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

This is a piece which may or may not be suitable. I have dropped a note to the author to let him know that his ears should be burning and where he can find out what people are saying about him (the *other* place)

Public Transport Etiquette

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A617168


And I know this is not an out and out joke but there are some funny gags in here. Naturally, what I mean is that *I* laughed! Thanks Al.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A661097

Spiff

Check this out, y'all! Well, I enjoyed, and I really think it is very well written. There are no belly laughs here but an evocative narrative and one or two funny observations. I think people would like it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A629084 It's buried in AWW under http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F74130?thread=142787&post=1520228#p1520228 Grist to the mill? Spiff

Spiff,

I hadn't read that entry when I saw it in AWW, but thank you very much for pointing it out. I suggest we use it in AGG #3 or 4. It's a perfect example of why AGG/GAG should not limit itself to humorous entries only. Imagine all the great pieces that would be missed by the Edited Guide AND by AGG/GAG if we chose only humorous entries.

Glad you liked it. Your reaction is just what I hoped for. Mind you, I did actually laugh out loud a couple of times while reading it.

I suspect few people were attracted by the title - an anonymous sounding italian name (if a name can be 'anonymous sounding'!). It is now under 'A travel story', which is even worse, IMHO! Needs a good title... Hmmm...

Any other Popeye-chucklers read this one?

Spiff

How about http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A437230 ?

I still don't know what the bloody hell a Lucky Cat is though!

Looks like Looneytunes is going to be a regular here.

If you really want to understand Lucky Cat, do a search for "Maneki Neko" and you'll see lots of images of a pudgy cartoonish ceramic cat, sitting with one paw raised.

These are both great.
I posted elsewhere (I'm so damn disorganised!) that I asked gaston the author of Pablo the Barber to take a look at our page and consider letting us promote his piece.
I guess Lucinda can add both these to our nominations list (if not done already - like I said I get confused gpoing from one forum to another and forget where I'm posting).
~j~

"A True Christmas Story" by gaston http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F74130?thread=155813&post=1562151#p1544597 Another great one, better than Neapolitan Musical Chairs. Might need a new title, but the story is really good. We don't want to use the same authors week after week, so maybe use this a few weeks after the Neapolitan Musical Chairs story? Take time to read it, though. Definitely worth reading.

Yeah, I saw this yesterday or was it the day before ..and almost started a campaign to use it in #3 (the week before Xmas) and thereby postpone 'Musical Chairs' a few weeks. But with less than a week to get conscensus...

I probably shoulda, but I was tired after a long day online, much of it getting #3 formatted. I also was trying to get a head start on suggestions for #4 & #5 because everyone will be busy during the Christmas week.

Remember though, our quorum is three of five and the two of us is a majority of that ..right?
So if you feel like putting Christmas Story in place of Chairs and writing a promotional intro then feel free to do the formatting before Monday night. Make sure to save 'Chairs' and its Intro by starting #6 and pasting it there.

tired not bored I assure you
jwf

hi all

I've been meaning to read that Xmas story for a couple of days now. May not get time today, either.

Nonetheless, I am confident that if you guys think the other story is a winner too, and given the seasonal aspect, I'm more than happy to change 'em over. Seems like a good idea.

Gaston seems pretty chuffed to be involved, generally.

Seems we're all pretty chuffed he is, too. You can assume my vote for the Xmas story.

*votes on an issue out of pure blind faith*

Seeya
Spiff

No? Well, OK, Stainless Steel, then!

I just read the beginning and the end of the steel piece. Excellent.

Time is short this w/end (Chelsea v Liverpool and the TV is several miles from here!) and I haven't even read the Xmas story yet!

It's cool to think that I've got interesting stuff to read when I get back. Thanks! I've never been involved with 'fora' (even a pedant like me prefers to say 'forums', especially in spoken language!) before but I think this one must be a bit special. I think so, anyway.

This little collaboration (long may it continue) has been really fun, interesting and instructive. Thanks everyone! Are we already looking at what to put in #6? ! I've never been that far ahead in anything, ever!

