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

They say there's always one around when you don't want one...

It would be against the spirit of this one to get all picky. But when I read the first two sentences, I thought 1)Something can be certain and imminent without being expected and 2)I wouldn't think suicide is particularly enjoyable.

funny and factual. i like it.

*arrives fashionably late*

Good work on this, very funny and informative

Ok, down to business. Typos! (I know some of these have been mentioned, but you have may missed 'em )

Yes it’s certain and imminent, but so what. --> question mark not full stop

Literature a movies --> and movies

And when you factor in the ability --> remove the And, please, it's not good grammar and not really needed

cloths askew --> clothes askew

If you’re faced with sudden death you can’t exactly go change your cloths --> where did that 'e' go again

Finally,

not the least because you have those moments of --> I don't think the 'the' needs to be there, just 'not least' would suffice

Eep! For ease etc...

Entry: What To Do in the Face of Certain and Imminent Death - A17216697
Author: Leo - a closed mouth gathers no foot - U519437

Thanks, all. I finally tidied everything up.

Fordstowel: I couldn't come up with any creative solutions to being someplace nobody will understand you, so unless the folks here concoct something, I slipped it in with the 'if you're alone at the time' part.

King Bomba: I figured 'in the face of...death' means that you're facing it, therefore know about it. I also qualified the suicides: 'except in the case of some suicides.'

Thanks, all.

Interesting how much more attention this gets than the one about panhandling in NYC. Is it more applicable?

Hi, Leo:

I think it's just because more people expect to someday die than to go to NYC on the cheap!

I wonder if a hitchhiker could pay their way through NYC by panhandling during rush hour? Now *that* would be great for the Guide.

I loved it! Made me laugh a few times and smile for the rest.

I agree with Bomba about the suicides thing - it can be what you want without being enjoyable.

Great job Leo!

Alright, another modifier added to the suicide line. Vaccilating about taking it out altogether.

Anything else?

Fantastic! This is one of the best entries I've read in PR for ages.

For the religions part, apparently Sikhs may comfort themselves by saying "waheguru", which is apparently a confirmation of their faith.

Great stuff, Leo!

Catholics like to have priest with them for some prayers [a priest]

Erm, I agree with Pimms about 'unfun' - do you think something like 'less grave' would be more appropriate?

Wondering how can there be any empirical confirmation of "Dying is rarely fun"? How can we tell?

Wittgenstein A1024156 decided against suicide when he realised that at the last moment he would have to rush his own defences, and there seemed to be something wrong or at least inelegant about that.

playright => playwright [Chekhov]

Good entry, happy subject.

"Don't panic...42...urk--"

In Try to Prevent it section the phrase 'fall off a cliff' jars with the footnote about 'running back on'. You can't run on to a cliff (into yes, not on to, which implies Spiderman skills).
Possibly change first phrase to 'fall over the edge of a cliff'

Had Leo written '*Death* is rarely fun', I would agree with your point. However, 'dying' is another matter, isn't it?


Ah, but cartoon characters can .

Where does dying begin? "They give birth astride a grave . . ."

Ah yes - that TV advert that got banned for being too disturbing...

Can we have more examples please in this so-far excellent entry. The gloom-ridden and the Beckettians among you, we bessech you all to come up with real-life examples: when was someone famously graceful or dramatic about their own death; who managed to leave a poignant farewell note; who made sure that they would be found; who brought the sucker down with them.

It might be worth looking at Buddhism, the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan book of the dead etc, all in their way espousing a belief that life is in fact a preparation for the actual moment of one's own death. Then there's art and what it has to day about 'What To Do in the Face of Certain and Imminent Death', from the aforementioned Sam Beckett to Russian film-maker Andrei Tarkovsky.

A good entry this; but could we make it a classic?

I read a good one yesterday whilst browsing wikipedia...

Albert Pierrepoint was Britain most prolific Chief Executioner he is credited with hanging somewhere in the region of 433 men and 17 women during his 24 year career. He was the hangman in many famous cases such as Dereck Bentley's hanging...http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/A9115229

He was in charge of the post war hanging of Lord Haw Haw and the last women to be hanged in the UK Ruth Ellis. He executed over 200 Nazi's after the Nuremberg trials and is credited with the fastest hanging ever; James Inglis' which took only 7 seconds from the cell door opening to the trapdoor being sprung.

However even the greats of their chosen professions have to start somewhere. The first hanging that Albert presided over as Chief Executioner was of a gangster called Antonio Mancini at Pentonville prison, on 17th October 1941. Antonio's last words as the trapdoor sprung open were simply "Cheerio!"

It will be hard to find real life examples of how people have coped with imminent death - it doesn't leave a person much time to tell others much who can pass it on.