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

*whispers to IIEM: Do you have feelings?*

IIEM: Leave me alone!

I think he's having a midlife crisis. Or teenage depression. Or he realized he's a coffee machine. Or he doesn't like me.
I'm afraid he doesn't like me.
But who can possibly not like me?

Morning all (Wednesday NZ time). IIEM one fejoa tea please and my usual handfull of dunking gingernuts.

Sporky, that was a scurrilous untruth!
*Lil has been shaking rain out of her umbrella and anorak out on the back porch, eavesdropping shamelessly*
I merely asked you not to make suggestive remarks to it without changing the filters.

Gmornin Looney, notice we have another country heard from here!

I think Irv said that the IIEM serves us by removing drinks from the future. Every time we have one of those alabaster earthquakes -- may they never happen again -- I wonder if it's the future patrons of the cafe, coming back to liberate their drinks.

*wanders in, finally! makes self a coffee. Sits down*
Hello all. *throws biscotti up to Pierrot and buch of bananas to Ook*

OOK: ook!
PIERROT: Aawwkk. Biscotti. More!

No Pierrot, just because Garius isn't here atm, you cannot demand food all the time. Enjoy your snack and be happy!

PIERROT: Awk, spoilsport.

Indeed!
Ah Harry Potter. haven't read any yet.

G'afternoon Austria, sorry I never spotted you there in the corner.

Lil, I have invited Aussie cartoonist Wowbagger to join us. He's not a bad sort of a guy - for an Aussie. I may get him to design the cover of my new book - Zen and the art of teaching females how to identify vehicular motor parts.

For the info of some of the newer people gathering here at the cafe, the book is a prequel to my forthcoming book Zen and the art of battery maintenance.

LOL Hi Looney, howya doing? How is the day shaping up in NZ?

Who better than the great Wowbagger to properly diagram exploded diagrams?
But don't forget that you have a responsibility to write the prequel to the prequel, on finding the latch that opens the bonnet.

The animal count is getting considerable hereabouts. We started with one black horse. Greebo showed up briefly with Binky, and bludragon had her seal at foot, but neither of those worthies has been here in a great long while.

Now we have Mindspring the unau (resident at the Atelier), Ook the blue orangutan, Pierrot the parrot, a great ape out on the higher slopes of Mt. Sandeverest (who is shortly to be joined by 49 other great apes), a small herd of gnus out in the magic wood, and a penguin last seen in the company of Dr. John.

G'day Babel 17. Brilliant sunny but chilly day here in mid-winter NZ. I have been sitting at my computer watching a series of cats creeping along my neighbours house roof and then diving into my mulburry tree in vain attempts to catch perching sparrrows. Excellent sport.

I am glad I don't have any pets!
Who needs them here, when there is plenty to go around. Yes Ook I mean you!
Tea Lil?

Sorry Looney, you must have posted as I was typing.
Remind me if I am ever round your way not to perch in a mulbery tree
(last name is same as the bird in question!)
Well for summer it is pretty wet and windy here unfortunately.

Just starting on NZ TV. Episode 3 from the original series of classic 1960s British TV show about rag and bone men "Steptoe and Son". For the benefit of older readers it is the one in which Harold tries to get his dad to give up smoking. He then takes dad to a doctor for a chest xray to check if he has TB.

Best line so far? Will I have to change my underwear? Next best bit. "Have you had an xray before?" "No". "Yes you have, when the horse kicked you in the cobblers".

I vaugely remember that one. I was never a big fan, but they have been repeating them here again on BBC2. Also being repeated is Rising Damp (on channel4) with Leonard Rositter (Rossiter? can never remember) Personally I prefered the Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin.
They don't make sitcoms like they used to.

I remember Steptoe and Son! Wilfred Brambell and Harry Corbett. Brambell was sublime. Do you remember "Till Death Us Do Part"?

Tea will be great, Babel.

Looney, have you noticed a set of about 3 commercials advertising Discovery dot com? I am thinking in particular of the one with the two meteors. "Ahhhhhhh. Atmosphere. Ahhhhhhhhh..."

*pours tea for self, Lil and one for Looney just in case*
'Til Death us do Part' I remember. Alf Garnet!!!
I think I was a tad too young to understand it properly.
He just reminded me of my Grandfather, and young as I was, this was not good!! I just thought all old people were boring old farts, and that included most of my primary school teachers!

Twas Alf Garnett who uttered the classic line "Violence must not just be done -- violence must be seen to be done!" Of football hooligans...

*quaffs tea*

Ladies, gentlemen, orangs and parrots, I must turn in. I'll look forward to reading the backlog in the morning.

Reggie was a classic. I didn't get where I am today.... etc

Warren Mitchell was brilliant in "Till Death Us Do Part". British PM Tony Blair's wife Cherie is the daughter of Tony Booth who played Alf's son in the show. Interestingly that was one British programme the Americans did well when they copied the concept for a show with a name that temporarly escapes me. All In The Family?

Lil, I haven't seen the commercials. I do get the Discovery.com weekly email newsletter though.

Night Lil, sleep well
Well, Looney I didn't know that about Cherie!
Cigar Reggie? (sound of raspberry as Reggie gets up from chair, and again as he sits down)
Light Reggie? etc etc.
12 minutes late, leaf on the line!

Ah classic lines every one of them

Excellent. I am smiling just thinking about it while sipping my fejoa tea.

I always loved the concept of GROTT

Well, it is true what you said, Lil... but then again, why is there a sticker on him that says "Under no condition is one to change IIEM's filters- EVER" ? ? ?