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

Entry: Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft - Bender and the Men In Black - A87816081
Author: Dmitri Gheorgheni - U1590784

I was curious about the origin of World Contact Day.

And then these 3 Men In Black showed up in my living room, you see, and made me write this...

Tinfoil hats optional for this ride into the UFO past.

Unfortunately I didn't manage to listen to this yet, but I really love your Entry.
I'd only like to know more about the Bugman now.

There's a Richard Gere movie about the Mothman Prophecies. You might enjoy that one.

Thanks for reading!

Dmitri, once again you have found another little titbit to keep us amused!

I wonder if the saying 'On a Bender' came from that weekend?


lil x

Cool etymology, there.

Thanks, lil!

This is extraordinary.

Isn't it interesting how similar the aliens are to the angels and devils of earlier years?

When they asked CG Jung if he knew what UFOs were, her replied, 'Yes. Thought forms.'

Oh I love this! Questions, questions, was Bender the robot in Futurama named after this guy?

I've never heard the Klaatu version, only by The Carpenters, when Richard denies that there is a World Contact Day (bet he had a gun pointed at him when he said that)

"Bender recited his mantram three times" shouldn't it be "mantra"?

I was reading this and I thought, the date looks familiar, I know, it's the Ides of March! But WAIT! 1953??? That rang BIG bells. My first husband was born on 15th March, 1953.

I wondered what had attracted me to him!

I must share this info with my older three kids

GB

That's wonderful! Your husband was born on a numinous day.

I don't know if the character from Futurama was named after Albert. Can't find any info on that, but if anyone does, please let us know.

Some people say, 'Mantra'. 'Mantram' is also correct, and it's what I use.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mantram-Handbook-Practical-Essential/dp/1586380281

Try the Klaatu version on Youtube. There's a very moving video.

Ah, The Carpenters, yes... I keep singing the song to myself every time I see the title of this Entry, and I wondered where it came from - Top of the Pops 2 it was

I don't really think Bender from Futurama is named after him. The explaination given in the series is that Bender was built to bend metal bars.

Yeah, that's what I found, tav.

Good entry, Dmitri.

A few things that spring to mind:

I never heard of Klaatu; I always associated that song with The Carpenters.

It's quite possible that Bender in Futurama is named after this guy, but without evidence it's not worth mentioning.

Genesis Chapter 18 - the Lord appears to Abraham as three men.

I've seen a study of hallucinations - most are visual, some are auditory. For example, a common hallucination when people are tired or oxygen-starved is an image of a tunnel with a bright light at the far end. I wonder if there are particular smells which are also associated with hallucinations, such as the smell of sulphur?

That's a good thought, Gnomon. I don't know much about smells. I'll have to check. I don't tend to olfactory hallucinations, thank goodness. That's fairly deep in the brain.

I know that the smell of oranges is associated with some kinds of hallucinations. And some occult practitioners claimed that burning asafoetida would *get rid of* hallucinatory figures. Kind of like smelling salts, perhaps?

Yeah, Abraham and the three men in black. I thought about the magi, too.

There was also Balaam and the smart-aleck angel, who preferred talking to the donkey. And my all-time favourite: Joshua on perimeter inspection at Jericho.

Joshua: Halt! Who goes there? Friend or foe?
Angel: Wrong question. I'm the captain of Yahweh's army.

Some forms of epilepsy can cause people to sell things that are not there

https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/seizures/focal-partial

smell, not sell

I was going to ask for further details of this hallucinatory commerce.

Of course, that MIGHT explain Wall Street...

That was an enjoyable read. Now just look at this flashy thing I am holding in my hand.

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