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

I got a book delivered today, I recently ordered via Amazon. Don't worry, it's mostly pictures.

http://www.artbooks.de/v23/trr.html

It's also a fair bit bigger than I made any effort to expect, decent atlas-sized - so I got a card saying it was too big for the letterbox and I'd have to pick it up from the sorting office. Oh wait, no I didn't - it was left leaning against my front door for any turd to steal. Fortunately no-one did, making it all the more beautiful.

Eeek! Don't say things like that: I have a laptop and a synth on the way in the post. Also I used to be a postie and I know how it can drive you into a papery vortex of alcoholism and misanthropy misanthropology, is that a word? Can I study it at university? Could I combine it with Jazz?

Wot art was int booook then? I can't see the link.

The combined cover art of various artists from 4AD records - Cocteau Twins, Modern English, Lush, Pixies , Breeders, Throwing Muses, Wolfgang Press, His Name Is Alive, Belly, Clan Of Xymox etcetc.

My previous postie used to leave packages of contact lenses on the doorstep. Which was handy. The current one diesn't even put Children's Panel packs through...in spite of the fact that they come in special wallets with 'Official Royal Mail Verified as Postable' or some such embalazoned on them.

I shall have to phone them up and ask them to 'put a note on the walk'. That's the jargon I learnt as a consultant to a major sorting office. If you say that, you'll be recognised as an insider and someone will stick a note on the dookit. (English = 'pigeonhole)

I wondered because you seem to be a man who knows his movements Art movements.

Oh - btw...

Bing bong bicycle/ Dominoca, cuppa caocer...

Maybe I'll just put that on a note in the window.

I know about Vaughan Oliver, was a bit devoted to him. I went to the 4AD office in London (the design studio was downstairs) to get some pictures for the A Level project on record cover art I was doing (and didn't finish). Vaughan himself wasn't there, but those who were were incredibly sweet to me, giving me all manner of freebies, posters, booklets they'd done.

I asked about the Purple Tape (famed Pixies demo), they took my details and sent me a copy. I have it framed.

Tapes? Ah, I remember them.

Reminds me...I need to find someone who still has tape-to-tape capabilities, or even better tape-mp3. Someone's lent me a Swedish Linguaphone course. (Totally useless in that everyone there speaks *perfect* English. But still an interesting think to do. I already know 'fitta'. )

I could help you out there. It might be easier to find a free course on the web though: I found loads of free stuff for learning Japanese.

Oh there's tons of cool courses.

Ta for the offer. It'd better be someone local, though. I shouldn't really entrust someone else's valued tapes to the post.

Will people stop impugning the postal service when I have my lifesavings curently entrusted to it!

Is the post really that bad? I've never picked up a package at the post office. While I normally ask that packages be sent to my office address, that's mainly because I'm concerned about inclement weather (our front porch has an awning, but it doesn't necessarily stay dry!). While I probably wouldn't have anything really valuable sent that way, I've never had anything stolen, either.

Though the UPS guy did wing my modem over the fence when I wasn't home to sign for it. So I get all UPS sent to the office, too. No one's ever home to sign.

K's dad works for the post office. They're not *all* idiots.

I have tape-to-mp3 capabilities, too, Edward. But I'mm too far away to be of use to you.

Could you copy the tapes and send the copies to someone closer, though, to copy to mp3?

No, we're not all idiots. I'm doing a Misanthropology and Jazz degree.

Actually...despite what some people say, our postal service is very good. But the tapes belong to someone I don't know massively well and he's been very kind lending them to me.

Having worked with posties, I'm full of admiration for them. I worked with a huge sorting office that was being 'demechanised'. The people were so much faster and more reliable than all the automated sorting machines. Human skill shouldn't be so undervalued.

Misanthropology and Jazz?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKwQ_zeRwEs

Herewith another online Postal story.

I've had all sorts of stuff sent to me by post here in France, if i'm not in, or sulking/sleeping/refusing to answer the doorbell; the nice postie sticks the yellow paper in my tiny mailbox & i toddle off & collect it next day at the Post Office (they know me well, poor souls!)"Ah, Madame, C'est un box of sheep bones for you" etc....

Anyway, two weeks back i ordered a special T shirt online for a , paid via Paypal, usually these things arrive very fast. After a week, no sign of it. Paypal say you can contact them direct if "no show" but instead i contacted the actual maker of said item, basically saying (politely but assertively) "I am not well pleased about this: what's going on?"....he got straight back to me & said "sorry, problem with suppliers" & emailed today to say it's en route "with some added extras"

Jolly Good. Let us take bets on when it arrives eh?

zdt

My synth is currently in Denmark and is due to arrive in the Promised Land that is Hull tomorrow. Should it do so I will program its snazzy constantant/sibilant/vowel synth engine to say "God bless UPS" over a lowpass filtered ensemble saw-wave utilising imitation of a slap bass and some crunchy wave table generated beats at 119bpm. So I shall. Funky it shall be. Turning into Yoda* I am not.

I've worked with the automated sorting machines. They need a person checking everything they do anyway. They are fast though, and able to amputate unwary thumbs as well as being less likely to have a hangover and more likely to have some kind of weird emotional crisis than your average human sorter.

*the other Yoda

What kind of synth is that? Sounds snazzy.