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

Hey Bluebottle! How's everything?

Oh, I have another thing to add to the list of things there needs to be more of: Spring months. Another idea: more Canon in D by Pachebel.

Good ideas - when I get back into full H2G2 mood, I'll add them
So, how've you been?

<BB<

Hmm... been pretty good for the most part, despite the general roadblocks of having to be alive. Got accepted to college/univeristy-- Radford University. Beautiful place, and they want me in honors as a freshman. I'm estatic.

So, how're you?

Congratulations on that! Hope you have a great time there!
Me? I'm not doing that much at the moment, just living as normal, pretty much. Working hard to pay off my ever-increasing debt, and going Doctor Who mad. That's all I've really got to tell you, depressing, isn't it?

<BB<

Not that depressing. I can think of several more depressing things. Just not ones that I care to at the moment.

Hmm... Dr. Who mad... what exactly is that ailment?

Doctor Who is a British science-fiction TV series that started in 1962 and ran uninterupted until 1989, with over 600 episodes. But since then, not a lot has happened except a TV Movie in 1996, and eternal rumours of a return. I'm surprised you've not heard of it - has no-one ever mentioned Daleks to you?!

<BB<

I've actually heard of Dr. Who... the Sci-Fi channel plays episodes in sydnication once in a great while over here, though I rarely get a chance to watch the channel, much less an episode. (Besides, it's probably while I'm supposed to be asleep...) Never seen it. *braces for shocking gasps of horror* Really. My family's more Trek and Star Wars and so forth oriented as far as sci-fi goes.

So comes the obvious question... what's a Dalek?

*Returns with more Doctor Who information*
Total number of episodes: 698, with a TV Movie and 2 feature films.
It was the longest running non-stop drama series world-wide.
I suggest you take a look at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A215993
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A395723
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A356825
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho
and you'll see some pictures of Daleks and find out a bit more.

The plot was quite simple and quite complicated, but involved a Time Lord known as "The Doctor" (who could regenerate after he died and so was able to live 13 lives...) travelling in a TARDIS, a machine capable of travelling through time and space and appearing as anything to blend in where-ever it is (although it was normally a police-box). The Daleks were a race of cybernetic aliens that first appeared in 1963, and essentially want to exterminate, exterminate, exterminate all other life.
Watch it if you get a chance - it's great.

<BB<

Niftiness... I'll have to check my TV guide listings for it... (though God knows, it'll probably be on at three in the morning on a Sunday--> Monday night)

Oh, and there's the Douglas Adams connections too..
Douglas Adams wrote 3 Doctor Who stories (2x 4 part, 1 6 part that had filming interrupted by a strike).
He was also the Script Editer during season 17, and included a few "Hitchhiker's" references into it.
Also, his novel "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" was based in part on his 6-part Doctor Who story ("Shada"), and "Life, The Universe And Everything" had originally been intended to be a Doctor Who story called "The Krikketmen".

<BB<

I seem to remember reading about that in my copy of the h2g2 books...

Hey, what's up with the name change? All mysterious and melancholy...

The name change is because Sir Harry Secombe, a comedian who played "Neddie Seagoon" in the 1950s radio comedy "The Goon Show" died last week.
You can find out a bit more about him here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guide/h2g2/A206399

So, how've you been? Had a good chocolate-filled Easter?

<BB<

I mean:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A206399

<BB<

Aww... sorry to hear that. *dons black arm band in mourning*

Easter was nice... not anything standout, but very nice to be home with my family and not arguing with each other for a change. Though, I had to spend most of my weekend off taking notes on vanGogh for my giant term paper due at the end of the month. Interesting guy. Real interesting. A real tragic figure.

Hmm... I spent my weekend wearing T-shirts with Van-Gogh's paintings on...
I know what you mean about spending time with family, although my family always argues. Although Christmas is the time when they argue most

<BB<

I have one shirt with a vanGogh type thing on it... from Rocky and Bullwinkle (tv show from America in the sixties)... "Vincent van Moose." Hmmm.

My family doesn't usually fight nearly this much... but we've all been under three times as much stress as we usually are, and so normally short tempers (which, wouldn't you know it, run in the family!) are even shorter. Not so much screaming and yelling... just looks that you know mean "if you so much as look at me indignantly, i'll do something unspeakable to you." Then again, maybe I'm pariniod...

Yes, I know of "Rocky & Bullwinkle" - didn't they do a film not too long ago? It's weird how I know of it, as I don't think I ever watched it on television. But then, I was never much of a cartoon person.

My family isn't really short-tempered, as such - with the exception of my sister - but they're vey good at holding grudges. Normally over the most unimaginable thing. Not over trivial things as such, but over things which you would not imagine could cause upset - it's very unusual.

<BB<

My dad grew up with Bullwinkle... and being the wonderful person he is (no really, he is!), decided to let me watch all the episodes when they came out on video about ten or so years ago. Scarred for life... but in a very good and wonderful way. (btw, the movie wasn't very good...)

My family's very good at arguing over tiny points... like who exactly is to blame for not telling everyone else we were out of milk-- that kind of thing. I'm the only real grudge holder in the family, I admit... but I truly am trying to get better...

One of those cartoons people grew up on -I see I think I mainly grew up on Ulysses 31, DangerMouse and Ewoks, plus City of Gold and "Around The World In 80 Days". Of course they sometimes showed rubbish like Scooby Doo - which is surely the most pathetic cartoon ever! - but most of the time it was quite fun. I didn't really watch that much cartoons, though.

I remember watching a number of Saturday morning cartoons when I was elementary-school-age, but I forget which ones they were. Lots of bizarre late 80s American cartoons, of course. Maybe it's better I don't remember...