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

Entry: Balls to Juggle With - A87746089
Author: Vestboy in Oz - So singletboy for now - U45662

I'm busy teaching everyone I know how to do this.

Could you add a list of things that are needed to make the balls at the top? You are talking about 'the' bottle and 'the' balloon but never mention them before. I also didn't get the thing about the condom and the oragne I fear.

>>but you do have a few party balloons still in the packet and some rice, or lentils or flour in the kitchen, a funnel (or paper you can use as a funnel), some scissors, a cup and an old water bottle hanging around.<<
Like that?




Could you tell me more about what you don't understand about condoms and oranges. I could maybe do a rewrite of that bit.

sorry, I read that when I was at work.

I assume (but did not clearly understand) that you have to put the second balloon on the other so it covers the opening/knot of the first balloon?

This confused a bit, I pictured twisting the rubber of the balloon itself. I usually refer to the wire things covered with a strip of plastic as "twist-ties". That might be a U.S. or even a southern thing. In the south we make up a lot of combination words like ink-pen, so as not to confuse it with a straight-pin or safety-pin (in the south pin and pen can sound quite alike).

FS

I meant the rubber of the balloon itself, so you pictured right.

It may be an idea to follow the instructions and make said juggling ball. Then you can tell me if it worked or not. This is much easier to do than imagine doing.

There are no knots and you have cut off the neck of the balloon.

On the two twists discussion. When I tie a balloon neck I often put a twist or two in it to make it a bit more string like to aid the tying. That's all you do here, but when it is on the bottle and you allow the twists to untwist the air pressure balances out so it will stay inflated.

It's a neat trick, and one I wouldn't have thought of!

I could follow it perfectly well as I read. Although the layers of an onion skin struck me as a more obvious simile than putting a condom on an orange, which I've never tried.

Good suggestion. I'll add it.

Right. I am so going to give this a go with the Toddler (I need some balloons though). I shall let you know how we get on.

One thing I did wonder was if the title could do with changing. I hadn't a clue that it was instructions for DIY juggling balls, which is a shame as I'd have read it sooner if I had!

No sooner said than done.

I agree, that's a better title

I'd remove "DIY". I don't like much acronyms, even fairly common ones such as DIY. However, not everyone in our international audience* knows what this means. Besides, the rest of the title says it all

* I remember exactly when and where I learned about DIY. I was like 19 years old, visiting a friend in Scotland, and there was that acronym in a news title on the television which I couldn't make heads or tails of. My friend provided the explanation. (What a story, eh?)

DIY is removed. I'm not keen on TLAs either.

This is shaping up really well - I keep reading and noting it's got better

Thanks Lanzababy. I could supply photos. Do I email them in for people to look at?

yes please do - the artists at h2g2 dot com is the place to send them to.

yes please

I have sent them to: the artists at h2g2 dot com (without any spaces and with the appropriate symbols).