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

Welcome to the atelier! If you have not been here before, please take a moment to read over A304354, then head over to the foyer to assure yourself of a warm welcome (let alone be noticed). This is a large and complicated place, but if you follow the link on A304354 you'll find backstory, illustrations and a floor plan.


To Kelli goes the award for best topic of conversation, when she imported the gist of a conversation going on in another thread, concerning beauty and whether it was constrained to the visual sense. The topic had extra piquancy since it derived from comments made by blind hootooer 2legs. *Chloe steps forward with a small wooden box made from fragrant cedar, with an intricate marquetry top. There is something inside the box. Is it beautiful?*

Witty Moniker also generated some interesting art discussion when she described having met an artist and directed us to his website. This led to some interesting critique on the subject of modern art.

This conversation saw a heated race for the Ceremonial B4IWake Cattle Prod. Time after time, your hostess was certain she had seen the award secured, only to have another salonista wander in late. And later. And even later. You can follow the suspense in her notes below.

In the end, it was decided that dw2 should receive the honor of The Order of the Prodigal Son, thus giving Hatifnat the Cattle Prod. Congratulations to both of you!

This conversation also sees that occasional award, the Golden Backlog, go to Mol. We like to see our late arrivals not just ingesting backlog but responding to it! Well done, Mol.

Usually my first award goes to the scribe, but we had an unusual situation this time, with Marv being obliged to give his time over to his new job partway through the scribing. It has become more and more difficult to find a scribe, and the job has unfortunately become something of a competition, with each scribe attempting to live up to the accomplishments of the one who went before. Notes have become longer and longer, and, now that the thread length has doubled, the whole matter is getting out of hand.

Accordingly, I am no longer seeking to have the threads scribed, and we will do without the recapitulation of topics past from this point on, except where your hostess chooses, apparently at random, to reward those things she finds notable, surreal, or exceptional.

Having said that, I do have something planned for Marv. Tomorrow, here in the salon, a ceremony will be held to elevate Marv the Grate to Sir Grate, Knight Exemplary of the Atelier (KEA). Everyone please dress ceremonially. I will ask Wolfgang to cater for the occasion. Marv has served as scribe many times, and has contributed faithfully and consistently to the quality of the salon. But I'll save the speech for later.

And now here are Marv's notes, followed by some observations I made in the latter part of the thread.

Another converstion and another stretch of disjointed postings. The early conversation was still a discussion of Hypatia's visit to the UK denizens of the salon, Ag straining her muscles with yard work and GDZ writing about the conspiracy of the FTTF mug.

Dr. Who is still scaring the UKian's among us, while the USian contingent still waits to see this series on PBS.

LTP gives us a whole new look at the 42 post of the Conversation. He has made this an art form.

Eatsmice deals with his cut and swollen hand, a victim of evil greenhouse glass. That yard work is dangerous stuff.

Hyp is making raised garden beds to avoid injuries like Ag's. Various methods are discussed while Hypatia is using cinder blocks. Ivy and yogurt are considered as coverings for the blocks to make them look a part of nature.

Z gets a cactus, which is a plant that your scribe is all too familiar with (as is our Hostess, I am sure). Much of the early conversation revolves around plant life and horticulture.

MR breaks off the relationship with the BF just in time for her birthday. Not the easiest thing, but much needed. Southern California is moving around a bit. Our SoCal salonistas
reported a couple of quakes in the area. Courtesy and MR both are fine, and there still is no shorline property in Arizona to sell.

After much personal deliberation your scribe decided not to make a number of jokes about Jacko being acquitted. A certain amount of moral outrage at the decision is posted. This begs the question if a celebrity can get a valid fair trial in California.

Keyboard cleaning routines are discussed. Proper keyboard maintenance is an important thing.

Z has his surgery but did not stay awake for it. Some salonistas were happy enough to not hear a description of it.

The Lost Geographer and Santra both prepare for summer camping.

We each tried to think of five words that described us.

d'E goes to Hawaii and sends us an unusual postcard with great pictures.

Lil introduces a topic of conversation that flared all too briefly regarding the levels of Starwars Fandom.

Amy heroically educates and fails to be swayed by terrible behaivour in her classroom.

You humble first half scribe gets another tattoo. The ink is taking over his body!

Hypatia is organizing and conducting a Lewis and Clark exhibit in our favourite Mid Western Library.

Seems that the weather is heating up for most of the salonistas. Luckily the airconditioning in the salon is controlled by the labs below. We have a respite from the heat.

Beef Brisket recipies are traded as Lil cooks up a supply for storage.

Caer went to a big fat Greek wedding.

Batman Begins was seen by a few researchers who think that it was pretty nifty, almost as nifty as a digital watch.

A kitten with two faces was born in the USian Pacific North West. Some think it is sort of gross and others think it sad.

Lentilla makes ready for a trip to Big Bend national park, then heads out for a week.

Lil begins work on a painting of the Salon with all its denizens. One hopes that her views of her scribe are pleasant. Many will describe themselvs in some way and others wish to let her artistic license take root and flourish.

A small debate on eating meat ensues with some sound arguments for both sides.

After Amy reports an upset stomach some home remedies are offered.

Mr Cyde joins the conversation at 729, a late contender for the Cattleprod. Some discussion is had about the possible first names for him. The Scribe's favourite is Reggie.

MR's daughter "D" is in need of a little fattening up. She eats far too healthy by choice and needs to gain some pounds to get up to normal. Some various methods are discussed. The Scribe wishes he had that problem.

