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

Yo jay dubya, how-dee-doo-dee,

You seen Natassja recently?

'Versus', huh?
Well OK I'm always up for a bit of a brawl but first you'll have to remind me who Natassja is.
It's still very 'early' in 'my' day here and I canna just yet recall who she might be...
Hint please.
~j~

the 'vs' is a thing from some music that i like: KLF vs The Orb; King Tubby vs The Mad Scientist

The reason i use it for 1-to-1 threads is for ID purposes on message lists, when those, 'he, it's Friday pm' type thread titles become meaningless, 'Spiff vs jwf' still reflects the function of the thread.

well, that's my current theory anyway.

so, forgotten Natassja already, eh?

"A 10-year-old boy shares an intense bond with his mentally ill mother" ring any bells? Or is that just you're alarm clock again?

have a *great* day!
spiff

Ok I get it now. Versus, yes, I see. Kinda like an ampersand so you can identify the thread with 'you & me' in it. Like the Spiff and Johnny Show!

As for Natassja and your clue "A 10-year-old boy shares an intense bond with his mentally ill mother"... I really hate to admit I have only a vague recollection of an AggGag entry (which I doubt I could find easily) and beyond that no bells are ringing. Was that it?

Let this be a lesson to you. When people enter their second childhood, as I have, they have the attention span and recollective abilities of a six year old. We need clear directions and specific references or we just smile blankly and hope no one asks any hard questions.

~jwf~

this is gonna be one of those, 'who's pulling whose' things, but...

... Kinski? In a film?

or... well...

Oh THAT Natassja. Yes of course, how silly of me, yes...
Just never occurred to me that you might have been talking about ME and MY LIFE.
My complete loss of EGO (since the 60s) does occassionally have its downside. The trade-off for eliminating all those painful paranoid thoughts like "They're ALL talking about me!" is that one now often completely fails to be aware when one really is the subject of conversation.

*note to lurkers: yes a film called "The Magic of Marciano" starring Natassja Kinksi with yours truly as the foster parent who temporarily shelters her abandoned son - SEE: Movie Credits link on my homepage*

Phew, glad we cleared that up.
peace
jwf

... a natural progression from amateur theatricals, or first steps towards a new career?

Hi there jwf, you around? I wanna try a li'l experiment with you.


Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit...

*ahem*
Umh ..yes..? How may I help you?

~j~

Fear not, just something i hit upon today and wanted to try out with you:

using MS Messenger for free voice communication.

Have you ever used MS Messenger? Do you have a fast connection? Would you be interested in giving it a try? It could mean a dramatic reduction in my phone bills if it turns out to work as well as it looks to work.

sounds suspicious though, eh? Shirely someone would be talking about it if it was really the way to genuinely free (well, aside from my monthly cable connection charge, but 'no extra cost') international 'phone' calls.

Btw, I will just go check out the old link you mentioned in Broken Dog...

>> ... a natural progression from amateur theatricals, or first steps towards a new career? <<

Oops. Sorry, musta missed that posting last week when two heavy rounds of Flea Market announcements pushed all my regular conversations down a few pages.

I've actually been a 'professional' performer since age 7.
Radio, films, tv, stage. In my yoof, I did quite well, getting most of the work around here (there weren't that many child actors ). In my adult years, I refused to leave the Halifax area and there was never enough work to make a living, so I had to pursue other careers, writer, producer, public relations, advertising... Now that Halifax is one of the top ten production centers in the world, I'm too old. There aren't that many roles for fat old men, except 'cops', truck drivers, old fishermen ...small bit parts. I've just been cast in a new Movie of the Week as the guy somebody's mother is having an affair with. I get three lines. Two days work. First work I've had this year.

But enuff about me already!
peace
~jwf~

>> Have you ever used MS Messenger? <<

No. I do have a cable connection but no microphone. When I bought this system three years ago I meant to be doing some audio production of archival tapes my father did years ago with old sailors and fishermen. Very interesting sea tales etc.. I had plans to market CDs to the tourists. I put off buying a mic, wanting to make sure I got something of the proper quality with a tone to suitably complement the archival materials. But then I discovered h2g2 and went into a 3 year addiction phase, so I've never learned how to use all my audio programs ..and never bought the mic.

I hear that MS Messenger actually works, but like 'chat rooms' where instant response is required, it has little appeal to me. During the Great Vogon Detour to Rupert, many different message board formats were tried by those wandering in the wilderness and I found I did not like any of the chat-room formats as much as the hootoo forums. It's the pace, the way one can type, review, edit, recreate, abandon, try again... the 'time' factor mainly, gives one the chance to remain somehow objective and reflective. Instant communication scares me a little. I prefer having at least the opportunity to think before I speak.

There used to be a sign in the announce booth at one of the radio stations where I worked as a disc-jockey (decades ago) that said: "Be sure brain is engaged before opening mouth." I was young and impressionable and those words are now emblazoned on my brain, and yet I still, far too often, rant on, shooting from the hip. Every day I end up regretting knee-jerk comments and unconsidered reflex reactions. I guess I'm too much a 'writer' with the bad habit of trying to edit myself into some sort of thoughtful and agreeable persona.

~jwf~

Interesting. As ever, john, a thoughtful and personal reaction.

I shan't push my gadgets on you, then. Just thought it might be interesting to try out a 'free' direct line to the colonies... er... I mean... er...

what were you saying, again?

