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

At this rate you'll be 'Top Gun' article producer soon.

Deke

I've been reckoning up and Shagbark's Corona Borealis is the 31st constellation to hit PR (not counted the ones in progress, yours and mine, but have counted the picked/pending ones)

That's not bad going

I've done Triangulum but as I have 13 articles in PR I'm not going to submit any more until a few have been picked (I never would have submitted the 13th if I'd realised, I'm superstitious) so I've now made a start on Pisces, which is much more substantial and should take me a while.

ooh, look what I found: C55844 that's a handy link for the PS!

#32: Pisces A30831013 is ready for PR, I think

#33 Triangulum is in PR now: A30823878

How are you, Deke?

Hi GB

Sorry I havn't been around much lately. Just feeling a bit second hand at the moment.

Deke

Dare I ask?

anyway

I think I know how you feel.
The reason I can keep up this kind of output is because I don't have a job and don't have a partner. So I research and write, just to stop me getting brain-dead and topping myself from lack of physical affection.
I can imagine all the subscribers to PR groaning and unsubbing the moment my constellations pop up in their message centres. I'm hardly getting any reviewers and when this: F8934387?thread=4895529&latest=1 happened I wondered what was the point. Perhaps I've overkilled with my enthusiasm, or people think I don't need encouragement any more. This is my swansong though, I'm afraid I've got like Gnomon and feel there's not a lot of writing left in me so am just concentrating on this project. I need reviewers though and things like this F48874?thread=4951834&latest=1 when I just get to the stage where I don't have a clue what to say. I am looking forward to your comprised Argo Navis very much indeed, I hope you're getting along with that OK.

Well my little problem is nothing more than a cold/cough that I can’t get rid of, plus an episode or two with ‘The Bug‘. Small potata’s really.

It’s hard to know what to say to give encouragement at the best of times, Lord knows I‘m not very good at it and I don’t want to sound negative but I’m not sure it’s really needed. You and Gnomon, and indeed many others, have done far more for H2 than can reasonably be expected, and I hope you have got great enjoyment out of it as you go along. But there must come a time for everyone when the well starts to run dry.

Nevertheless, as I read it, there isn’t much critique coming forward because of the lack of contributors to H2 in general. I don’t think anyone is shying away from the constellation entries or giving negative criticism, it’s just that they probably see you as having nailed the subject and they would have to do some research themselves in order to raise any valid criticism. That takes a commitment beyond which I think most are reluctant to go. I think that Skankyrich’s lead from a couple of months ago has run its course and things are returning to where they were before. A general lack of contributions and commitment to the EG where, of the three dots on the PR list, most of one of them, is yours.

Personally I’ve been on H2 since day one, but my output hasn’t been great, certainly nothing like yourself and Gnomon. It probably shows more of a commitment to lurking than to writing. Other than the constellations I have a list of about 12 - 15 subjects that I think will make good EG entries and two MASSIVE multi-entry subjects that I’ll probably never get started/into. At best I’ll get one done a month and then that’ll probably be it for me at about the end of the year. At the moment I have one almost ready to submit by the end of the month, then it’s back to Ara and Argo for next month.

FWIW I think when it gets to this you could take a few days to consider other options. From where I stand your writing skills are pretty good, indeed, better than most. 'Frinstance, have you ever thought about writing a book?

Deke

One a month sounds good to me.

Write a book. Now there's a thing. I've started a few but I can't stick to the topic. I am always going off on tangents, can't focus. I may pull it all together one day.

Hey, youFP author 15 edited constellations now

Hey thanks. I was beginning to despair of that one ever moving.

On to the next...

Deke

I think the Eds are dripping them through slowly, my Leo had a pic it's on the FP today but the image wasn't used

The entries are taking so long because of the glut in ComingUp which is a _good_ thing

What's next?

Jimi X is adding the edited versions as soon as they hit the FP to the Messier entry, it's great watching the links in that grow

My Cancer 'the crab' got picked today when it's edited it can be added to your Gemini

Great!

I've just put my latest offering (for Jan) into PR.

This coming month I'll concentrate on Ara and Argo to try to finish those off.

Are you putting your 'Heads Up' notes to the post this month? You probably already know but I meant to mention that it looks like there should be a Lunar eclipse in Feb. viewable from the UK.

Deke

My 31 Jan offering is already in, it will go live at midnight. I mentioned the upcoming lunar eclipseYou are always welcome to give me a nudge about upcoming stuff to mention in my column - if I already know I'd rather hear about something twice than you assume I know and something gets missed... so thanks

I have my own Post archive nowthe link is on my newly-refurbished PS

I've also already written a Valentine Special for the *next* Post which falls on Feb 14. Might as well spread the love eh? Amazing what I found, but I won't spoil it for you. There's only two diary dates in that Valentine Special and one of them is the lunar eclipse on the 21st. I was telling my grandson about it at the weekend and when his mother collected him, he told her all about it I am instilling in him all the enthusiasm I had at that age (but had no teacher and no outlet) and he's like a sponge. Tomorrow morning when he awakes he's going to look for the Venus/Jupiter alignment

And, of course, it's blowing a gale and massive cloud cover so my neck of the woods won't see it.

Here's today's Post atricle: A31617227

Gnomon is writing a more in-depth overview entry of constellations

I always get a kick out of spotting Venus, with or without Jupiter. I'm sure grandson will get another chance. I'm usually going out just about dawn, so it's easy to spot. This morning was just clear enough to see Venus but I couldn't see Jupiter. The moon was peeking through too.

Your Post article looks good. I'll let you know if I see anything I think is interesting.

I didn't realise Gnomon was still active and his constellations intro looks good. Is he still likely to do some of the charts?

Looking at the lists I hadn't realised there was still some more 'A's to be done. I thought that someone had done Aries but I can't see it in the lists. I make it that there is Ara, Aries and Auriga to be done. Is that right?

Deke

Gnomon has sent me an image for Delphinus, which includes Ursa Minor

I have made a start on Auriga the charioteer already but Aries and Ara are still going begging, I've slowed down considerably due to the apathy/lack of enthusiasm in PR and concentrating on a few other subjects.

I must admit being asked to add astrology info to a constellation entry has made me decide not to write about any more constellations. I'll just finish off Ursa Minor and maybe Hydra. Would you like what I have done on Auriga so far: A31535165

Hi GB

Where is it that you are being asked to put in more astrology?
I wouldn't go too far down that route if I were you. I don't see the necessity for it. After all the sections we include on the mythology should be enough.

I think you're probably right to at least take a sabbatical from it. I find just concentrating on the one subject is just too much. Perhaps I just get bored with it too easily but I do find that doing some other subject lets me come back to this one a bit more ready for it. Perhaps PR doesn't appreciate what they're getting. It wasn't too long ago that new entries of any sort were being cried out for.

Do you mean for me to take over Auriga? If so, I can do, just to finish off the A's but it won't be done any time soon.

Fair exchange. If you want a subject to get your teeth into I have one that might interest you and it's to do with astronomy/planets. Funnily enough the subject suggested itself from astrology and in some slight ways parallels it. Written correctly, it might just have enough quirk for the denizens of PR. I've done 'some' research on it but it'll take a lot more. But it is a fairly large subject that'll need some work. Fact is that I'm probably never likely to get round to finishing it.

If you're interested I could e/mail some details to you. I'd rather not let the subject loose on an open fora here.

Deke

Hi Deke

Pisces.

Yes, I would like you to take over Auriga,

I'm intrigued and I will give you my opinion if you want to email the details anniebarrnoneATyahooDOTcoDOTuk replacing the caps with your best guess