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

http://www.h2g2.com/A428320

I'm looking for creative and/or constructive advice. So on and so forth ... Be gentle?

Great article. However, there is the usual comment about using "you" and "I" in the article; it's preferred to use the third person.

Also, an additional thing one can do with CDs is to microwave them. Stick them in the microwave on "high" for 3-5 seconds, and they will spew out sparks for a half-second, and leave an interesting fractal pattern on the back. Usually we have our finger on the "off" button because as soon as the sparks are done flying, the CD starts to burn and smell REALLY bad.

As for skeet shooting, this is easier said than done. CDs catch the wind easily, are difficult to throw (not like frisbees at all), and almost impossible to see when flying through the air. Me and my friends tried it once, and we didn't hit a single one. I suppose it would get easier with practice, but I would rather spend a few dollars and buy real clay pigeons.

Wampus

Microwaveing cds?? cool i have a spare microwave so i am gonna try this tomorrow.

Me and a few friends played catch with a couple of cds once, none of us could catch them until 1 of my friends dived stuck his hand out to catch the cd, and promtly cut his hand across 4 fingers. So I have to recomened never playing frisbee with cds, unless u want dont wan to play piano

Excellent article, definitely worthy of inclusion in the edited guide.

I would, however, consider some quantitative editing (i.e., cutting out chunks) of the first half -- we really don't need to hear that much about how to get AOL CD's. Frankly, if I had come upon this one randomly, I probably would have moved on to another entry after the first couple paragraphs and never seen the INCREDIBLY COOL AND AWESOME second half of the article -- the part that really focuses on *what* to do with your plethora of AOL CD's.


mikey

Yeah, no one needs to be told HOW to get an AOL cd: I think every man, woman and child on terra firma has already been issued several. You get 'em whether or not you even want 'em. As for the best use: furniture coasters; "drinkies" coasters; frisbees ONLY to throw because who would ever want to catch an AOL cd anyway; I shot-up a few, but they were already on the ground (hee hee); Love the microwave idea but already had done it; EVERYONE I hope has already seen them used as wind chimes--Boring!; I've run over quite a few but not intentionally (darn); I do know a woman who makes wonder art from the shinny side of the cd, with a UV light and proper placing you can get kewl colourful reflection patterns sort of a spectural prisim. But heck, let's get real. The best use of an AOL cd is to erase it then perhaps figure out a way to download some mp3 onto it!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! Thats exactly what i needed to know. I will make some changes and let you all know. I'll add the microwave one and a couple others I have thought up over the last couple days. Thanks again!

Okay ... I've edited /updated the article? How is it now? Again, thanks for the suggestions and stuff.

Looks good to me, although I might be biased since I'm a referenced researcher.

Well, the microwave idea was yours ... so its only fair.

Looks a lot better to me -- the "handouts" one is by far my favorite. I really don't have any more concrete suggestions at this point.

I agree, the "handouts" section cracked me up. The only suggestion I have is for a grammar check in the first paragraph, second sentence. "It is quite likely that...every person came into the possession of..." Maybe try "has come" instead of "came."

Another use for CD's is to make them into clocks. Craft stores generally sell supplies for this, including clock hands, numbers, and of course the mechanical part, which is operated by a AA battery or two. I've not done this myself, but I did receive as a present a CD clock, and I must say it looks really nice in my computer room.

Nice article, shame the title limits it to AOL CDs. I've got AOL, BT Internet, various other ISPs, assorted mail-shots from companies trying to get me to buy their 'How to use a PC' publication (I'm a software engineer, goddam it!)... The list is endless.

I can't help but notice a very close resemblance to Peregrin's article on Free Internet CDs:
http://www.h2g2.com/A273836

::grumbles:: Figures ... and here I thought I had an original idea for an entry. Oh well ... maybe my article can be intigrated into that one.

I mentioned to Peregrin that this one existed, and he said he didn't mind if the articles merged...

Don't worry, I've done the same with an article before... Written one no-one could have thought have, and they had.

2 points - when microwaving place a glass of water in it to absorb the rays and prevent damage also cover interior light.

Also collect 200+ CDs and run a small flouresent tube in the centre the light effect is brilliant (apparently - I am still about 50 short to test this)

CH

Is that to say that we should put a glass of water in the microwave with the CD, or put the CD in a glass of water, or put the glass on top of the CD?

Just a glass in the microwave - best place the CD on top.

Enjoy.

CH

I agree with C Hawke. It is important to have some water in the microwave oven to absorb the rays when you are microwaving anything which isn't going to absorb them. Otherwise the microwaves bounce around inside the oven and eventually get back into the gizmo that made them, damaging it.

A good use for these CDs is as decorations on the outside of a Hallowe'en robot costume.

And the mobile's are even more beautiful if you take a ratchet to scratch some random pattern into the silver side of the CDs!