40 is meant to be ready now and I must to the nearest bistro to slake my dipsomanical thirst!

in a while crocodile
spiff

On the other hand we really ought to try and do something with producing tonsil's radio plays.
I suspect this site will sooner or later get into 'audio' files. There has been talk of an h2g2 Radio station. It'll be mostly UK based and BBC controlled at first, but AggGag can weasel into it eventually I'm sure. Ask TR if he has MSMess and a mic. He started to explore possibilities a couple weeks ago when we first discussed his plays.
peace
~j~

as above...

just droppin' by to say 'ahoy', and thanks for all the... well, kind words.

I got there in the end. It just kinduv came to me in a flash what to pick and why. I admit I was quite pleased, and glad you liked it.

What's even better, I think agcBen is pleased too.

cyaround
off to bed
spiff

>> I got there in the end. <<

Yes you did!
An excellent critique and intro of a 'perfect' AggGagEntry that put the icing on our final cake.

>> What's even better, I think agcBen is pleased too. <<

Ben has always been of of those who, like us, wants to see h2g2 remember where it came from and what DNA was all about.

And your expression "What's even better.." brings yet another smile to my wearied heart and bones. Yes, that is the best part isn't it!
Let us soldier forward to do more good works!

peace
jwf

Hi Jay Dub,

just thought i'd revive this thread and say hi,

I see CAC has been off-line for the summer, and i think you've seen what's going on with the Underguide and the AWW. I'm just wondrin what you think about CAC right now...

I know i haven't been contributing for a while now (was off h2g2 altogether whilst working in Paris; not at home and a hefty dose of RL = no h2g2), but i'm on-line fairly regularly at the mo, and wanted to see what you're thinking of doing. I know you never particularly wanted to run the show, but i guess it always seemed that way.

Also, Deidzoeb is fairly active with the UG thing, and i think i've seen you mention the idea of linking Ug and Agg in some way. I kind of feel that this UG project is pretty close to what we wanted to do with AggGag in the first place - get the AWW moving and then showcase the pick of the crop. Indeed, many items already run in the Post column will undoubtedly end up being UG-ed (which i think basically has the advantage of being visible on an h2g2 search)

*stops rambling*

sorry, got a tad carried away there...

so... 'hi',

spiff

Good t'hear from ya.
Glad the heat hasn't wilted ya away.

I'm not that sure what's happening with UG these days. Last I heard, the proponents of the project were still waiting for the 'editors' to decide how much in-house support might be given and how much in-house work would be required. Some of these discussions must be occuring offsite but as yet I am unaware of any start-up of an official Underguide.

If none is forthcoming by the time the autumn leaves start to fall and I retreat to the in-of-doors for the annual hibernation cycle then I'll assume the case for reviving and carrying on with <./>AggGag</.>/CAC is proven. It is my hope that the UGlies would support our continuing cause with lots of contributions and page assemblies.

I'm open to any suggestions that would encourage more creative writing with a wider readership for anyone interested.

It should incorporate the better ideas and thinkers from UG. Many of whom are from the choir we have been preaching to, but they have their own ideas of what's important, what's funny and what needs promotion. We have to move forward from our original positions and we have to have more input if we are to grow.

We'll ask to support a page for all the volunteering Aggists and Uglies and hopefully spread the editorial duties around a bit more to come up with something more constructive and organised than our previous endeavours.

The trouble will always be a reliable working 'management' structure. Who is responsible? Who makes decisions? Who does the editing? Who chooses entries? Who critiques entries? Who meets the dealines?

These are all vital to the practical side of the question and my experience is that when one gets up to the eyebones in all these administrative duties there is little time to be creative or even properly appreciative of any one else's creativity. You know, 'democracy' doesn't work if the voters don't show up to vote on time. And I know I don't want to end up playing the role of 'benevalent dictator' again just because I'm the one who always worries about meeting deadlines and getting a page out every week.

Most importantly we need a fresh voice, a new perspective and a strong mentoring community to support eager young writers who come here and hope to have a chance to be read and appreciated. No one person can manage all that and the readers don't want to hear the same voice chanting the same war-cry all the time.

I still like the idea of 'a committee for alien content'. I like our new Amy T Ant logo. And all things considered I am proud of our history to date. I had hoped the Underguide would soon become an official reality and provide the necessary forum for creative writing. But if it doesn't fly 'offially' then I am willing to be 'part' of any new unofficial 'underguide' proposal that builds on the legacy of AggGag/CAC.

I note with interest that for the past few months, at least half (on average) of the contributors to are graduates of an AggGagCac promotion.


~jwf~

I was gonna repost all that to a current UG thread but none are current enough for me to find one.

~jwf~

you might like to check out A1088697 - an update from end of June.

As i understand it, things are lined up to have an entry per week on the Front Page from september onwards. They've already selected and 'polished' the first ten and are set up with Ashley the Ital to 'mine' an allocated number per week to contnue to build up the necessary 'waiting list'.

Unsurprisingly, several former Agg entries have resurfaced and more will undoubtedly continue to do so.

I might also say that the AWW has livened up a little, partly just as a result of having a few extra participants directly from UG, but there seem to be more people dropping entries in there too. Or am i being optimistic?

anyway, just thought you'd like to know whassup,
cya
spiff