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

Quite an impressive project you have going here.



I have just read the Red Needles entry and have to admit I had never of it. That's because I listen to Leonard Cohen and refuse to read him.

Oh, I tried, back in the 60s; got as far as page 20 or so of "Beautiful Losers" before admitting I had better things to do and wishing Leonard would focus on what he was good at, his 'muse-ique'.

Oh and because I love to be helpful let me suggest the majority British audience here would love to see an entry on the first powered airflight in the British Empire by Alexander Graham Bell's 'Silver Dart', the hundreth anniversary of which was overlooked by BBC Whirled News. Too Scottish I suppose.


~jwf~

Thanks again, ~jwf~

a Silver Dart entry would, indeed be worthwhile. Perhaps if I can get myself focused on writing again. A problem I have is that I find writing a good entry very emotionally draining, particularly the historical ones.

I've always thought that Bell was a lot like the War of 1812 -- both Canada and the U.S. claim him as a wonderful achievement by their country.

Oh. About Mr. Cohen.

If you can find the strength, you should try his 'The Favourite Game', his first novel. It is heart-rending and quite unlike 'Beautiful Losers'. And, of course, his poetry is always worthwhile, although it very often turns up again on his albums.

In my simple mind there is both a chromatic and functional relationship between red needles and silver darts.
Maybe we should invent a drink using using Alberta vodka and Nova Scotian apple juice and call it a silver dart.

The 1909 flight is a significant piece of Canadian (and Imperial) history with a wide appeal. And because the 100th anniversary is current there is quite a bit of material available just now. I'll post this link here which you might want to embed into a Silver Dart entry:

http://www.flightofthesilverdart.ca/


~jwf~

I've just been looking around, ~jwf~ and, in fact, the Edited Guide already has a bit on the Silver Dart, in the Patent Wars of the Wright Brothers A1143541 :

'Meanwhile, in America, Alexander Graham Bell formed the Aerial Experiment Association on 30 September, 1907, in order to create a practical aeroplane. The Wrights respected Bell for his work with the telephone and trusted him not to violate their patents. . .


The AEA designed and built the Red Wing, which was in flagrant violation of their patents, but was not used for commercial purposes. It was tested on 17 March, 1908, and crashed into a frozen lake after travelling just 319 feet. It was wrecked, and the AEA didn't attempt to repair it.

After this, the AEA produced a similar aeroplane called the White Wing which had similar limitations — it crashed a lot. The first real success of the Association was the June Bug. It was designed and piloted by Glen Curtiss — a long-time rival of the Wrights. It won a tidy prize from American Scientific Magazine for flying one km in a straight line. The Wrights contacted the group and warned them that they were in violation of their patent for using their control systems for a commercial purpose.

They flew three more aeroplanes, the most successful of which was the Silver Dart, flown in Nova Scotia'

and, in a footnote:

' Incidentally, the first aeroplane flown in Canada was in violation of the patents of the Wrights.'



I am still thinking about your suggestion of such an article, but, of course, I feel I must encourage you to try your hand at it yourself.