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

Farlander, my distant and long absent friend, I'm hoping that you still lurk hereabouts on occasion.

I came across your entry on 'Ichthyosis Foetalis and Harlequin Babies', your normal fantastic and incredibly well researched work!

Having just been reading up and around the internet on the subject, it occurred to me to wonder if their might not be a hootoo entry on the subject. Imagine my utter lack of surprise when I found out that you had already produced such an impressive work.

I notice that it was written more than 2 years back, and what I've been reading suggests that an update may be called for here. For example, 2006 UK Population figures place the number at 60.6 million. With one in 300,000 babies subject to the disease, that would make a population of 202 sufferers. There are only 7 known, although some may die at early stages.

The more recent figures I've seen place the likelihood of two carriers getting together at 250,000 to one, and a one in four chance of having such a child (which assums that they've had children in mind).

They also have updated treatments that are suggested, and there is a teenage triathloner in the USA.

I also saw some notes on the various kinds of ABCA12 mutations and how they affect the creation and movement of lipids.

You are by far the best choice for updating the entry. If you are so inclined, I among many would be very glad that you took the time to do so.

I hope that the Hiatus is going well for you!

Hey Fords, long time no see!

I've certainly taken a long hiatus, haven't I? lol. Your note reminded me of an article I recently read about Lucy Betts, who is now 21 and working with children with special needs (I believe). You're right - that article needs an update! I'll go dig up that article and the most recent publications about Ichthyosis foetalis, and see what I can do to bring my entry up-to-date.

Hope you're keeping well.

HEY! Imagine my surprise, again!

I seriously feared that my note would go unanswered for ages, at best.

I've been keeping very well. Thank you for asking.

Still employed, still finding my work interesting, still keeping the family well as can be expected, and planning on stepping up my hootoo input.

So, how was the hiatus, and does this mean that it's over?
Or, is it a matter of just finding a better balance of your time here?

Either way, it's encouraging to know that you will be bringing the entry up to date. It's a distressing malady, to be sure, and deserves understanding from anyone willing to search for information about it.

Great to have heard from you!

Hey again Fords,

Well, at least you're writing! haha. I pretty much dried up here after 2005 (I still have three or four articles sitting, unfinished, in my HD. Maybe it's time for me to finally finish them). I'm getting back into writing medical articles, though, so there's probably still hope for me after all.

[Bizarrely, I've gone from frenetically writing science articles to frenetically churning out paintings (something I started doing at the end of '05) for fun and profit.]

Have there been any major changes around here?

-Far.

Painting!? Wow , I'm jealous! Haven't had time for artwork in ages!

Tell me more - style, subject matter, medium, sizes?

Major changes? There have been rumours about the end of hootoo, but I think a sudden spat of entries has shown them that there's still interest. There seems to be a debate about the need, with Wikipedia being out there; but they have no peer review, so the entries can not always be trusted.

The other most major change has been those long-time contributors who are leaving, like Gnomon.

Well, it's been a bunch of months, again!

You may have noticed, if you've stopped by, that Gnomon's departure was short lived. In fact, I think he's running the show now!

Glad somebody competent got it.

So, any more work done on those four entries? How's the painting trade coming along?

Would you have any of your work posted on the web somewhere? I'd love to see what you've been doing, and can't help wondering if there's a microbe motif!

Hey Fords, how're you doing?

A bunch of months indeed. *facepalm* And the tragedy? I can't seem to get into my old account - not for lack of trying, mind you. (I think it might have something to do with the new BBCi login.)

I'm mostly on Deviant Art (http://darthfar.deviantart.com/ Note the sign-up date: it's about when I disappeared from H2G2...) and a Les Miserables forum these days. And yeah, still painting.

I see you're back to writing! Something I'll have to do myself, if I ever manage to get in again.

Catch you around - hopefully?