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

h2g2.com was launched on 28 April, 1999

Perhaps an opportunity to reflect in these strange times

Or to check out the h2g2 Merchandise A87943396

All the best, fellow hitchhikers - don't forget your

So why was this post hosed for several hours today? And how was it restored?

It was weird how this post didn't show up for a couple of hours - we posted the second message and then the first one appeared!

So just like Parkinson's law on socks: You lose one, throw the other one out - and find the lost again ...

That doesn't just happen with socks.

"It was weird how this post didn't show up for a couple of hours - we posted the second message and then the first one appeared!"

It's hootoo! can we expect anything else

"So just like Parkinson's law on socks: You lose one, throw the other one out - and find the lost again ..."

Yep!

"It's hootoo! can we expect anything else "

Very true!

What is the law ?

That says you want an item now(where is it) or a memory recall(name/event/film etc) BUT! Can't think of either
Then! Days/weeks later it hits you even if asleep and your brain goes--- THAT'S WHAT IT WAS! etc

It was explained to me (with no actual science to back it up, of course) that when something's on the tip of your tongue like that your brain continues running a subroutine in the background until something kicks that particular memory loose.

My uncle had a bad case of it just before the internet was widely available and became where we collectively store our memories. He couldn't remember the name of a song, nor the artist. The song was the one with the line "put the lime in the coconut, drink it all up." He wracked his brain for a couple of years and also asked his "over 40" peers on a BBS (senior) but while everyone knew the song, no one else could remember the name or the artist. Then he asked me. Now I didn't know the name either, but I knew where we could find out. So we made a trip into Houston (Belaire, actually, an autonomous city INSIDE the city of Houston) to a renowned record shop, Don's Tapes & Records. They advertised that they could find any album, even with sparse clues. So we asked a twenty something woman behind the counter, "what's that song that goes 'put the lime in the coconut, drink it all up"? "Oh, that's just called the Coconut song by Harry Nilsson, Son of Schmilsson." and handed my uncle his Best Of album on cassette.

On the way back to his house, my uncle read the liner notes and discovered that Barry Manilow lied, Harry Nilsson actually wrote all the songs.

I'd thought the coconut song was inspired by Robert Sheckley's "Journey Beyond Tomorrow".

Journey Beyond Tomorrow -- 1962
Lime in the Coconut -- 1971

Not impossible. Is there any connection?

Knowing the name of the song and the artist was enough to alleviate that little annoying gap in my uncle's brain.


Speaking of h2g2's birthday, did anyone else notice the site was inaccessible for 4 days?

I hope h2g2 is still here for many more birthdays.

I noticed.

I checked it daily.

So did I. Only just rejoined. Thank Bob we're back

My alabaster is still not available, though.

That is strange, paulh. It w*rks fine for me

However my Pliny does not

Anyone here who uses Pliny often able to explain to me how to search for a conversation? Last night I wanted to share a link to the Cancel thread but just couldn't find any way to search for it or any other conversation. When I share links to this place I typically try to use the Pliny version but the more I use Pliny, the more I detest it. I had hopes, but it just isn't functional at all.