Up the Blues

Spiff

The answer of course ended up in another thread but yes the Christams Story is a go for #3. I always mistype that word, that XXXmas word.
I know I do it, even as I type it, every time. But it still comes out 'ams'. If I try to type Christams it always comes out wrong and always will unless I'm typin xmas or xxmas or even XXXmas.

So I've just decided to:
1. just not type the word anymore
2. use xxxmas wherever possible
3. not correct it if I do mistype it

There I'm glad that's settled.

*goes off to see if Stainless Steel is in the nominations list*


~jwf~

Nominations collected from AGG/GAG Organizational Discussion thread on or about the first week of January 2002. http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A541838 - Wiping Out (While Surfing) absentee author who wrote this and left. Not bad as legacies go - though I'm sure the surfers of waves will explain how it's utterly wrong... http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A347122 - Ultra-violence in the Bible Some tasty snippets from the 'holy book'. http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A285392 - Girlfriend in a Coma The truth about the Amiga 500. Except for the obvious lies. Learn how to cast out demons from your TV Modulator. http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A343847 - Garibaldi The history of a "pirate, adventurer, sailor, soldier, rebel, champion of women's emancipation, socialist and criminal". http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A351280 - Small Hours skating on the rideau canal http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F61877?thread=96959&latest=1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A621352 - How to become paranoid (Spaceman Spiff also recommended the Udderthorpe Paper-clip Engine http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A640982, which is an awesome piece, but has already appeared in the h2g2 Post. Read it for your own benefit!)

"Ultra-violence in the Bible" seems incomplete. It's okay for a start, but not enough meat there to be really stunning.

"Girlfriend in a Coma" is funny. I don't quite understand the title, but it's probably funnier that way than if I did understand it.

"Skating on the Rideau Canal" gets my vote.

I would like to see "Garibaldi" polished a little before selecting it for AGG/GAG. The bit that nags at me is that we're told early on he played a "major part in revolutions and wars throughout this period," but can't tell yet what period this refers to, since his date or year of birth are not given.

Lucinda, if you're still subscribed to this discussion, I suggest removing from the Nominations list ones we've already used. An entry doesn't qualify as merely "nominated" anymore if it finally attains the ultimate status of being Selected.

Strange! When I opened this 'post to a conversation' window the subject line already had those four ....s in it. I wonder what that means. That's why I added four ????s.

Anyway.. I think Lucinda is doing a marvelous job and is actually removing articles from the nominations list once they are in an issue. But soon we will need to remove some that just aren't ever going to be recommended. There's one, "#4", for example that is just an old ruff draft of a past issue that should be cleared for sure.

I'd like now to start building the page for #6. Can we narrow that one down to three this weekend?
It seems like Surfing (wipe out) and Skating are generally acceptable so far. Who volunteers to do the intros?
I've suggested elsewhere that Surfing needs to utilise some of the articles text in the intro. The phrase 'rag-dolling' is brilliant.
And the Skating one should note that this winter the ice is not yet 'safe' and maybe make a reference to the Hans Brinker mythos of Dutch canal skating.
And we still need some agreement on a third entry.
peace
jwf

Now I see where the four ....s came from! Pay no attention to me. Carry on.
*slaps self up side o the head*
~j~

How about the paranoia entry? I would be happy to contact the author and do an intro.

Any seconders?

You should, yes.
If nobody's home would you take a crack at re-writing it a bit?
It needs work. The subject and the attitude are good for h2g2 readership but it needs more refinement, more insight, less ..oh what's the word ..mindless jesting, and more wit.
Quite honestly, I'd rather you re-wrote the whole thing. You are a better writer and could get more milage out of the jokes without the disrespect for those who really do suffer from this malaise.
I mean, there's 'Dwarf Tossing' and there's 'The Ancient Art of Tossing Dwarves'. No actually I don't mean that at all.
Don't ask.
Aw heck, let's see a good intro for it, you might have a handle on it.
The author's intent was simply to entertain. Any light shed on the subject is a good light.
shine on!
jwf

What do you need from me?
Short words, please.