It's suggested that Kelli (and anyone who want's to join her) move to Hawaii. The weather is great, and I think that if she does move there then she should call up her friendly neighborhood scribe and bring him along .

Peeps in the Library is a welcome distraction after a very hot day. Who knew that overheating would cause such a site to be created.

Ormy returns to the Salon after a long lunch. The scribe is pleased to have an old friend back.

MR fights a moral dilemma over going to help care for her sick step-mother.

Z has a mistake with some fish; Decides to forego replacing them.

Your scribe finished his computer. It only took 4 months.

Do english muffins = crumpets?

Affy finds Zombie Dogs in Australia. Mad science at work! He also begins work, and is nearing completion of Zoe, another Salon bot.

Ag has a bit of a row with her sister. We hope that time will heal all wounds.

*here Lil steps in with her notes*


Religious intolerance is discussed.
Lil gets shingles and Z gets a hernia

In MY day, there were two colors of Doc Martens -- black and skinhead. Judging from the discussion Z started, however, they seem to come in as many colors as lollipops.

Live8 occurred and left many salonistas discussing the content, groups, supergroups and the seventies. Space Cadette revealed that she went to school with Glenn Frey.

d'E slid into the conversation at post 1428, very likely garnering the cattle prod (to be made of Hawaiian materials) and leaving a suitcase of fireworks next to the fireplace.

And then PWM saved the day by arriving at 1482.

d'E and Lentilla had both been on extended vacations, D'E to Hawaii and Lentilla to Big Bend National Preserve: both returned fit and rested. d'Elaphant has 300 pictures of solidified lava and Lentilla has ... prickles.

And then conversation at the atelier deteriorated richly, like compost, into shouting out of lines from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

But everyone sobered up instantly as news of the bombings in London came in.

Back to Lil's ruminations on the cattleprod, B4 showed up at post 1635!

Amy may have got a job at the university! And a brass plate with her name on it! And a door to put the plate on, with a room behind it! In fact the brass plate and the door seem to have come before the job.

Greydesk appeared at post 1737.

In consequence of the London bombings, salonistas began talking about politics, or, rather, about people who talk about politics and why polite discouorse was becoming so difficult.

And then Lil distributed a link to all salonistas, to a free art program of no complexity whatever, and decreed that there will be a showing of all artwork created, in this new conversation. She also enthused about Google earth (also free). There will be an exhibition of salonista art later in this new conversation.

Kelli had a successful hen party and came back with a glowing complexion, while Mr. Dreadful went shopping for LARP gear and came back to the salon with a small mountain of tartan.

Ag gives blood!

It is learned that David B has book-finding superpowers, and that Hypatia is Wonder Librarian. It is good that we have these two on hand to run the atelier stacks, what with the fFordean Rift and all.

d'Elaphant treated the salon to home movies of dogs, starring Zeppo as A Wall of Yellow.

At the end of the last conversation, more interesting ideas were coming up, particularly with respect to the gore/scare content of children's literature. I hope that topic persists into the new conversation.

And a long-running subtopic -- what do you call a group of librarians? A shelf? An inventory? A catalogue? -- hit its apotheosis with the term 'fruitcake.'



And so once again, while salonistas have been jogging in place or gazing longingly at the fresh cinnamon buns and mbougatses that Matina is putting out, the salon is clean and fresh and ready for a new conversation. Please make yourselves at home.

Me! Me! Me!

Woo! I did it!

*Starts arranging the furniture into a small fort*

*Chloe slams Mr. Dreadful behind the knees to knock him on his back, then goes to work putting back the furniture, while Matina drags him over to a recliner with one hand and serves him an Irish coffee in a FTTF mug with the other hand*

*curses loudly*

[p] Just on my way out of the office.

Post 7?

Ach well, first led anyway

Returns to read notes...

[ltp]

Did I make it to the first page?

Oooooooh ... .... an award ... Thank you!

Mol

*comes racing in at high speed, claws scrabbling for grip on any surface available to stop his headlong rush*

10th! I don't believe it!

posting quickly

'BBC chairman Michael Grade has pledged to remove all repeats from BBC One and BBC Two within 10 years.'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4695229.stm
Right...
And what colour is the moon on his world?

Remember, we dress ceremonially tomorrow, whatever passes for white tie in your part of the galaxy!


I see that General Westmoreland has died at age 91. I never agreed with his strategy for Vietnam, to say the least, but I give him props for being an excellent soldier.

beaten to 10th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the subjects of deaths, did Teddy Heath get a mention?

And today that horrible little oik Tyndall snuffed it too. No rose for him.

*steps adroitly over 200 posts*

Well, will you look at that. Marv is safely off to home, and I can get some sleep!!

Ted Heath is dead? When? How? *goes off to look at bbc news* My firefox tab thinks it's more important to talk about pirated copies of HP in Mumbai...

Heath died yesterday:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4691051.stm

....sadly, TPS won't stop the 'You have won...' type of calls, as a lot come from abroad. Apparently, if you reply to them, or spam E.mails, or even some charity letters, you can be put on a 'suckers' list...and get even more of the above sent/phoned to you.

Wasn't it Sunday evening that he died? The first 14 minutes of the 10 o'clock news was devoted to him and his life. This is a lesson to us all that if we want lots of tv coverage on our passing we should snuff it on a *really* slow news day.