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

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A661682
A story of a tragic childhood, bitter religious rivalry and the action of cold oceanic currents in warm tropical water...
OK?

...Some typos ammended...

Hi Frogbit,

Ah, I really enjoyed this, . I love the intro, works really well, especially -

"This is a story of rivalry, a tragic childhood, the contingent nature of memorable events, and ancient tropical seas interacting with shallow sand-banks."

Who could resist?

Couple of textual points and my general thoughts:

>>Calvanist - Jean CalvIn formed this movement and it is named after him.

>>gave birth gave birth - typo

>>Whosever will may come - typo

>>capitol - capital (unless he was in Rome )

>>deleterious - What a wonderful word!


I love the oolitic limestone explanation. The concentration required was well rewarded. Just one thing - could you explain how the cleft itself was formed, in geological terms?

Overall, this strikes me as a clever and imaginative combination of biography, history and geology - with a touch of religious philosophy thrown in to spice things up.

I like spice , but in this particular dish, I thought you might have added a dash too much - at the end there. Just my opinion.

Great piece!

Spiff

PS, why aren't more people posting? Is the title putting people off?

Frogbit,

I am suspicious of your words for the hymn. They don't seem to rhyme or scan quite right. I did a web search and found slightly different words, but I know enough not to believe everything I read on the web. Have you got access to a hymn book that you can check these in?

I'll have another look for typos when you've fixed the ones that Spiff pointed out.

Calvan - Calvin

Gave birth gave birth - Should have been gave birth (PUSH) gave birth

Whosever will may come - That's Wesley's mistake - it seems churlish to correct him now.

Capitol - Capital

Deleterious - Absolutely.

Cleft explanation being worked on...

Spice left in for the moment, but it will probably be adapted or dismissed.

Ahhhhh! I get it. It's 'whoever wants to come is allowed to come'.

Hadn't seen that at all.

Spiff

But did he really say the incorrect "whosever" or did he say the correct "whosoever"?

No problem Spiff - there's a new bit now, more about Wesley's Rock of Isreal if you want to take a peek. Still working on that cleft business.
GNOMON - checking as we speak.

This was in the 1760's - 1770's... I believe a little leeway was allowed in those days...
The text was from a quote by Welsey - perhaps I should put a [sic] in?

[sic]ed.

Spiff - If you have a look at the picture (click on link in entry) it looks very much as though the cleft is in fact a missing bed. The strata comes across as layers in a cake - the cleft being composed of, say icing (a softer, more friable rock) which has eroded away, probably because of rainfall.
Pardon me for the strangulated analogy - we seem to have ended up with nothing more than a soggy cake. Please let me know if this leaves you none the wiser.
Frogbit.

Hi Frogbit,

Yeah, that was my uneducated guess. I just wondered whether you might want to mention it in the piece.

Thanks for the answer
Spiff

I'm sure it could be worked in somewhere - perhaps mention that the rain he was sheltering from produced the shelter in the first place?

An interesting entry. I was once lost in Somerset, and ended up driving down the Cheddar Gorge at about 6.00pm on a midsummer evening. I was strongly reminded of Pratchett's description of Lancre as being flat, virtical but flat. Pratchett lives in Somerset, and I did ask him once whether he was inspired by the gorge, he reminded me that there are other parts of Somerset which match the description.

Well done. An interesting entry, touching many subjects.

Ben

There's a couple of semi-colons that should be commas.
Revered? Reverend?

The tense used in the first paragraph is a little funky and the 'unawares' has a provincial feel.

I'd leave the bit about oolithic in the first para out.

I get the thing about 'chimney-sweeps'. They find dirt in everybodys chimneys but their own.

I strongly suggest that you read this piece aloud in your natural speaking voice. There is a lumpiness and a typed with teeth clenched quality to some of it.

There is also the possibility that the bio portions are arranged erratically. As well as the theological portions, which probably should have their own heading.

Otay! Otay? Good enough for you?

There's a couple of semi-colons that should be commas.
Revered? Reverend?

The tense used in the first paragraph is a little funky and the 'unawares' has a provincial feel.

I'd leave the bit about oolithic in the first para out.

I get the thing about 'chimney-sweeps'. They find dirt in everybodys chimneys but their own.

I strongly suggest that you read this piece aloud in your natural speaking voice. There is a lumpiness and a typed with teeth clenched quality to some of it.

There is also the possibility that the bio portions are arranged erratically. As well as the theological portions, which probably should have their own heading.

Otay! Otay? Good enough for you?

Thanks Ben. Yes, Mr.Pratchet's right - there is a *lot* of geology in Somerset. You may be surprised to learn that the Gorge (at least most of it) is the result of a lot of mining - weathering has softened the scars into a more 'natural' landscape.
Lost in Somerset...I know that feeling.

Sorry about that. I went off to the loo and when I cam back there was an error screen. I don't know if the 'puter was being critical or it was just experiencing one of the glitches I've been having on this site all morning.

If you get into the cyclic bit about the rain, why don't you get into why the apparently strongly religious fellow was carrying a pack of playing cards. You know it was known as 'the devil's picture book', don't you?

Now, let's try this again.

TONSIL
Revered >>Reverend - cheers.

Funky >>that's bad then, is it?

1st instance of oolitic gone.

Chimney sweeps >>Many thanks, that'll go in soon.

"I strongly suggest that you read this piece aloud in your natural speaking voice. There is a lumpiness and a typed with teeth clenched quality to some of it." >> I tried that, only my natural speaking voice has been badly affected by an overdose of helium, resulting in me sounding like a triple castrato bitch queen*. And I was typing with clenched hair.

"There is also the possibility that the bio portions are arranged erratically. As well as the theological portions, which probably should have their own heading." >>Possible, probable? Speak your mind man!


*Not really.

Aha! Good point about the cards - trouble is, there's no way of telling how they got in his pockets - there may have been an entirely different explanation - he may have confiscated them for instance...Unless you know different...