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

A quick thank you to Terri, JEllen and FF for remembering my birfday. Work was uneventful, I had a nice lunch, we're ordering in dinner, and K got me a hilarious card (one of those that's just perfect), DVDs of David Lynch's short works and "Delicatessen", and a kick-ass miniature-but-not-that-small figure of H.R. Pufnstuf!! How is that?!

My gram and uncle made me veggie lasagna AND carrot cake Sunday. And gave me A Little Something with which to buy myself Something Nice.

All in all, one of my better birfdays.

Is your birthday 10th May then? Same as mine

Te he, we have had this discussion before, that's how i manage to remember the pair of you, my woohs!

zdt

And why are you not drinking with me on MSN, T?

Hopefully you two are off chatting away happily.

May 10 it is, Skanky... I had thought yours was the 11th, sorry. Happy belated birthday to you, as well.

Oooohhhh!!! 'Cos you don't seem to be online you little monkey, that's why!!!I am there if you want to grab me!

zdt

That's Terri, always looking to be grabbed!

Happy Birthday PC

I'm glad I *met youso gift is really mine!

If I'd known I'd have gift-wrapped your .mp3.

It was Sophie and Adam's birthday on 3rd. Last Sunday we had a house full of giggly girls for Sophie's party (and after 2 hours I felt like reaching for a machete). This Sunday we're doing this thing where Adam's friends are taught how to build a raft.

Happy Birthday PC!

Happy birthday! Did you get my email yesterday?

Hi all!

Abbi, that's one of the sweetest things anyone's said to me. I'm glad I *met you, too, so the gift is reciprocal!

I did get the email, Snailrind, thank you so much! I loved the singing kitties.

Thank you all for your friendship, which is definitely the nicest gift a person can give!

PS- Edward, having a gaggle of giggling girls around the house probably wouldn't be my favorite way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

You parents are some tough cookies- doubly so those of you with twins. Loving parents are another , one that keeps on giving.

Speaking of parents... my dad called Sunday at my gram's, so he's in the clear, but my mother didn't even acknowledge me again this year. (Why do I ever entertain the idea that she might?)

Of course, when I do hear from her, I can't always restrain myself from being a bit of a smartass. A couple of years ago, she sent a brief email informing me that they'd had some Hurricane Charley damage and she was going to have to file a claim with the insurance company. I told her not to forget to let them know that a house had fallen on her, and while she was trapped, some came along and stole her ruby slippers.

I don't think she "got" that one.

A belated feliz cumpleaños to you, PC!

az

Ah! What is it about families? Mine always brings out the truculent adolescent in me, too.

By the way...I remember HR Pufnstuf. He had an enormous head, did he not? I've got the tune going through my head right now.

He did have an enormous head! I loved the show when I was a kid. For Xmas, I got the DVD box set. It's a little trippier these days than it seemed when we were young... I've got the theme song going through my head, too now.


The one thing I do notice when we watch the show is how awful- and prolific- racial stereotypes were back in the day... and these stereotypes were OK for children's programming!

You should have seen the UK sitcoms of the era UKAnians: Remember 'Bless This House'?

But then about 5-6 years ago I wrote an angry letter to the BBC. They had a lame sitcom (I forget the name - something like Empty Nest) about parents who couldn't get their adult children to move out. Then one of the girls announced she was moving in with her boyfriend. They were eager to meet him, and in the last shot he came to the door and...are you ready for the punchline?...he was black!

Alternative comedy was meant to have swept away this sort of thing. Alexei Sayle:
'Alternative comedy means we don't do jokes about mother-in-laws any more. We emphasise the values of tolerant, caring communities. Anyway...I wouldn't say my mother-in-law was a social worker...'

Or John Thomson (as his character, 'Bernard RightOn'):
'An Englishman, an Irishman and a Pakistani walk into a pub...what a wonderful example of multicultural harmony.'

Actually, though...I think the most radical UK TV show ever was Blind Date - multicultural dating without a comment.

Speaking of HR PufnStuf, did you know that Jack Wild died recently?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4765996.stm


az

I did - but I'd forgotten he was in it until you mentioned.