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

So, as soon as you set up a pitch, Spike A., I'll come round and visit you.

he already has http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/F45817?thread=167937&latest=1

So he has. It's a bit far off, though, even from as far out as 909.

I'm back. Hopefully for good.

glad to see it, you certainly seem to be making up for your slack!

Well, I wouldn't go that far. There's alot of slack to make up...

*posts*

*carries a basket of and a and leaves it on the threshold*

On the basket is a note:

Hi Strider,
Good to see that you have returned.
Evangeline

Yay! A present for me!

*consumes and , and shares with all who want it (like you, maybe)*

Why do I have to w*rk on the best day of summer so far not fair
Yes please, I'll have as much of that and as I can stagger off with balanced on top of my

Thanks for the hospitality Strider.

What is your favorite type(s) of cake?

::nibbles ::
::sips ::

Sorry you have to work today Bagheera. Is the weather nice there? It has rained for several hours here, and is only beginning to clear a bit...maybe. At least when it rains it isn't so hot.

Have you ever heard the expression "The sun's crackin' the flags" ['flags' as in 'flagstones', not Old Glory /Union Jack, BTW ]
Maybe unimpressive by your standards, but 25ºC and no sign of a breeze [even on the waterfront!] is quite amazing for a British Summer!

...
That sounds like very nice weather. I would be upset to be locked inside too.

Never heard of "the sun crackin' the flags" (Only flags here are Old Glory and a Stars and Bars). We do get the pavement buckling and the nice heat cloud in the distance that makes it appear that you are driving through water.

According to the temperature converter: Our temperature at the moment is 23 degrees celsius(74 farenheit)...after the rain all morning. Our usual high would be about 32 degrees celsius(90 degrees farenheit).

It's been pretty hot for here recently, about 30 +.

I'd say... carrot is good... coffee ... poppyseed...

::is still really hot in Louisiana::

I like a carrot with cream cheese frosting. Black Forest is another favorite around here. My mother's specialty was pineapple upside down cake.

It's still kinda hot here, but nothing like Israel was! Sometimes it got up to 42 celcius there! YIKES!

Here we are, August already: Soon time to assemble the ingredients for this year's Christmas Cake ... which according to our closely-guarded family secret recipe has to marinate in a wicked combination of alcoholic juices for AT LEAST a couple of months to get the full flavour.....

Oooh almost forgot time to bake the Bourban-I mean .

Evangeline/any would-be quantum mathematicians/rocket scientists on the "Other Side of the Pond"

Here's a puzzle which has defied everyone I've spoken to as yet, including all the [female] members of family responsible for assembling the above-mentioned traditional Christmas Cake!

Dry ingredients for said cake: total VOLUME 2 LITRES
Liquids (alcohol, juices, water etc. c.1 LITRE

Please explain HOW IN G*** NAME these can be mixed together and STILL fit comfortably into a baking form with a CAPACITY of 1.5 LTR???(either square or circular - this year it's a 'circular shape' BTW, as we have always alternated!)

Bagheera I might be able to answer that without calling the :

Based on my experience cooking, I have to ask are all of the measurements made with the same measures or is a set of dry measures used for the flour and a liquid measuring cup used for the wet ingredients? There is a difference between the measures that does account for some discrepencies. *The true volume of a baking dish can be tested by filling the pan with water one cup or ml at a time. Most cake pans do allow for a cake to rise whereas a casserole dish does not have the extra top space.

From a couple of science classes many years ago: when a solid and liquid are mixed the liquid displaces any air that is taking up space. Then the liquid begins to saturate the dry ingredients which results in a volume that is not necessarily the sum of the two individual volumes.

Try mixing two litres of dirt and one litre of water to measure the volume of the resulting mud. Flour could be used for this experiment, especially if it is the first step to making a flour and salt play clay for Siobhàn and her friends.