence of Chad Everett. The office echoed with the rantings of Ginger, now fully awake and aware that the site is back up. Chuckling gleefully, she went to "favorites" and clicked on the catalogue tool. She read the rest of her "portkey" posts, made notes and started to uncode. She clicked the first one and waited. And waited...and waited...and waited. Something was amiss. Dratted dialup. Dratted slowerthanmolasses computer connection. Ginger sighed. Perhaps later. Yes, this has happened before, and turning off the computer and letting it sit awhile seemed to work then. A Miss was something. She had sounded reville, but no one had jumped. Perhaps she would feel lonely if no one checked in? Ginger shouted across the office towards Miss' desk. "It's OK, Miss! I'm here! I only have to uncode/reject 60 posts from portkeys and I'm done with my Magical Travel category. I'll try later, and get back to you. Hang in there! We'll get this boat sailing if it's the last thing we do!" Ginger wondered if she ought to say a few encouraging words to the rest of the staff, but figured she ought to produce a few results of her own first. Heading off to bed, Ginger consoled herself with the notion that if she finished first she would have the first pick of the remaining categories. Cheered by this thought, she headed off to dreamland. Ginger, hoping the Southerners from our US contingency are all OK.