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

Well, this may seem out of place but I live in Dubai and could seriously do with a joint! OK, so it's illegal in the UK too but be that as it may it's still readily available. Not so here. In fact, if I did manage to get my hands on some dope somehow (impossible) and was caught by the police I'd be deported before I could blink.

As for legal drugs, a pint of Worthingtons wouldn't go amiss. Although there are many European beverages here, Worthy's is not among them! Generally I go for Fosters or Bud instead while I'm here but a pint of Worthingtons would be lovely. I miss it!

Moving on to music, the selection here is pretty good. You can get 90% of UK and US albums, and pretty much any US single that's in the charts, but most UK singles are impossible to find! Especially the bands that don't make it into the top 10. I'm still waiting to see if I'll be able to get Bob the Builder out here! I'll be devastated if I can't!

NOOOoooo.....

Not Bob The Builder.

Please, tell me you're joking.

Please?

It would be better to miss Slade, or even Paul McCartney, than Bob.

Well there are plenty of other bands I miss more but it would be pretty cool to have Bob too...

I just love the thought that the British music scene can be overturned by a puppet.

"I just love the thought that the British music scene can be overturned by a puppet."

I found this statement quite amusing at first and then it occurred to me.... the British music scene is filled to the brim and overflowing with damn puppets only these puppets arent quite as cute as Bob and dont know the first thing about a trade like building! They are merely there for entertainment value, just like Bob; no doubt they have the same target audience; and bob still gets my vote over any manufactured pop icon 'cos I bet he writes his own material.

I havent seen the video yet but I wouldnt be surprised if he plays an instrument aswell.

Well, the wombles did it. Pinky and Perky did it. As did Orvile the Duck. Did Sooty ever have a number 1?

Getting back to Dubai for a moment, I've just remembered something relevant - you can't get anything Israeli, or even relating to Israel here. Because of the religious clash. In fact, Israelis aren't even allowed to live here. *My dictionary has 'Israel' blacked out of it with a marker!*

This is more than ridiculous, in my opinion. Thing like this can only hurt the global economy...

But Israel doesn't have an awful lot that you can't get anywhere else does it?

Although I do remember finding ready-made Pina Coladas in some little tiny shop near Bethlehem. Something I had never seen before. I saved the label and wrote to the manufacturer and asked why they weren't available in Germany. I can't remember what they answered, but something along the lines that they were working on it! Now the only ready-mixed drink (hard) that you can get here is Jack Daniels and Desperados or something, or was it Jim Beam and Coke?

Oh yeah, Desperadoes are really strong. I think it's tequila and beer in those or something. But what about Bacardi Breezers, Smirnoff Ice, Red Square, etc? Don't you count those as 'hard'? They are spirits after all...

Yeah, you're probably right - Israel probably doesn't have anything particularly exciting to offer. I just thought I'd mention it because it's a pretty important part of the customs regulations here...

I see your point. We are lucky that absolutely nothing is sanctioned here in Germany (probably most of Europe) at the moment. Except GM stuff, where it is recognisable as such.

And now the Germans have their own problem with the beef, which the media are spreading like wildfire to apply to lamb and pork as well.

The English music scene has always been prone to puppets (and variants) - Mr. Blobby, Bob the Builder, Flat Eric. Also muppets - Britney Spears, Westlife, Lolly.
That and the charts are fixed . . .

Al (et al)

Call them muppets puppets or whatever ya want, basically theyre very much like tony blair except the popular music scene mirrors politics in an accelerated microcosm kind of way(?)

Sooty and Sweep didn't speak, so I doubt if they sang. Harry Corbett wasn't a ventriloquist, he just did the talking and waggled the hand puppets.

Puppets and muppets do dominate, they are there for just one week before the next piece of smooth product turns up. No one remembers them, no one cares.

I remember just once when the Christmas top 10 had something to really offer, "A fairytale of New York".

Kirsty MacColl, RIP.