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

To Mustapha; No, but co-incidentally 'Foucault's Pendulum' by Umberto Eco is truly one of my favourite books. Any link between the two?

Different Foucaults! but I'm sure Umberto Eco may have found the allusion to contemporary semiologist Michel Foucault amusing. Coincidentally, Pendulum is my favourite novel too!

Rather Madness & Civilization is an interesting look at the diagnosis and treatment over the centuries (which I believe Foucault may have had his own experience of).

If you're looking for a connection between Pendulum and another book, then I suggest you try The Holy Blood & The Holy Grail by Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln. I firmly believe that Pendulum is a spoof of that book, or at least uses both its structure and content in true postmodernist fashion.

Diagnosis & treatment of madness, you understand.

Hows it going guys? I'm working on another article for the Society. It's on Dante, and it's a bit longer than the Brian Boru one, but it's all relevant. I just started it yesterday, so I might not finish it today. I'll try to have it by Friday if possible. There is an existing (unapproved) entry on Dante that I found when I searched, but all it says is something like "Medieval poet. Wrote a story called The Divine Comedy which is considered a masterpeice, but is really just a man whining about his life." Mine's a bit better.

A tad more informative perhaps?

I have the history of 'The Brassiere' on http://www.h2g2.com/A262676

It may not be very informative, but it is quite accurate. The Divine Comedy is basically a list of people he likes or dislikes, loosely woven together with this nonsense about a woman he totally failed to get off with.

I hope that doesn't mean you prefer that article over the one I am writing! I have already worked at least four hours on it (between researching and actual writing). It includes an extensive history of his personal life, a section on the Commedia, as well as a summary of some of his other works. I'm writing it specifically for the Society, and I will be disapointed if you reject it just because you don't like the man. By the way, does anyone know the exact English translation for the title "De Vulgari Eloquentia"? I can't find it anywhere.

Fear not, brave Zarquon! I certainly *wouldn't* exclude any Entry for that reason. I may choose to include both Entries, as long and short versions.

As for whether or not I like the man, I really can't say that, since I never met him. I can say that I have read Divine Comedy from cover to cover, not because of any course I've been on, not because some professor said I had to, but because I felt I *should*. I read through his top ten lists of "People I'd like to see burn for eternity", "People who would've been my friends had they still been alive", and through all the intrusive footnotes (which I found quite interesting from a historical standpoint), so I think I'm entitled to my *opinion*. As is the writer of the other Entry.

And this just a guess, but De Vulgari Eloquentia could be translated as [Of] Common (or Vulgar) Eloquence.

I never doubted you Mustapha. I did check the translation of the individual words, but I don't think that's it. "Vulgari" refers to the vernacular. I thought maybe someone would know the translation for that specific work. I intended to work on it some more earlier, but things came up. I had a frustrating day, and the part I'm doing right now is rather tedious, so I might not finish it tonight.

By the way, Bran, if you're reading this, I commented on your Viking article a few days ago. Since you don't get notified automaticly, I thought I would tell you here in case you wanted to reply. It's very good and professional looking. You really must publish some of this stuff. I hope you realize that h2g2 allows you to publish anything you wrote here without paying them royalties. I think I may h2g2ize some of the stories I write, so I can get some input.

Just to clear things (so I don't look like an idiot), "Common" as I was using it, was meant to refer to the vernacular, or the language of the 'common'-folk.

It's finished!

http://www.h2g2.com/A265899

I actually got a comment before I was finished! He called it "brilliant" but considering that his Researcher name was "Alighieri" he might have been a little biased. Anyways, let me know what you think. It's rather long, I admit, but there was so much that needed to be said. Good Night!

With any luck you'll be able to get on his Paradiso list.

Yeah, he's already on it.

And as my list is open to non-Christians it means the competition is more fierce than the other Alighieri's!

Hmmm, haven't been here for a while.
Any interest in the new Watership Down entry by me?
http://www.h2g2.com/A260353
There's also one by me on The Secret Of NIMH that's on today's front page, but I'm not proud of it.

Hmmm, yes, just need to think of a section to put films and the like. A number of tv show Entries I've put in their countries of origin, but movies would be a different matter.

NIMH was actually a fave book (and the film of course) as a youngster. I only saw Watership once I think.

Well if we're about to open a Movie wing there are a lot of entries out there Mustapha, including one or two of my own which I just haven't posted here yet.

The Citizen Kane article http://www.h2g2.com/A253757 is pretty historical, cause it talks about what was going on during the filming and release with Hearst. It's also a very good article. And I'm sure I'm not favorably biased, because I was disappointed with that movie. Everyone says it's the greatest movie ever made, but I disagree. It's good, but not the best. For ingenious use of film techniques, watch Alfred Hitchock's "The Birds". That is the only movie that I ever found truely terrifying.

I'm getting off topic now, so I'll digress. I've decided to to specialize in biography as far as history articles go. Tonight I'll start an article on Adam Clayton Powell Jr, a controversial congressman who shook up the system when the House tried to expell him.

After that, I want to write one about you, Mustapha, the man who made this all possible. Please let me know whether you approve or not. I would ask you a number of questions, and try not to get too intrusive. Even if you agree to the interview, you can refuse to answer any specific questions. Even if you don't think it's historical enough for the Society, I want to do it on my page so everyone interested can read it.

Surely it would be best to leave the films and such, as in individual ones, to a film society? Else you never know, we'd end up having hte entire Guide in under the wing

Good point. Almost everything can be described as a having some historic value. Alternative types of histories are great for h2g2, but maybe we should set up a few guidelines, like maybe:

1. Articles must contain more factual information than opinion.
2. Articles must contain some information about historical events related to the subject, not just describe something.
3. All articles written by Zarquon must be accepted without question.