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

The continuing popularity of this forum is nothing less than a tribute to the genius of our regular proprietor, Irving Washington.
While Irv is on a road trip, you can still join us for non-alcoholic drinks and real conversation, and a game of scrabble or solitaire. And, when I get in tomorrow, tiddlywinks.

Come on in!

The IIEM (Infinite Improbability Espresso Machine is here to fill your orders until a real entity -- either Asteroid Lil or Babel-17 -- comes in to take over the counter.

Be nice to the orangutan.

*enters, looks around, sees nobody*
All right, IIEM, let's test your abilities. Take light roast coffee beans and compare them to a very dark French roast or Italian roast. Now posit a point beyond the darkest roast... beyond black..., yet not overroasted or acid, just very full deep dark flavor, and give me a cup of that, black, no sugar... we'll call it Redbeard's Brew for now.
*IIEM long pause, several clicks... IIEM produces coffee*

*takes sip*
Wow! it worked! Now that's a dark roast coffee.

OK, Ook! Bring over the scrabble board. I'm ready for you!
*sits at table with Ook, they select tiles*
OK, I'm first...
*places tiles... Y,E,L,L,O,W*
*Ook adds down to the "Y"... G,A,L,A,X,*
Good one, Ook. How do you always manage to use those X's?

Hmmm, is that why I never find any Xs in my alphabet soup these days?

Ook are you blushing?

Hi, Løøneytünes!

The odd thing about Ook is when he blushes, his blue skin goes pale, instead of red. Everytime I've played Ook (only a few times, admittedly) he always gets those high-score letters like x on a triple-letter score or something.
*Ook adds B,U,L,(L),D,O,Z,E,R*
See, there he goes again with the "Z"

*T,O,W,E,L... Ook responds with C,Y,B,E,R,N,E,T,I,C,S*
I didn't even know you had that many letters, Ook! You win.

Well, Goodnight Ook and Løønytünes.

Night Redbeard.

Now Ook about those missing alphabet soup Xs you cunning little(?) rascal... Yow, ow aagh let go my arm, I'm sorry, here have two extremely large bananas ... Yow.....let go...please... Sob.

*enters looking very grumpy*
It's 3 am. Is insomnia contagious? My sinuses are not happy, probably reacting to all the dust in the air because of the drought. And also because of the drought, some little frogs have sought refuge on the patio, by my swimming pool, and they are skraaking and braaking fit to beat the band. An owl is out back announcing that he is a fine hunter, and there's nothing for it but to stop trying to sleep and make a cup of tea.

No thanks Ook.
*drinks tea, appreciating its soothing effect*

Hello Loonytunes, I was planning to leave a post for you

I was hoping I'd find somebody to talk to who didn't know it's really 3 am, but I seem to be simulposting .

Somebody besides these damn frogs....

Don't worry, I'm still here! I sympathise on the insomnia front, I'm trying to get my sleep pattern back to normal by staying awake for 24hrs

Is your fever gone? I'm having one of those sinus attacks where if you're stupid enough to lie down a flood ensues.

*sucks down tea* I need another cup, would you like some?

Could I have a peppermint tea in a bright pink mug, with a picture of a pouncing tiger in profile on it, please?

Sorry about delay, I was distracted by a postman bearing comics.

Back on the subject of children's reading I wanted to recommend a book called 'The Mousehole Cat' by Antonia Barber (Walker books) it's a lovely story and it has really beautiful illustrations.

I wanted to ask Loonytunes a New Zealand question and recommend stir-frying crayfish with rice. When I was at School I was fascinated by a Maori thing we learnt about called a hangii (I think). It's a pit dug into the ground in which a fire is lit. Then large stones are put into the fire to heat up. When the fire dies down the stones and embers are covered with watercress, the hole is filled with water, and some meat is put in, then another layer of watercress. Finally, the pit is sealed with earth and the meat is left for several hours to cook. I've always wanted to build one if I ever have a garden, especially after I saw a modern version being built on a survival programme recently, and I was wondering if you knew anything about them, Loonytunes.

Hey Lil, Tabitha OK Lil, insomnia is not good for you but does it mean I get a hand made cc((~))? The IIEM's good, but there's nothing like personal sevice .

-------------> cc((~)) for you!

It's not so bad when you work from home, but I'm just fed up with my immune system! Good to see you in person for a change

Thanks Lil, likewise Thanks for the cartoon too, I've never come across them before but I like the absurd style .

Redbeard dug up some links for me about Kliban; I'll retrieve them (they're at the bottom of the last-but-one thread, I think) and post them over there on the cartoon page.

Once the frogs on my pation have gone to bed, I'll probably be able to nap, after I've done the morning chores. I'd be getting up in a couple of hours anyhow, and I did catch a little bit of sleep earlier.

Got plans for the weekend?

Hello Blueslider!

I'm feeling much better today Lil, just sleep-deprived. If anyone wants to look at it 'The Mousehole Cat' + illustrations is online at www.ictp.trieste.it/~lucatell/mousehole.shtml. Highly recommended to all cat lovers!

I'll have a look later, thanks!

Well, I hope I put a stop to the frog symphony. I went out on the patio and found two of them perched on the lip of my swimming pool, performing an antiphonal chorus. So I threatened them and they both jumped in the pool. I came back indoors, thinking I had shut them up, when one of them began skraaking again from IN the pool... so out again, with the net this time. I caught them both and heaved them none too gently over the wall and on to the parched lawn. If I hear any more of this lovesick nonsense I'll stick em both under tupperware till morning.

<> morning all

IIEM - extremely large, extremely strong coffee please.
and if you could dim the lights, that would be fine.

*very gently eases into corner with e.l.e.s. coffee and hopes the world ends soon.*

Don't you just hate mornings like this

--------> cc((!!))

Since the papers haven't arrived yet, we can keep the lights dim. What's wrong, Podex?

*feels calmer, having just found and evicted a third frog*